With 10 grandsons under the age of nine, a fledgling online upholstery business and a home he’s renovating with wife Lorraine, you could be forgiven for thinking that at 64-year-old Graham may have his hands full.
But the keen recreational fisherman, who has owned and sold three businesses in Brisbane, is absolutely loving the new side gig he took up in January this year as an Amazon Flex delivery partner, and has no plans to slow down.
I’ve got the energy and it’s flexible which is what I like about it
“The training is all done online and that’s something new for a person of my age, but I found it easy to navigate and I was very impressed. The online training videos work very well in explaining what’s expected of you as a driver.”
He was casting about for something new to do, to earn extra income after the upholstery business he was consulting to was hit by Covid-19, when he and wife Lorraine, 65, saw an advertisement for Amazon Flex.
“I saw it online and not knowing a lot about it I applied. It was simple and in three weeks I was on the road,” he says.
I deliver Amazon packages and enjoy the driving and I really do love the flexibility. Lorraine comes out with me once a week – we’ve been married 42 years so it’s nice to have each other’s company and support. I’m also really impressed with how the app works and how the whole team works
Graham says with most of his huge brood of grandchildren now in school, he has had more time on his hands, and wanted to keep working, but also wanted a very flexible work-life balance to allow he and Lorraine to enjoy other pursuits.
“We’re about to step back into some travel, which we always enjoy. I’ve just worked a run of blocks because we are going to Perth for a few weeks in September and it’s good to get that extra income. That’s what I love about it – I’m in control and I can pick the hours to work that suit me! I can even see how much I’ll be earning, before I lock in the delivery block,” he says
Born and bred in Brisbane, Graham, says he’s still discovering places in his hometown that he hasn’t been to, and has only praise for Amazon Flex and it’s easy to use app, which provides optional guidance that each delivery partner can choose to use to get to their delivery destination.
“You think you know a city, but there are still parts that I will go to that I haven’t been to before, and that’s what I love about the professionalism of the app for the deliveries – it takes you literally to the exact spot you need to go,” he says.
“I’ve recommended it to a few friends. I think it suits people who are moving into semi- retirement, very much so. My father worked until he was 79 years old. I don’t want that. But certainly, while I am able to, I’m going to grab this opportunity with both hands and enjoy it. I go out to enjoy it every time I drive.”
Learn more about Amazon Flex.
