Have you ever considered a career change for the sake of happiness? Tasker George S. did, and his journey to being a highly-rated Tasker in the New York metro is a testament to his work ethic, his diverse skill set, and the flexibility of the Taskrabbit platform. While his background boasts an impressive tenure as a neurointerventional surgeon, university researcher, and scientist, George followed his passions to find both freedom and happiness on Taskrabbit by providing Carpentry, Mounting, Moving and Assembly services.
Getting To Know George
As a 62-year-old Tasker who mostly works in the Newark, NJ and Brooklyn, NY areas, George brings a wealth of experience to his Taskrabbit business. While he used to be a neurointerventional surgeon overseas—not to mention a researcher at Emory University for ten years and a principal scientist at Johnson & Johnson for two years, after he moved to the United States—George’s passion for the skills he uses as a Tasker stemmed from childhood experience.
“I’ve been a Tasker since November 2019, but I’m from Zugdidi, Georgia, a beautiful historic city near the Black Sea,” George says. “When I was about five years old, my parents decided to do a major renovation on our home and hired two well-known carpenter brothers to do the project. Watching (and sometimes helping!) them with simple jobs made me get interested in this line of work, which I now do on Taskrabbit.”
But that wasn’t the only bit of inspiration for George. Just down the road from where he lived as a child was his father’s uncle, Valiko, a brilliant carpenter who made wood barrels for wine. “Georgia is well known as a birthplace for wine making, so Valiko was busy all the time,” George explains. “He became my inspiration as a very kind, honest person and a professional who cared for each piece he made.”
While George eventually grew up and worked in the medical sciences, he never quit doing small carpentry projects at home. He later moved to the United States to continue working in the scientific field, only to realize that corporate life wasn’t for him. He dabbled in real estate for a few years before finally becoming a Tasker—a job that has brought him satisfaction and happiness.
A Day In George’s Life
George has a peaceful life as a Tasker, one where he doesn’t have to worry about corporate mandates or politics. It’s just him, his business, and the clients he meets!
“Every morning, I get up at 5:00am and exercise while watching DIY videos in carpentry,” George says. “Then I have breakfast, get my calendar updated on the Tasker app, clean my tools, and pack them for that day’s tasks. From there, I head out to my tasks. I put my whole heart into each task, the same way my parents and uncle Valiko taught me to. Once I come back home, I cook, put on some jazz or a show, and go to sleep by 11:00pm.”
Translating Tasking To Finances
“I typically make around $8,000 monthly as a Tasker,” George says. “Most of the carpentry projects I do require a few hours, or sometimes a couple days. This means I make enough money not to worry.”
Last year, George’s wife of forty years passed away due to cancer. His daughters are also grown up, and he lives alone with his cat, Miles. This gives him a lot of time to live life the way he wants to. Beyond tasking, he doesn’t have many responsibilities, and working has helped him focus on the positive parts of his life.
“I invest a lot of money in high quality tools for carpentry—at least $1,000 a month,” George says. “My other expenses are rent, insurance (car, health, and life), EZpass, phone, internet, and books, which altogether cost about $3,000 per month. I love jazz, so at least once a month, I also go to Village Vanguard, Blue Note, Smalls, Mezzrow, and a few other clubs. I also help fund a few of my young relatives’ education in Georgia, where unemployment is very high—that’s about $1,500 every month. Finally, I donate to social causes I feel strongly about and also help fund a couple jazz radio stations in the US—about $300 per month.”
Strategies For The Future
George has built a number of strategies for saving money and cutting expenses, which have given him the flexibility he wants when it comes to being a full-time Tasker.
“I try to be frugal,” George says. “My rent is low, I cook for myself, and the clothes I buy are inexpensive but still look good. I monitor all my expenses and have an excellent credit score, regardless of life’s ups and downs.”
For emergency expenses related to Tasking, George also keeps a Home Depot credit card with a $5,000 limit, which helps him cover all his bases.
“My financial goal is to reach a steady monthly income of $15,000 as a Tasker,” he explains. “I eventually want to start renting a woodshop, which will help accelerate my performance and allow me to hire new Taskers to help me with tasks brought in by Taskrabbit.”
Finally, George has a few pieces of advice for all Taskers, whether they’re planning for their futures or providing clients with the best possible service.
“When you’re starting out, make sure you have funds for basic tools, transportation, and food for four to eight days—$700 should be sufficient,” he says. “When it comes to clients, always do your best to understand their needs. Then be creative to reduce their costs and solve their problems. If you can’t self-market due to lack of funds, rely on Taskrabbit. Finally, treat your customers the way you’d like to be treated as a customer!”
If you’re inspired by reading George’s story, you can hire a Tasker for yourself to see why getting help from your community is one of the best options out there to save time and energy. If you’re reading this and realizing you’re tired of the 9-to-5 grind, why not try building a business for yourself? Become a Tasker today!
