Eleanor Duffy - Instacart Shopper │ Influential Women

About Eleanor

I work as an independent contractor with Instacart, shopping and delivering groceries for customers. I found this opportunity through a Help Wanted ad, and even though my kids thought it was a scam at first, I went ahead and filled out all the information. When Instacart called me and I started working, my kids were surprised it was not a scam. I absolutely love doing this work, especially helping people. I really enjoy helping the elderly - we bring their groceries in and put them on their table or counter, or closer to their kitchen. We also deliver to nursing homes, assisted living neighborhoods, and handicapped veterans. Before Instacart, I spent years raising my three boys as a stay-at-home mom. After I had my third child, I started my own registered daycare center and ran it for about three years. I also watched my grandchildren until my youngest grandchild reached school age. I've done some accounting and bookkeeping over the years, and I'm a Jill of all trades, kind of - a little bit of this, a little bit of that. I'm planning to stop doing Instacart and go on the job market like everybody else, but I don't want to do too much because I've got grandchildren I need to watch grow now.

Ten minutes with Eleanor

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to being self-motivated. You really have to be self-motivated and committed. You have to want to do it. It's a job that if you say, oh, I'll do it tomorrow, you're never gonna do it, and you are not gonna be successful. It takes a lot of stick-to-itiveness and grit, and you have to be committed to what you're doing.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

Don't be discouraged by a negative incident. You've got to always stay positive.