Jan 27 (edited) • Start Here / Read First
My Background — Why I Started Gig2Gone
This post is personal context, not advice or instruction.
Hi, I’m Brad.
I’m 36 years old and have been self-employed doing gig work since August last year. Before that, I spent a large part of my adult life moving between entry-level office and call centre roles.
In April 2025, I was terminated from a sales call centre role within two months of starting. That situation led to a Fair Work conciliation process and a settlement I can’t discuss further due to legal terms. What I can say is that it forced me to confront a pattern I’d been repeating for years.
Over roughly 7 to 8 years, I cycled through multiple call centres. Each time followed the same arc: optimism at the start, long hours under heavy KPIs, increasing exhaustion, then eventually quitting with little savings and no clear plan. I repeated this cycle four or five times.
The work itself wasn’t just tiring, it was psychologically draining. Constant calls, emotional customers, micromanagement, and performance pressure took a cumulative toll. Outside of work, I leaned into unhealthy coping habits and made poor financial decisions. Despite years of full-time employment, I was no better off financially or personally than when I started.
By the time this last role ended, it was clear that the conventional office structure simply didn’t suit my temperament or long-term wellbeing. I wasn’t progressing, and I wasn’t recovering between roles either.
How I Ended Up in Gig Work
Gig work wasn’t a strategic career move for me - it was a practical response to needing income.
At the time, I was receiving Centrelink, which covered my rent but little else. I needed flexible income to bridge the gap, so I started with DoorDash because the signup process was straightforward. In hindsight, it wasn’t an ideal platform for my location or circumstances, but it allowed me to start.
A few months later, around October 2025, I switched to Uber Eats after completing the required checks. As I spent more time on the platform, I found the tooling, visibility, and bonus structures more usable for my needs, at least in Australia. I don’t claim this is universal, and experiences vary by location and platform.
What Changed for Me
Over time, I settled into a more predictable rhythm. Currently, I average roughly $800–$1,000 per week pre-tax, working around 24–32 hours across four days, depending on available bonuses and demand.
That’s not a guarantee, a promise, or a recommendation, just my current reality.
What has been consistent is the change in how I experience work. Having control over when I work, when I stop, and how much I aim to earn has significantly reduced stress. I’m more physically active, spend more time outside, and have been able to rebuild healthier routines around sleep, exercise, and food.
For me, the biggest shift has been autonomy - fewer forced interactions, less emotional labour, and no ongoing KPI pressure. That doesn’t mean gig work is easy or perfect, but it has been manageable in a way office work never was for me.
Why I’m Sharing This
I’m not sharing this story to suggest gig work is the answer for everyone.
I’m sharing it because I know what it’s like to feel stuck in work that slowly wears you down, and because gig work gave me enough space to stabilise, recover, and think more clearly about my next steps.
That’s what Gig2Gone is about: using gig work as a bridge - sometimes temporary, sometimes longer -to regain autonomy and optionality.
I welcome contributions from drivers across all platforms and regions. The more perspectives shared here, the more useful this space becomes.
If you have questions or want to share your own experience, feel free to post or reach out.
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My Background — Why I Started Gig2Gone
