10 Items or Less: From a Flexible Job to an Extended Family

The Instacart shopper community is as diverse as the items in the grocery store — every day, tens of thousands of individuals shop, deliver, and become an extension of people’s households. We want to share this community’s stories, highlighting Instacart shoppers, shift leads, and site managers all across North America. 10 Items or Less is a series featuring just some of the amazing members of the Instacart community, sharing their unique experiences and secret sauce with the world.

1. What’s your name and where are you from? I’m Emily, and I’m originally from Fresno, California, but I moved to the Twin Cities, Minnesota about five years ago.
2. How long have you been working with Instacart, and in what roles? I’ve been with Instacart since September 2015, when they launched in the Twin Cities. I started as an in-store shopper (ISS), then was a shift lead for a year and a half, and now I’m a site manager.
3. What were you doing before you started shopping for Instacart? I was in social work. I was a case manager for a housing program in the Twin Cities, working with formerly homeless women.
4. Why did you decide to become an Instacart shopper? I was considering going back to school and needed a flexible, part-time job. I started shopping as an ISS, then moved into the shift lead role, and now here I am three and a half years later. I also have an interest in health and nutrition and wellness, and I really enjoy grocery shopping, so it felt like a good fit for me.
5. What’s your favorite thing about working with Instacart? My favorite thing in my role is working with shift leads and shoppers, and being in a position to help. In my role, I spend a lot of time helping people get their work done, which ultimately helps the customer. It’s nice to be in a mentor role, helping people navigate their work, or just be a point person that can be there to support.
6. What’s your favorite food or meal? Nachos. Homemade nachos with Donkey brand tortilla chips. I make my own refried beans and broil them in the oven with cheese and pico de gallo and guacamole. Those are my favorite, but I’ll eat any nachos.
7. What’s your secret sauce — a shopping tip that a lot of people might not know? In my role, I spend a lot of time helping mentor new shoppers, so I always try to give them some advice when they start out. I always tell them that it can seem counterintuitive, but it’s important to plan your route when you start shopping. Even though it seems like you’re wasting time and standing still instead of jumping in to start shopping, if you navigate well, then you’ll be more efficient in the long run.
8. What’s your favorite item to shop for? I loved getting orders that had a bunch of yogurts of different flavors, and then going through rapid fire and finding all the different flavors of yogurt.
9. Do you have any relationships you’ve made while being an Instacart shopper? Instacart is basically my extended family at this point. The day I started with Instacart I remember walking in and seeing the other green shirt person, and I’m still in touch with her to this day. Some of my very best friends I met through Instacart, whether they still work with us or have moved on. Now that I’m a site manager, I also work closely with the area managers and other people in the company, and it’s really like a family.
10. What 3 items are always in your cart? Ezekiel bread is a staple for me because it’s so versatile — it’s a healthy way to have a sandwich, peanut butter toast, or avocado toast. I always buy kale, for meal prep on Sunday. I chop it all up and have it ready for salads and smoothies. And usually a hot rotisserie chicken for an easy dinner.

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Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 80,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.