There’s no doubt that the pandemic accelerated the demand for gig workers and the gig economy is now soaring. In a day and age where people aren’t leaving their homes as much, it’s almost a hassle to drive out to the store for only a few things. Courial is a modernized courier system, created by gig-workers for gig-workers. From a set of keys and legal documents to drinks, groceries to dry cleaning, furniture to food, snacks, and electronics, Courial is ready to deliver anything you want. We recently had the opportunity to interview Herb Coakley and Jordan Forester, the co-founders of Courial, about what their experience has been like navigating a company through a pandemic.
A little about you:
GW: Introduce yourself and your business
HC: My name is Herb Coakley. I’m the Founder and CEO of Courial, a technology company that seamlessly connects consumers and businesses with a fleet of on-demand gig workers willing to deliver anything or run errands on their behalf. Created by gig-workers for gig-workers, our state-of-the-art technology has modernized the courier industry by allowing anyone to seamlessly connect with our fleet of on-demand couriers to deliver anything. From a set of keys and legal documents to drinks, groceries to dry cleaning, furniture to food, snacks to electronics, Courial is here for you and provides a team of real people, ready to deliver anything you want.
I’m a two-time founder who invented “app switching” for gig economy drivers when I founded Mystro Driver, an automation app for on-demand drivers that earns them 30% more money while drastically reducing distracted driving. My invention was accepted into Y Combinator’s prestigious accelerator and helped launch several similar businesses and direct competitors. I’ve completed over 15,000 offers as a gig worker for Uber, Lyft, UberEats, DoorDash, Caviar, Postmates, and Instacart and spent the last two years as a consultant and gig economy evangelist. I am a proud graduate of Columbia University, UCLA, and Howard University with MS and BS degrees respectively. My technical skills as well as my experience working as a gig worker has given me great insight into the challenges faced by these workers as well as ideas to help solve them and create a better platform where everyone wins.
GW: What is your business’s mission?
HC: Our mission at Courial is to build the courier platform for everything. We are rewiring the gig economy paradigm with an emphasis on not exploiting our couriers and businesses, but treating them fairly and as true partners. Courial is the ultimate side-hustle for our fleet of superhero Courials. We hope to democratize the gig worker with equity ownership (10% of Courial stock allocated for full-time Courials), a voice at the table in the form of board representation (selected by our fleet of Courials, two Courials will take turns sitting on the Courial Board each year), and the diversity of multiple income streams from multiple gigs.
GW: How did you decide to start your business?
HC: We realized that the first and last mile problem had never truly been solved. The current ecosystem — a combination of unprofitable market leaders (e.g. DoorDash and UberEats) not adequately meeting the needs of couriers, users, or merchants, and 250,000 antiquated U.S. couriers stuck in the Jurassic era — is outdated and plagued by structural inefficiencies: underpaid and undervalued gig workers, gamification and general disregard (low pay and lack of transparency, respect, or a seat at the table), price-gouged consumers and SMBs tired of paying 20–50% fees. We decided to build a better system that could work for all parties, build a true partnership experience with our Courials (our gig workers) with an emphasis on treating our business partners and our delivery partners with respect as well as providing them with fair pay coupled with our vision of delivering anything.
GW: What key factors have led to your success?
HC: Grit and empathy are two key factors that have led to our success. Because we have worked in the gig economy and have our ears to the ground, we intimately understand the mindset of the gig worker. We listen to their problems, hopes, and dreams, and are working non-stop (like many of them) to build a platform that puts them first so that we all can win together. For example, our Courials earn and keep the lion’s share of economics: 80% of delivery fees and 100% of tips, earn extra pay for wait time and heavy items. They can also diversify earnings with our Special Services product: if you are a personal assistant, barber, handy person, manicurist, notary, locksmith, or photographer, we provide a platform to generate revenue from these gigs. We believe the ability to listen, adapt, and fight every day for our Courials has brought us to this point where we can help even more people.
GW: What advice do you have for businesses who employ contractors?
HC: Our advice for businesses who employ contractors is to think deeply about whether or not the 1099 model is right for your business. It is vital to think through the obligations and trade-offs from a legal and economic perspective.
GW: How has COVID-19 impacted or shifted your business?
HC: Covid-19 and the global pandemic has altered our mobility forever, making demand for courier services essential as a result of business closures, shelter-in-place orders, social distancing, teleworking, and self-isolation. We believe that the pandemic has accelerated the need for our services and we are seeing the demand for our product. We have a unique opportunity to help drivers, small businesses, and consumers survive and thrive during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.
Your Thoughts on Us:
GW: What problem(s) were you trying to solve with our product?
HC: We were specifically trying to find a partner who could provide an end-to-end payroll solution for our fleet of gig workers, all of whom are independent contractors and 1099- workers.
GW: How does our product or service stand out from other options?
HC: Gig Wage’s product stands out from the competition. We have not seen another company that is focused on payroll and banking solely for the gig economy, that seamlessly allows our gig workers to get paid fast every week (and without hiccups) so that we can run our operations.
GW: What made you happiest about working with our company? What is your biggest success story?
HC: When I think of the happiest part about working with Gig Wage, it is the fact that the GW team is really just a phone call away if we have an issue, and has demonstrated a true partnership model. From our very first meeting with CEO Craig J. Lewis who empathized with our story, to the first few calls with customer support, I felt a deeper connection than I had with other larger companies who seemed just too busy and scattered to attend to our unique and evolving needs.
I remember one of my first conversations with Cathy Wilson, Customer Success Manager. She told me that if there was ever any problem with payroll for our courier fleet, I could even call or text her on the weekend. I did not expect this! I told her I would never do this given my value of family downtime, but it was a sign of commitment that I don’t think I ever would have found at a larger tech company. So impressive!
We are so excited to be partnering with a company that really understands the needs and wants of both gig workers AND the gig economy. If you’re interested in getting started, you can either download the app or book online through their website here. For more information, you can also find them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
