We spoke with Strider Shonnita — an educator, DoorDash driver, and personal finance blogger — to learn more about her experience as an independent worker.

This post is part of a series focused on the unique stories of independent workers. We spoke with Stride member Kara to learn more about her experience as an Instacart shopper, and how shopping with Instacart gave her and her three daughters the freedom—and vacation—they always dreamed of.

Jessica shares how she knew it was time to leave her day job to focus on her business. If you’re considering a similar move, there’s a lot you can learn from her story.

This post is part of a series focused on the unique stories of independent workers. We spoke with Stride member Matthew about his experience as an Instacart shopper and his advice for other 1099 independent contractors.