Before deciding to move back to her home country Germany, Aurelia Grzesiek studied German philology and had been living in Poland for about ten years. Seeking a fresh start in a new location, she ventured out to set up her own delivery company back in February 2020 and has been delivering Amazon parcels with her team of over 30 drivers in the Hamburg area ever since.
Launched in 2018, the Amazon Delivery Service Partner program connects aspiring entrepreneurs with resources coaching to help them build and scale their own businesses with Amazon. Today, Amazon partners with more than 3,000 DSPs globally that employ thousands of drivers and deliver for Amazon customers every day.
When asked about why she decided to start a business with Amazon, Grzesiek said, “I love challenges and jobs that are perceived as 'male' – they have always fascinated me. I wanted to know more about vehicles and I like the idea of being able to change a tire or even do some small car repairs myself. At the same time, I’ve always wanted to gain insight into how big companies work and become a company manager”.
Grzesiek finds logistics especially exciting because she feels that she is contributing to something bigger. “We are working behind the scenes, on the last mile, but we play an enormous role in making customers happy, we are part of a big network and it is so thrilling,” she adds.
As a manager of over 30 drivers, Grzesiek works with her dispatcher Dritan who is coordinating drivers and supporting them on their daily routes. She herself focusses on making sure that her employees know that her door is always open for them and she will respond to their every question. As a single mother of an eight-year-old daughter, she knows that she has to be focused.
“I rely on discipline and on structuring my work well. I have set plans for certain days. For example, on Monday I work in the delivery station to plan the new week with my dispatcher, Tuesday is an office day, on which I try to complete as much typical office work as possible. On Wednesdays I deal with immediate needs of my drivers like ordering uniforms and other equipment. Regardless of my schedule, I take time each day to be fully present with my daughter”, explains Grzesiek.
Olivia, Grzesiek’s daughter, is currently fond of dolls and pretty dresses. Her busy and active mother has established a number of joint rituals that help them stay close and enjoy a good family life. Grzesiek likes planning dates with her Olivia – they regularly go to a bakery together to drink cocoa, eat cake and talk about Olivia’s school life and her dreams about the future. Aurelia and Olivia take regular trips to amusement parks, on the way they would listen to Olivia’s favorite music and afterwards they may even enjoy some fast food. “I am not really convinced it is good”, Grzesiek grins, “but my daughter likes it so I go along with it”.
Their biggest joint passion, however, is horse riding. “I have always been in love with horses”, Grzesiek says. “Horse riding allows for a great connection with nature and is a wonderful way to relax after a busy day”. Aurelia and Olivia have their own horse named Eliza and regularly spend time at a riding club in one of Hamburg’s suburbs.
Aurelia Grzesiek is happy to have found an occupation that allows her to be fulfilled professionally and spend quality time with her child. “It is a great feeling to be driving an Amazon branded van and wave to someone, maybe a child, as if you were Santa Claus himself. I have done quite some tours myself, so I could experience how it is to be a delivery driver on the road and it was thrilling”.
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