Our Sidekick community is made up of people from all walks of life. Their backgrounds, their passions and their stories are part of what makes them so good at what they do. Jarod owns his own E-commerce/ Web Design business, has been Urnie at the Ashes and has always wanted to design a roller coaster. See why he loves what he does here.
Where were you working before you started Sidekicking?
Before starting at Sidekicker, I had a variety of jobs such as being a flight attendant, call centre supervisor, bartender and personal assistant. I took nearly two years off work to recover from a medical condition and to study. I found Sidekicker the perfect way to re-enter the workforce and rebuild my self-confidence after applying for job after job and not hearing anything back.
Tell us something unique about yourself (hobbies, interests, experiences etc)
I run my own e-commerce and web design business. I am a raging geek that loves pop culture, building computers, playing Xbox and Pokémon plus collecting pop culture and gaming collectables as well as binging Sci-Fi and horror games, books or movies / series on Netflix.
I am also the proud black sheep in a family of conservative white sheep.
What was your first Sidekicking gig?
My first gig for Sidekicker was product demonstrating for Westwinds Gin.
Having a background in hospitality, sales and marketing, I felt that it would be an excellent starting point. The shift was an absolute blast, and I have since had three more gigs with Westwinds Gin.
Coolest thing you’ve done at Sidekicker?
The coolest thing I’ve ever done with Sidekicker was being ‘Urnie’, The Ashes Urn mascot at the last Ashes tour held at the WACA.
From high school onwards, being a sports mascot was one of those secret jobs that I have always wanted to cross off the bucket list.
What was your first job?
Delivering the community newspaper which I absolutely hated!
What do you hope to do in the future?
In the future, I hope to do some more travel and visit the wizarding world of Harry Potter and Star Wars land when it opens at Disney world. I would also like to keep building my business while working casually at my bar job plus continuing to Sidekick.
What did you want to be when you were younger?
My dream for about 12 years was to be a roller coaster designer. I have always loved theme parks, thrill rides and roller coasters and the thought of being paid to design things that made people scream and laugh always appealed to me.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone who wants to be a Sidekick?
The one piece of advice that I can give to anybody who wants to be a Sidekick is to arrive at least 10 – 15 minutes early as you never know if there is going to be issues with parking, finding the venue etc.
Be flexible, primarily if you are working events you may be required to finish early or more often than not, work later.
Ask questions if you don’t know what to do. Clients understand that you are there temporarily and may not be familiar things.
Finally be yourself, the more comfortable you are, the easier it is to do a job that you may not have done before or in a venue you have never been to before.
Why do you love what you do?
I love what I do because I have an incredible work-life balance and through Sidekicker I can try new things, meet new and interesting people and grow my network. I can gain new skills, go to events and have a fantastic time!