A day in the life of a 30-year-old entrepreneur who ferries clients' Peloton bikes, golf bags, and Diaper Genies from the Hamptons to NYC, and who says business is booming during the pandemic

Courtesy Tote Taxi

• Danielle Candela founded Tote Taxi three years ago. The company shuttles deliveries back and forth between New York City and the Hamptons.
• This year, demand started earlier as the pandemic prompted people headed for the Hamptons months ahead of schedule.
• The pandemic has also caused her to expand her brand geographically: She now operates in Greenwich, Connecticut and Westchester, New York.
• Business Insider caught up with Candela to find out how the 30-year-old entrepreneur spends her busy days.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Danielle Candela is the owner and operator of Tote Taxi. Part personal assistant, part chauffeur, her three-year-old firm is based in Southampton, New York. It focuses on shuttling deliveries back and forth between the Hamptons and New York City. The 30-year old grew up in the area, but was living and working in Manhattan when she came up with the idea, tired of hauling her bags back and forth when visiting her parents. 

Tote Taxi operates year-round, with the bulk of summer business focused on taking items from Manhattan to the Hamptons; in winter, it reverses course and mostly brings items from the Hamptons into the city.

Since many folks moved out East in early spring as a result of COVID-19, those rhythms have been disrupted in 2020 — and as a result, Candela's business has boomed. 

Here's what a typical summer weekend day looks like for her, catering to the countrified 1% during the pandemic.

Candela starts her day with a moment of gratitude.

She get up just after 7 a.m. and skips breakfast in favor of hot water and lemon. She doesn't rush into her day, though, but pauses to write down everything she's grateful for in a journal.

"During the pandemic, it's difficult for everybody and I'm trying to start the day off right," Candela said.

The first task of the day: building her glam bags.

"Tote Taxi isn't just a delivery service, and I wanted to be able to offer something you're not going to get from a Man in a Van," she said of the goodie bags that she gifts clients as part of the delivery. "Who doesn't like free stuff?"

Partners like Supergoop Sunscreen and Laundress detergent have donated samples for the bags. Candela also includes a handwritten thank you note to each client.

By 9 a.m., she's meeting her driver to run down the day's itinerary.

Tote Taxi's main vehicle is a Mercedes Sprinter van, and she has one driver for the van. Candela also has five other drivers on call whom she can tap to use their own vehicles when the schedule is busy or who handle smaller jobs. This season, that's often involved doing mail pickups from doormen in the city and ferrying letters and packages out East to folks who've moved there during the pandemic.

Candela always meets her main driver at the office.

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SEE ALSO: How the Hamptons got even bougier in summer 2020