Check Out Sucheta Rawal’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sucheta Rawal.

Hi Sucheta, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
After moving from northern India to Atlanta 25 years ago, I discovered a world of culinary pleasures that I did not knew ever existed. On a single day, I could taste food from Greece, Italy, Morocco, Thailand and Mexico. I felt like a kid in Disneyland. Thus, started my love for food, and today, I eat and travel professionally!

I work as a freelance food and travel writer, contributing to Travel+Leisure, Southern Living, AAA, HuffPost, Zagat, TIME Magazine, AJC and Georgia Trend Magazine. I have traveled to 100 countries and all seven continents, learning about different cultures, food, people and destinations.

I didn’t get my “dream job” right away, neither did I know what it would entail. I went to Georgia State University and earned a Master’s in Finance, worked in investment banking, and human capital consulting. But during my long hours at my corporate job, I always dreamt which restaurants I was going to check out that weekend and where I would go on my next vacation. I would read restaurant reviews, travel blogs, and thought, who were these people and how could I be like them?

So, I started writing my own blog – Go Eat Give. Initially, the blog served as a resource for friends and coworkers looking for recommendations on dining and traveling. The content was based on my own experiences, and instead of having extended chats by the water cooler, I pointed folks to read my blog page.

Then, publications started reaching out to me, asking me to contribute a recipe, review a restaurant, or share highlights from where I had been recently. Initially, they only offered a free meal or hotel stay in return, but that was ok. I was looking at it as a weekend hobby, as I had a full-time job.

As my readership picked up, more people started reaching out to me, asking me to plan their trips. They noticed I was having much more meaningful experiences, volunteering in communities where I traveled to, and discovering authentic local spots. So, I started organizing group trips (mainly for people who wanted to travel with me). We went to Morocco, Bali, Cuba, Mexico City, India and many other places. Over time, I quit my corporate job and launched Go Eat Give as a nonprofit organization to raise awareness of different cultures through food and travel. Now, I don’t always travel with the groups but coordinate the itineraries and logistics.

Meanwhile, I still continued to write for different magazines, newspapers and blogs. I have also written five children’s picture books on travel – ‘Beato Goes To,’ based on my real cat “Beato” who lives right here in Smyrna!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Switching from a high-paying stable corporate job to freelance writing was not easy. There was no guaranteed income, and even when I started getting regular paid gigs, the money didn’t compare to what I was making as a banker. But I had a rich lifestyle. I had the freedom to travel more than two weeks out of the year, to be outside meeting people instead of being at my desk, and to share my experiences through my writing. I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

The biggest struggle in this profession is that you have to be constantly pitching new story ideas to editors, so it is like preparing for a job interview every single week.

Also, people don’t realize that there is a significant difference between being on a vacation and traveling for work. My friends see my Instagram feed and think I am drinking cocktails and hanging out at nice hotels every week, but in fact I have long hours doing site visits, interviews, tastings, making notes, taking photos and crafting storylines. Meanwhile, I may be managing a group traveling at another location and responding to editors who need something “right away.”. At the end of the day, I am exhausted.

The pandemic added more bumps for the travel and publishing industry industries. I went from traveling to 19 countries in 2019 to 1 (since March) in 2020. Travel stories were put on hold, new restaurants were not opening, and it didn’t feel right to talk about the best places to dine at when people were scared to go outside. I shifted to writing about cooking at home, feeding the community, road trips and national parks.

My other businesses suffered as well. No one was booking tours through Go Eat Give for a few months into the pandemic. All book festivals, book signings and in-person school visits were canceled indefinitely. My book sales have still not recovered to pre-COVID levels.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I enjoy inspiring people to learn about the world, to understand different cultures and to travel more meaningfully. I grew up in a multi-religious household in India and had an opportunity to study other religions. When I moved to Atlanta, I studied cuisines. And when I traveled abroad, I dove deeper into what people eat at their homes and why. Having that diverse upbringing has put me in a unique position to relate to people from all backgrounds and tell their stories as they would want them to be told.

I am known as a food and travel expert. I write books and articles, organize curated trips, and speak on sustainable traveling. Currently, I write a monthly dining column for Georgia Trend Magazine and my blog, Go Eat Give, as well as contribute to a dozen national publications. I have first handedly experienced and written about everything from sleeping in an ice hotel in Quebec, sky diving over a tiny island in Australia, and partying at the largest carnival in Rio, to training like a samurai in the mountains of Japan, and adventures in flying to Antarctica. My speciality includes adventure, culture, food, people and sustainability, though I wouldn’t turn down a night at a luxe beach resort either!

I am not just proud, but grateful for the fact that I have been able to carve a life that most people only dream of. As a South Asian female from a middle-income immigrant family, I couldn’t have imagined traveling to 100 countries, writing for TIME Magazine, or speaking at the United Nations. But I am honored that I am able to see this beautiful world and can make a difference through my voice.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Many people feel stuck at their jobs and want to try something else but are often afraid of change. A stable income with benefits is comfortable, especially if you have responsibilities. But if you are passionate about something, give it a try, and stick with it for some time. Don’t think you will have success overnight, it may even take a few years to see results, but as long as you persist with conviction, you will achieve your goals and find happiness in your work.

I wish I had done more targeted networking when I started out. I joined journalist groups and attended conferences, which was very helpful in getting my career off the ground. But only much later I started utilizing virtual platforms, social media and a wider network. I had mentors and they were very helpful. But I wish I had found someone in the field who was willing to share their resources generously.

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credit Sucheta Rawal