Rising Stars: Meet Aveeda Goodall

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aveeda Goodall (formerly Goyanko).

Hi Aveeda, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Cebu City, Philippines and immigrated to the US when I was nine years old. I spent most of my life in Northern, VA first as the awkward, foreign girl who wanted nothing but to blend in and then as the rebellious teenager who did nothing but disappoint her religious parents’ expectations. Somehow, and not without way too many close calls, I found myself with an English degree from George Mason University and immediately into a career with Verizon Business.

Telecommunications was never a passion, food was. In my culture, food is love. Filipinos are known for cooking way too much food and then insisting that everyone at the table take at least one to five bites of everything they make. Food is absolutely our love language, and it’s one of my favorite things about being Filipino.

In 2018, my partner and I left our friends, families, and everything we had ever known and drove 24 hours to Colorado. Two years later, we bought our first home and rescued the best German Shepherd mix Rex, and another year after that, we got married. We’re almost to year four, and it is still the best decision we’ve ever made. Somewhere in between, I took my passion and the thousands of pictures my phone had collected over the years and created an Instagram. I quickly came to find that the Denver food community is warm and welcoming and I am absolutely lucky to call them my people.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As an immigrant, I have spent most of my life just trying to find my way. That rebellious teenager I mentioned earlier came up with some very creative ways to test her parents’ patience. Those years make for some pretty fun stories now, but things could have really turned out differently. Thirteen is an interesting age to navigate when you, along with your family, your food and your traditions, don’t look anything like your friends – and you so badly want it to.

I know this part of my story is not unique; there are so many third-culture kids who struggle with finding their voices and living their true selves when there is intense pressure to just BE either one way or another. It took a cross-country move and decades of making mistakes to finally feel like I know myself and actually be proud of her. Don’t get me wrong, the little girl who just wanted to blend in will always try to poke her timid head out, but now, in my 30s, I’ve noticed I am speaking a little louder, standing up a little taller, and learning that it is okay, and actually necessary, to just be authentically me.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Customer Success Consultant for Lumen Technologies (formerly Centurylink). I love my Manager and my Team and enjoy assisting my Large Enterprise Business Accounts with their technology and communications needs. I work solely with Fortune 500 companies which means that my help (along with the Sales Team and Engineers) will directly impact not only the customer but also the thousands and sometimes millions they serve.

When I am not working my 7-6 (the more realistic version of 9-5), I have my food blog on Instagram. What started as a way to not overload my family and friends with all of my food pics has become an important way for me to help support my favorite local Denver restaurants, businesses, and entrepreneurs. There are so many passionate and talented people in this city and doing my tiny part in helping them spread the word has been an absolute joy. I love food, I love talking about it, and will do my best to talk you into trying out whatever new restaurant I am currently obsessed with.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
One of the first things I noticed when I first visited Denver was how friendly people were; you just don’t quite get that on the East Coast.  I do miss the culture that the Northern VA/Washington DC area has to offer, but I love that slowly but surely, the Denver metro is offering more diversity, especially when it comes to the food. Of course, you can’t beat the weather and sunshine in Denver or the fact that the mountains are almost always in your eyeline when you’re outside. I love the hikes and how dog-friendly most places are, and I love Red Rocks and highly recommend it to any and everyone who loves concerts (also, if you like 90’s hip-hop, then we’re automatically friends).

Contact Info:

• Email: eatdrinketcetera@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatdrinketc
• Yelp: aveedag.yelp.com