In a special live episode of the Bite-Sized & Bossy podcast, recorded at the Women in Restaurant Leadership (WiRL) conference, hosts Tammy K. Billings and Erin Levzow sat down with Caroline Skinner for a candid conversation about leadership, growth, and the power of community in the restaurant industry.
Listen to the Episode
Also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Episode Highlights
Caroline draws on more than 15 years of leadership at Tupelo Honey to discuss authentic leadership, mentorship, and what it means to build real community for women in the restaurant industry.
Authentic Leadership in Hospitality
Caroline shared the leadership lessons that have shaped her career — from building HR infrastructure at Tupelo Honey to scaling the brand to over 20 locations nationwide. A recurring theme was authenticity: leading with transparency, staying grounded in values, and creating environments where teams feel empowered to bring their best selves to work every day.
Mentorship and Empowering the Next Generation
The conversation dove into the importance of mentorship and lifting others up. Caroline spoke about giving opportunities ahead of readiness — a philosophy she's applied throughout her career. Rather than waiting for someone to check every box, she believes in creating space for emerging leaders to step into new challenges, learn on the job, and grow through real responsibility.
Collaboration Over Competition
A central thread of the episode was the idea that women in the restaurant industry are stronger when they collaborate rather than compete. Caroline and the hosts discussed how communities like WiRL are creating the connective tissue that the industry has historically lacked — spaces where women can share experiences, build relationships, and advocate for one another's advancement.
The C Society, Startups, and AI
Caroline also touched on her evolving work beyond Tupelo Honey, including her involvement with The C Society and her perspective on startups and AI applications in the hospitality space. As the industry embraces new technology, she emphasized that the most impactful innovations are the ones that serve people — making teams more effective and guest experiences more personal, rather than replacing the human element that defines great hospitality.
Key Takeaways
- Authentic leadership means leading with transparency, staying grounded in values, and empowering teams to bring their best selves to work.
- Give opportunities ahead of readiness — create space for emerging leaders to step into challenges and grow through real responsibility.
- Women in restaurants are stronger when they collaborate rather than compete. Communities like WiRL provide essential connective tissue for the industry.
- The most impactful technology innovations in hospitality serve people — making teams more effective without replacing the human element.
Listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.