We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Caryl Chinn. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Caryl below.
Hi Caryl, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
I started my career in culinary industry 30 years ago in 1993 working for chef Jeremiah Tower at the iconic Stars Restaurant in San Francisco. It seems crazy to say this now, but there were no cellphones or internet, so no blogs or social media. It was another era!
There really weren’t BIPOC women in the fine dining industry at that point. Honestly, there weren’t even many BIPOC men in the business in the early 90’s – in terms of Asian American chefs there were just a few like Nobu Matsuhisa in LA or Ming Tsai in Boston. I marvel at how far we’ve come, but I honestly think when I attended the James Beard Awards in 1994 I may have been the only Asian woman in the room!
However I did have one thing going for me: the restaurant world was changing rapidly – chefs were coming out of the kitchen and making a name for themselves, and the Food Network launched in November 1993. Things were evolving quickly and that meant lots of growth and exciting new opportunities.
Probably the most important thing I did was actively seek out mentors. They didn’t look like me – but my boss at my first job out of college, Daniel Walker, and my first chef, Jeremiah, both had a huge effect on my career. They shared advice, and just explained how things worked – their guidance really influenced me and opened doors. I will always be grateful that they took me under their wings.
Looking back at it now, I actually think me being unique was an asset. It may sound counterintuitive, but when I met people like Bobby Flay or Emeril, I was probably more memorable because I was the only one who looked like me!
My youth and naivety probably helped give me confidence too – I was fearless in my 20’s. So that confidence paired with the early support from a couple strong mentors was absolutely key to my success.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’ve been working in the culinary industry for 30 years now. After working in the office at Stars Restaurant for 3 years, I wound up moving to NY to join Bon Appetit as their Director of Special Events. I stayed with them for 10 years and then spent the next 5 or so with another event agency producing the Food Network NYC Food Festival, and working with clients like the NY Yankees, American Express and Godiva Chocolate.
In 2011 I moved to LA and started my own agency and have produced events like the In Style Golden Globes After Party with Giada De Laurentiis, the premiere of the movie “Chef” at SXSW with Jon Favreau and Roy Choi, and most recently an event for Amazon’s Prime Video to mark the first ever Black Friday Football game with chef David Chang.
A few years ago, I shifted to focus on public relations and social media in addition to special events, and currently I’m working with restaurants like Pizzeria Bianco and Levain Bakery. Both have near cult-status followings, and are beloved and I consider it a privilege to be able to choose to work with brands like them.
What I love about our industry is how generous they are; I think it just comes naturally to people in the hospitality industry, but what you saw during the hardest days of the Pandemic, or what Jose Andres is doing with World Central Kitchen – I am in awe of the lengths my friends and colleagues will go to lift up their communities.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Active listening – lately I have been surprised by how often the loudest voice at the table is the youngest one. I think one of my most important skills is being a good listener. Surround yourself with the smartest, most inspiring people you can find and just shut up and listen. It may not be obvious what the lesson is right away, but why wouldn’t you want to absorb the wisdom of someone else’s hard-learned lessons?
Networking – actively cultivate your network. I used to be an avid collector of business cards and methodically saved them into my contacts with a note of where I met that person. People don’t really use cards much anymore (a lost art form!) but I still make a point to save people’s contact info – I have 7,000+ contacts in my phone! I’m also pretty selective about what kinds of events I choose to attend and try to focus on those I’ll get the most out of. And lastly, I make an effort to keep in touch. It could be a quick note of thanks after a meal, or even via social media, but I pride myself on the longstanding relationships I’ve developed and maintain.
Calculated risks – be willing to take calculated risks. I read a fantastic quote from famed Hollywood publicist Leslee Dart that said “If your new job doesn’t scare the sh*t out of you, you didn’t reach high enough,” and that has really stayed with me. I’m definitely not reckless, but especially as someone who’s self-employed you need to be willing to take a few risks in order to flourish.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
It’s been really incredible to watch the rise of celebrity chef culture and how they’ve now crossed over to mainstream entertainment and become brands unto themselves. I thrive at the center of the Venn diagram – where culinary overlaps with business, music, art, film, etc.
If you’d like to partner with a celebrity chef to enhance your next project / event / campaign / brand, I’d love to hear from you!
PHOTOS: If you look at the photos below, you will see how the industry slowly becomes more diverse over the course of the 30 years! Me in the office of Stars Cafe – a computer with floppy disks and NO internet! (1993); with Jeremiah Tower at Stars (1995); at a Veuve Clicquot party (2000); at a Bon Appetit Dinner with Charlie Trotter, Todd English, Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and friends (2001); at the Golden Globes with Giada DeLaurentiis (2012); with chefs Marcus Samuelsson, Roy Choi and Michael Chernow (2011); with Jon Favreau at the Chef film press junket at SXSW (2014); speaking at the Fab Charleston Workshop with Alyssa Mikiko, Lauren Bailey, Kutina Ruhumbika and Sam Appel
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.carylchinn.com/
- Instagram: @carylchinn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carylchinn
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carylchinn/
- Twitter: @carylchinn
Image Credits
All are personal photos, so no credits necessary. BUT if possible, can you please load them in chronological order? (old to new) I’m trying to illustrate the point of how my industry started with pretty much no diversity and over the past 30 years has evolved to be much more inclusive and diverse… Thank you!
