HBCUs have always been cultivators of amazing alumni who succeed in all fields. Clark Atlanta University alumna Pinky Cole is a leader of a new generation of HBCU graduates shifting the culture in new and inventive ways. Cole is the renowned restaurateur and owner of the “Slutty Vegan” vegan food franchise. She is also the author of two books, most recently I Hope You Fail: Ten Hater Statements Holding You Back from Getting Everything You Want.
In I Hope You Fail, Pinky shares her personal journey to inspire and empower readers. She presents ten counter-intuitive hopes, challenging conventional wisdom. From not believing in oneself to facing setbacks, Pinky encourages readers to embrace self-discovery, redefine success, and learn from failures. Through thought-provoking examples, she emphasizes the importance of personal growth, value beyond monetary rewards, and the power of feedback for adapting and finding success.
In honor of her latest book, let's briefly chronicle Pinky's rise to prominence from her time at Clark Atlanta University to now
Pinky Cole Ran The Yard At CAU
Pinky Cole graduated from Clark Atlanta University in 2009, but before that, she served as Miss Clark Atlanta from Fall 2008 to Spring 2009. During her time at CAU, Pinky was a leader and an active student on campus. In addition to serving as Miss CAU, Pinky was also an initiate of the CAU chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
“I just wanted to be involved because I knew that the more that I was involved in then the more opportunity I could get to meet other people and those relationships have carried me over today,” Cole said of her time at Clark Atlanta in a quote obtained by local Savannah affiliate WJCL.
In an interview with Bitter Southerner, Cole says that Atlanta put her in a position to truly grow as a woman
“I love Baltimore, but Atlanta is the city where I became a woman. I moved here at 17 years old to start college at the Clark Atlanta University, which was the best experience ever. I moved here, and it was just the place to be.”
Life After College
Upon graduation from Clark Atlanta, she tried several different positions before she embarked on her journey as a restaurateur. After graduating, she became a teacher but quickly quit after realizing it wasn't her passion. She then moved to Los Angeles to try her hand at show business and become an actress.
In a quote obtained by Bitter Southerner, she spoke about her Hollywood journey, saying, “I wanted to become an actress, and I did like a good two months, and then one of my sorority sisters recommended me to be a production assistant on a TV show. I did that, and everything went up from there.”
She worked as a producer on the hit syndicated talk show Maury for three years. After a brief run at show business, Cole made the leap to open a restaurant. At the age of 26 with $60,000 saved, she opened her first restaurant called “Pinky's Jamaican and American Restaurant” in New York. Cole then opened a Juice Bar. But, things drastically changed after her restaurant caught fire. The situation was a setback for Cole but it didn't break her spirit.
“So, you know, I felt defeated at the time and I’ve never felt like that in my life because all of my life, everything that I’ve ever touched turned to gold,” Pinky said in an interview at EssenceEssence + New Voices Entrepreneurship Summit. “So to lose in the flesh, a perceived loss, I didn’t know what to do at the time, but I needed that to happen early on for me.”
The Birth Of Slutty Vegan
In 2018, after returning to Hollywood as a producer and casting director, she decided that she wanted to take another shot at building an empire in the restaurant industry. So, she created Slutty Vegan. The business started as a food truck that garnered a lot of support in the Atlanta area due to it's tasty vegan food options and provocative name. She then opened her first brick-and-mortar location in January 2019.
Pinky became a vegan in 2007 and started the business to service vegans like herself according to a quote obtained by Bitter Southerner.
“One day I was sitting in the house, and it was really late, but I was hungry. I'm vegan, and I wanted some good food, but there was nowhere for me to go. So I said, what can I think of that I can quickly put together for a restaurant that will serve a vegan like me late at night.”
Slutty Vegan grew into an immense success. The business now has 11 locations that span multiple cities in Georgia as well as New York City, Alabama & Texas. Slutty Vegan is also available on college campuses such as Georgia Tech and Spelman College. Slutty Vegan is an immense success but Cole isn't done in her pursuit of more growth for the brand. In a quote obtained by AfroTech, Cole says she's looking to make Slutty Vegan a billion-dollar brand.
“I became a millionaire because I manifested it out of my mouth, So, although I’m nowhere near the billion yet right, and I still have a long way to go to that, as long as I keep speaking it every single day and visualizing and communicating to people that that is going to happen, it’s gonna happen for me.”
The Moral Of The Story
Pinky Cole's journey, chronicled in her latest book I Hope You Fail, is the epitome of stepping out on faith to achieve your dreams and not letting setbacks get in the way of your success. Cole's success as a restaurateur also showcases the virtue of ownership and always planning out the where you want to be and creating realistic steps to achieve your business goals.
Cole's latest book I Hope You Fail is available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever books are sold.
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