The restaurant chain Slutty Vegan has become an empire because its founder Pinky Cole refused to give up when life continued to tell her “no.” Cole is now on a mission to share her struggles, hoping it will inspire people to pivot when they hit a roadblock. Her book, “I Hope You Fail,” is an unfiltered how-to-guide that will keep your attention and leave you feeling motivated. Maiysha Kia and Cole talk her writing process, and dig into the dark times that eventually led to success.
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Panama Jackson: [00:00:00] You are now listening to theGrio’s Black Podcast Network. Black Culture Amplified.
Maiysha Kai: Hello, and welcome to another episode of Writing Black. I’m your host, Myisha Kai, Lifestyle Editor here at theGrio, and today we have with us a delicious guest. That’s what I’m going to say. A delicious guest. Uh, you may know her best from her Slutty Vegan Empire, but she’s also a two time author with a new book out.
Uh, I Hope You Fail. That’s right. Pinky Cole is with us here today on theGrio. Welcome, Pinky, to Writing Black.
Pinky Cole: Thank you for having me. Excited to chat and lock in.
Maiysha Kai: Listen, I’m so excited too because, um, you know, listen, I’ve had a lot of haters in my time. Okay, maybe not a lot. That might be giving myself too much credit.
I’ve definitely had some. I’m sure I’ve had at least one or two. None of them has ever had the nerve to straight out tell me that they hope I fail. Um, I do think it’s worth noting before we go any further. There is a subtitle [00:01:00] on this book. It’s really small print. Ten Hater Statements Holding You Back From Getting Everything You Want.
And I’m sure those of us who have been following your career for the last, let’s say five years or so, uh, have, have wondered how have you gotten everything you want? How has Pinky Cole done it? How has Slutty Vegan restaurants, like popping up all over the country. Uh, and this book is giving a little insight to why.
So let’s, let’s talk about why this was, why this book right now?
Pinky Cole: The timing was everything, right? So like, if you know anything about my story, story. I have been through a lot. My father did 22 years in prison. I had a business before that caught on fire and I lost everything. My car got repoed. I got kicked out of my apartment.
I went through enough bad relationships to write a whole ‘nother book about it, right? I’ve lost friendships along the way. Um, even more failed businesses. But then on the flip side, there’s so many great things that happened for me. I’ve been able to start [00:02:00] businesses. I created a multi million dollar, several multi million dollar companies.
Um, I’ve, I’ve gotten really, really good relationships along the way, and I did a whole lot in five years. So what I realized, a part of the reason while all of these great things happened for me was because I had to go through these bad things, right? And whether it was me telling myself that it won’t work or somebody else, it really built up the armor that I needed to be able to go out in the world and be great.
So when I decided to write this book, I’m like, you know what? I need to help people re engineer when bad things happen, right?
I Hope You Fail: They tell us there’s a blueprint and a formula to being successful and thriving in life. They tell us that growing up the wrong way, living in the wrong neighborhood, having the wrong parents, and making the wrong choices won’t get us to where we want to be.
And we actually have the nerve to believe that shit. But what if I told you they were wrong? What if I told you that someone from your neighborhood with a similar upbringing, with your credit [00:03:00] score, and with your criminal record, actually can make it? What if I told you, if you’re willing to shift your mindset, every obstacle, wrong decision, and fuck up in your life has prepared you to have everything you want?
If I told you the bullshit was the key to your destiny, would you believe me?
Pinky Cole: Like, when your money runs out, like, what do you do and how do you navigate so that better things can happen? Because we always look back at situations and say, you know what? I’m glad that happened. Like, I learned a lesson from that.
And if this wouldn’t have happened, then the outcome wouldn’t be this. And I wanted people to understand how practical you can be about re engineering your mindset. And then that’s how I came up with the book. And I’m, I’m so happy that it’s doing so well. A lot of people really understand that like, okay, we’re not telling you to fail, but it’s really just a way to recreate a foundation on how to succeed by way of the failure.
Maiysha Kai: Well, it’s also very true to the Pinky Cole brand. I mean, you know, Slutty Vegan. I remember when that came, when that name dropped, it was like, [00:04:00] oh, you know. So it is in line with your, uh, with the more provocateur side of your personality. I, I do. Um, I love the title. I think it’s great. I think it’s also, you know, I think it’s, this is a book that.
I don’t know if this is the book people expected you necessarily to write about your journey. I guess people who know you maybe wouldn’t totally expected it, um, but, um, having the journey that you’ve had, you know, I know everybody’s like, what did you do? What are the keys? You know? And this is really that manual, but it’s framed in a way that I think is really refreshing.
Um, I had the pleasure of actually listening to the book, so I, you know, I started actually reading it, but because, like you, I am a multitasking woman, I was like, you know what? There’s a book and I’m so glad I listened to you because I think, um, you know, as somebody who didn’t know you personally, it was so cool to, like, just hear you tell your story and to, um, really, there’s so much warmth.
There’s so much guidance here. There’s so much real [00:05:00] talk. I think that’s, like, very refreshing. Thank you. Um, so in the framing of this book, as you kind of approached writing it and you’re, you know, sitting down with publishers and obviously there’s a lot of hands and making any book, getting any book from the brain to the page.
Um, was it you who said, I have this idea, you know, like I want them or was this a process of like kind of teasing it out? I mean, you know, we’re a podcast about writing, so we always like to know, like, how did the sausage get made here?
Pinky Cole: So it was actually me and it was a little bit more extreme than what it is now.
I wanted the book to be upside down, um, when you read it. So like when you’re looking at it from the outside in, the book looks like it’s upside down, like it was faulty. And then the publisher was like, okay, we like that, but that’s a little extreme, next level. I’m like, okay, cool. I’ll concede. However, um, I knew that I needed to slap people in the face with the information.
And I did the same thing with Slutty Vegan. Slutty Vegan is not what you think. When you think about the brand, yes, we have like, racy names that are associated [00:06:00] to, you know, the food, like the One Night Stand, and the Sloppy Toppy, and the Ménage à Trois. But then, when you really dissect the business, It doesn’t have anything to do with sex.
It’s just a way to like, lock people in and then once you can get their attention. Yeah, it’s sexy. Like, it’s that draw. And once you can get their attention, then you can educate them on whatever it is that you want. And that’s exactly what I wanted to do with the book. Because I’m like, listen, people don’t even want to read these days.
So if I can get you to pay attention to want to read something, it got to be worth your while to want to turn the page or at least listen to what I have to say. So when people start reading the book. They can understand that they can apply these everyday resources and information to what they’re going through on a day to day basis.
For example, one of the chapters is, I hope he cheats on you. Now, who would put that in a book? Right? But, but we’ve all been in relationships. So whether you’re a man or a woman, you can relate to the fact that I’m sure at some point something may have failed in the relationship. It didn’t work out, but it made you so much [00:07:00] better.
It taught you about love. It taught you about what you wanted. It taught you about what you didn’t want. So when you got into your new relationship, you’re like, you know what? I’m an expert. I’ve been here. I’ve done that. I’m going to do things differently. And when you think about things like that, it’ll transform how you feel about love, how you feel about respect.
But you needed to go through some speed bumps to really get there. So the book is really showing you that, okay, all right, here we are. We’re not going to marinate in this moment, but we’re going to take it to the next level and figure out how we can learn the lesson in all of this. And my publishers was like, we love it.
Let’s do it. This is going to be a hit. So I, I’ve been excited about it since the beginning. And then the response is just been out of this world. So I’m happy about that.
Maiysha Kai: Listen, I, I, that was a chapter that I, I definitely found myself testifying. All of a sudden I was like, yes, yes. You know? Good. Because you never think at the time, I’m going to be so thankful that I feel so betrayed right now.
But, uh, yeah, no, I mean, and it’s full of these life lessons. And, you know, I ask this question almost [00:08:00] every podcast of all of our writers. I do think it’s important, um, because as they say, there is a book for everybody. Right. You know, people may not want to read all the time, but there is really a book for everybody.
And so I always ask our authors. Who did you write this book for? Who did you, when, who did you have in mind when you were writing this book?
Pinky Cole: Myself.
Maiysha Kai: The book you wish you had, right?
Pinky Cole: Yeah. When I wrote this book, I was thinking about all of my experiences. So this isn’t the book that’s like, okay, you need to do this because I went through it and I no longer deal with these things.
I deal with stuff every single day. I got speed bumps every day. I have hard times every single day. Yeah. You see the lights and accolades and the accomplishments. But I’m still a work in progress and I am still on the journey to figure life out. So when I wrote this, I’m like, okay, I’m showing you that I’m not perfect.
And you don’t have to be perfect either, but we all go through stuff and in this stuff we can walk through this journey together. So I’m literally using the things that I’ve been through. Like I said, my [00:09:00] dad, Um, getting arrested the day that I was born, right? And, and, and being sentenced to all that time, me getting kicked outta high school and realizing that that was a bozo decision.
But I needed that to happen because it allowed me to like move and go to Clark Atlanta University and like, you know, all the trauma that I needed to unlock to be able to heal, to become the woman that I am today. Like, I’m really talking some real stuff that’s very vulnerable and intimate about my story.
I wanted people to hear about that. Yes, I could talk about business all day long and how I started studying vegan and like, in order to have a successful restaurant, this is what you do. But I’m still trying to figure out how to continue to have a successful restaurant, right? But I wanted people to know that I’m on this journey with them and I’m going to use my personal experiences to share those things so that as people ride this wave with me, they know like I have been on every single level with Pinky Cole and I’m going to support her no matter what because she’s going through what I’ve been through or she went through what I’m [00:10:00] going through and, and they don’t feel like somebody is just telling them what to do, um, rather than showing them like, this is how we get through this together.
Maiysha Kai: Mhm. Mhm. You know, I, there’s so much here and I want to impact as much of it as we can. We’re going to take a quick break and we will be right back with more Pinky Cole and more Writing Black.
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Maiysha Kai: And we’re back with Pinky Cole, her new book, I Hope You Fail is really a must read. I think, you know, I, I [00:11:00] know that this is the book that, you know, other entrepreneurs will be gravitating towards. You know, due to your stratosphere success, Pinky and, you know, but I, I’m going to say as a non entrepreneur, at least at this juncture in my life, um, I caught a lot of like, really like resonant personal lessons.
I think, you know, you were just touching on how, um, you know, these, these major setbacks that we experienced, sometimes we really get caught up in them. Like, you know, we get kind of in the weeds, we get in the, the cyclone even of the like spiraling about the thing that happened that we couldn’t let go.
And so much of this book. is about processing pain and making it constructive. Um, and again, I don’t know if that’s what people expected from, from, from this book. Um, and I, I, I found it really, uh, affirming and lovely. And, you know, even as somebody who’s maybe further along the line in age than you, I felt like there were a lot of lessons here about the ways that we kind of trip ourselves up. One of the things I think you and I have in common that I [00:12:00] really love, I have this thing that I always say all the time, uh, the power of the pivot. And you talk a lot about, yes, I’m always like, it’s all about the power of the pivot. You know, like you gotta, you know, figure out what that power is.
Tell me about what pivoting means to you. Cause it’s a huge part of your story. And it’s a huge part of this book.
Pinky Cole: Pivoting is everything. I’m a master pivoter, that’s the thing. Um, and I learned how to be a master pivoter in the pandemic, right? I understood that in order, you gotta be a chameleon, like when When you go through stuff and you have to learn how to process pain, you have to sometimes reroute your positioning in whatever situation that you’re in, right?
So like, if something is not going the way that I want it to, I’m like, okay, all right, let me shift, let me remix it, let me do something a little bit different. And if that doesn’t work, okay, let me slide again, let me, let me do something different. And that is the beauty of not just being an entrepreneur, but somebody who’s climbing the corporate ladder, somebody who is trying to unlock their purpose in life. You don’t have to be an entrepreneur to [00:13:00] just understand how to pivot. Like, you know, when we talk about entrepreneurship, like that is like a cheeky word, pivot, pivot, pivot. But it’s not just entrepreneurs that can pivot in life.
You can pivot in relationships. You can pivot as a parent, you can pivot as somebody who is the head of a multi million dollar company. Like, there’s so many things that you can do as you’re on your journey to pivot. And my pivot came from, like, losing everything. I talk a lot about, in my story, how my wages got garnished.
I remember one day, I lost $17,000 and I’m like, somebody took my money out of my account. Well, it was the state. Yeah. They will do that. Yeah. And I had to learn how to pivot. Right. And a part of that pivot was getting a different accountant that could understand what I needed to be able to, to recoup my money and do the things that I needed to do.
Right. Learning how to pivot was, in the pandemic, when, you know, I had my business and we couldn’t serve to people just [00:14:00] regularly, we’re like, all right, we got to do online ordering. Right? And the decline of the vegan market. I’m like, okay, we got to ramp up the marketing so that people can still love the business.
So pivoting is what I do. And I’m telling people in the book. You said it, you put the nail in the coffin. You have to know how to process pain. And failing is not failing at all, which is like the moral to the story. It is finding aspiration in the losses. Fail.
I Hope You Fail: There’s going to come a time early in your entrepreneurial journey when all is right with the world, things are steady, you’re making solid progress, and then bam, some shit comes out of nowhere and throws you off.
Some are nodding their heads right now because they’re remembering this moment and all it cost them. Others have no idea what we’re talking about. Yeah, and I say that not a shade, but a sound advice. Shit is going to go left, and there’s not much you can do about it. I want to be clear here, and make [00:15:00] sure that you know that I’m not talking about a plateau.
Those are definitely going to happen in the life of your business. A plateau is when you hit a rut. It can be due to changes in the economy and people not spending like they used to. Plateaus can be caused by a similar business opening and people flocking to check out that shiny new thing. And they can be the result of whatever you’ve implemented just not working anymore. It’s possible, too.
Pinky Cole: So you find the aspiration and the things that you felt like you’ve lost, the things that aren’t working for you, and then when you look up and you realize, okay, like, this was intentional for me. It might not have felt good in that moment, but why is this happening for me? Because I don’t think things happen to us.
It happens for us. And when it happens for us, it’s really for our own good, even if you don’t feel it in the moment. Because there’s been plenty of times where I’ve had people not believe in me that, that loved me, that when I look back, I’m like, you know what, I needed them to not believe in what I had going on, because guess what it [00:16:00] did, it put a battery in my back.
It made me want to work harder. It made me not want to get comfortable. And although that, that might sound counter, um, productive, but the reality of it is, is it really gave me the resilience that I needed to not give up because I knew that there was somebody in the world that didn’t think that I was going to win and it made my inner strength stronger.
So for the people who are reading this, whether they are an entrepreneur, whether they are a leader in the corporate environment, whether they’re somebody that’s trying to figure their life out or their business, there is something in there for them. This is not just an entrepreneur book about business to say that.
And if that’s what you want, I’ll give you that on the third book. But this book is about how to better navigate through life by just shifting the way that you think.
Maiysha Kai: Yeah, this, I mean, and there’s some powerful lessons in here, and I think, again, I think you’re a refreshing voice to be giving them, um, you know, because another one of the things that really came up for me, we, you know, I, I, whether you’re talking about Brene Brown, [00:17:00] uh, my friend Tarana Burke, you know, like this, a lot of people talk about shame, and I think that you do something where you talk about shame in this book in a way that I found so constructive.
Um, because you really kind of broke down, at least for you, the differences between shame and guilt and like how, when I talked about that cyclone, a lot of us get caught in and I, and I really want to, you know, hammer down on this a little bit for the podcast, because I think a lot of writers listen to this podcast, a lot of, you know, not just readers, but writers and as you know, now from having written two books, that cyclone, I think for writers, you know, it’s one of those things that a lot of us get caught in, we get caught in the weeds, we get caught in the like, What a shoulda couldas of everything because we’re overthinkers.
Um, can you break down just a little bit for our audience, um, how you differentiate shame and guilt?
Pinky Cole: You know, it’s interesting. So when we talk about shame and guilt, there’s a fine line. You know, I tell people all the time, like, are you going to sit in this thing [00:18:00] or are you going to ride this thing out and rise above?
When all of the bad things happen to me, I’m like, it don’t get no worse than this. So I can either like rise above the feelings that I feel or I can just sit in it and be guilty and just be a victim. Right. But how long are you going to be a victim in the painful processes that you’re going through?
Right. Because it doesn’t help you. Like it doesn’t get better. Yes. Take your moment to cry and to feel sad. I’m not saying that. Right. But. If you’re going to sit in it, sit in it for a second. Okay. Like you got to feel that emotion because the first thing and rising above what you’re going through is just acknowledging that pain.
And I learned that working on a healing show, right? You got to acknowledge what it is that you feel and that’s okay. You have to do that. But once you acknowledge what you feel, understand what role you played in the breakdown. And when you understand what role you played in the breakdown, okay, what is the solution?
How am I gonna get past this? And not just like be victimizing yourself and just staying in that moment. ’cause guess what starts happening when you start wallowing in it. [00:19:00] When you start feeling sorry for yourself, how can you get past that? Like how can you get back to a place where you like, okay, you know what?
Let me refresh, restart. But it’s all about this right here. You know, I was telling a friend the other day, Maisha. When you take a journey, say it’s a hundred miles on a journey, right? And you’re already 90 percent there. And then you go through some speed bumps, right? There’s some hard times, some bad weather and those speed bumps.
And then you just wake up one day and you’re like, you know what? I don’t want to drive no more. I got 10, 10 miles left, but I don’t want to do this no more. Like you already didn’t gave up. You ain’t even try. And you allowed yourself to sit in something that you could have gotten out of because you were almost there.
You got to learn how to stop doing that because when you do that, it allows you to, um, when you, when you get to a place where you can say, you know what? I feel this. It hurts. It does not feel good. But I know when I get to my destination, I’ll understand why I had to go through the stuff without remaining in that guilt, without remaining in [00:20:00] that shame, and just looking back and say, you know what?
Thank you, universe. Thank you, God. Because, because of this situation, I’ve gotten so much better. I’ve gotten so much wiser. I’ve become an expert and now I can share my testimony.
Maiysha Kai: I love it. Um, you know, I want to talk about another part of guilt that you touch on in the book, but we’re going to do it in one more second.
We’re going to be right back with more Writing Black and more Pinky Cole.
Pinky Cole: I’m Toure. Join us for crazy true stories about stars who I really hung out with like Snoop, Jay Z, Prince, Kanye. And the time I got kidnapped by Suge Knight. Don’t miss my animated series, Star Stories with Toure, from theGrio Black Podcast Network.
Maiysha Kai: We’re back with Pinky Cole, whose new book, I Hope You Fail, is out. And, you know, [00:21:00] listen. This, I think, is such a great book for so many people and for so many reasons. Particularly, you know, uh, you know, we’re moving into, like, New Year, New You season, where, you know, People, people are always looking for ways to reinvent themselves, to start over, to reimagine things.
One of the things that you touch on, we were just talking about shame and guilt and you touch on in this book. And I, and I’m going to sidebar and I hope it’s not too personal. I think it’s remarkable that you wrote this book, a while pregnant.
Pinky Cole: Very pregnant. Most pregnant actually now.
Maiysha Kai: I will say still pregnant, also pregnant right now.
So the multitasking of, of getting this, doing what you do, you know, I think. It’s such a great example to anybody, um, who thinks I’m just too busy. I can’t do it. I just can’t do it all. You know? Um, one of the things you talk a lot about in this book is getting help where you need it and being able to accept help, which I think a lot of us, um, particularly women, sometimes I think we [00:22:00] struggle with this, this idea that we have to do everything.
We have to do everything, we have to be everything, we have to be everywhere, uh, as you point out in the book, this is not something that is, uh, necessarily projected onto men, um, although there are definitely some progressive men who, who accept that, um, but in the doing everything at all, I mean, you’re already talking about a third book, you, you’re talking about, you know, new, new, I’m sure new franchises, you know, uh, new businesses, all these kinds of things.
So. When it comes to the creative process, the, uh, cause all of its creative process, even, you know, entrepreneurship is a creative process. I think, um, where does the, where does the getting help come in for you? Like how, how do you ask for it? How do you get the feedback that you need, the trusted feedback that you need?
Cause I think a lot of us also struggle with that.
Pinky Cole: You know, it’s interesting because for a very long time, I would not ask for help. I felt like I had to do everything by myself. I felt like it wasn’t going to get done unless [00:23:00] Pinky did it. But I also had to learn how to release control. So my mental state of mind would be in a place where I can continue to create and be an artist.
Cause that’s what I love to do. Right? So when we talk about even business. Like, I don’t wanna hear about numbers all day. Like that’s just not my ministry. Like I put people in position to do those things. Right. I wanna be able to use my creative genius to be able to elevate my consciousness and the consciousness of people around me.
So yes, I have a lot. I’ve been pregnant for the last four years from 2020, 21, 22, 23, and, and still like…
Maiysha Kai: You and Rihanna, just. Pregnant.
Pinky Cole: Okay. Exactly. Right.
Maiysha Kai: But still, but still putting stuff out into the world.
Pinky Cole: You know, right. And, and between being a mom, I just got married in June, right. Between opening locations and being a CEO and being all of these things to everybody else.
I really had to sit back and identify the fact that it’s okay for people to love on you to support you. Right. Because [00:24:00] it gives me the ability to clear my head space so that I can be Pinky Cole to not only my children, Right. But to the world, and it’s okay to ask for help. That does not mean that you’re weak.
Right? It does not mean that you’re incapable. Like, I want to be able to show up and have a smile on my face, genuinely. Not because I’m trying to make it look good for other people, but in order for me to be Superwoman, I’m going to need my soldiers around me to support me and making sure that that happens.
But that also means making sure that you have the right people around you. It’s not enough to have just dead batteries around you. You got to have people that want to plug in on you, right? And become an asset and not a liability. So I’ve been more intentional about making sure that the energy that I consume is the right energy, the energy that’s going to get me excited about life.
That’s going to continue to motivate me to be a multitasker and do all the things that I’m doing.
I Hope You Fail: When I came up with the idea for Slutty Vegan, I was in a relationship. I remember the [00:25:00] day so vividly. I leaned over and asked if he thought it would be a good idea. Yeah, I guess so, was his response. He wasn’t really invested in my dream, and he really didn’t care.
But when the brand took off, he sought to take ownership of my idea. He tried to sue me. I wish I could say I wasn’t surprised, but I was. My surprise and disappointment only sought to reveal a truth I didn’t want to admit. He and I may have been playing the same game, but we were never on the same team.
And there is no worse feeling than being in competition with the person who’s lying next to you.
Pinky Cole: That might mean that you might have to remove some family members. You might have to remove some relationships that no longer served you. And start to incorporate the people who really mean well in your life that don’t want nothing from you except for the fact that they want you to win.
And that is very important.
Maiysha Kai: It’s absolutely vital. And I, and I, you know, I really want our listeners to hear that superwomen, superwomen get support y’all. Yes. The super [00:26:00] part is not in doing it solo, you know, and on that note, listen, I have to, I have to point out again, this is not your first book. It might be the first book of yours that people read, but if they have not gotten into. Eat Plants, Bitch. Um, they should. And I think it really relates to what you were just saying, because one of the things I loved about this book is that, you know, you have this debut cookbook that comes out. It’s done extremely well. I think introduced people to the fact that veganism can be sexy, too, and that they can really play with it and find their favorite flavors in there.
But you also drew on relationships and friends to create that book. So, like, can we talk about, like, the function of, you know, I think so often we think. Either A, we have to do the journey solo, the winning solo, or we get afraid that somehow we’re inviting competition into our space when we, you know, uh, reach out for collaboration or whatever, but you really kind of proven, I think in so many ways, I mean, from what I’ve read, because I did cover your wedding, even [00:27:00] in your marriage, you know, that like, that’s not competition.
You know what I mean? That’s, you know, like, tell me a little bit. I like to, I called this question in my notes. What about your friends? How does that, how does that work?
Pinky Cole: You know, my, my favorite friend is my husband.
Maiysha Kai: Mine too.
Pinky Cole: Right, my favorite friend is my husband. Um, but I’ve always been a collaborator, right?
The only person that I’m competing with is myself. And when, when I created the cookbook, I wanted to collaborate with other really dope individuals who are moving and shaking in the hospitality field and give them an opportunity to showcase who they are and what they do. And what that did is it really allowed me to continue to build relationships because how many people really want to loop in at least 25 people into their own cookbook to highlight them, to show them love?
People don’t really do that, right? But it’s enough for everybody. And as long as you have that giving, caring, collaborative mindset, you can always [00:28:00] win. I believe a part of the reason why I continue to win is because, like, I’m, I’m able to share the fruits of my labor and, and not feel like there has to be competition because when I win, we all win, right?
If I bring people up as I rise, everybody receives the benefits and that’s what I’ve been doing for a very, very long time. Um, so the cookbook was really, really dope. It was my first time publishing a book. Um, and shout out to the people who supported it. A lot of people supported that book. Um, and a lot of people learned that they could eat vegan even if they didn’t want to be vegan.
So that was just like cool all the way around. Um, and the name, obviously, Eat Plants, Bitch, just drew you in.
Maiysha Kai: Yes.
Pinky Cole: But that was kind of like a teaser of who was Pinky Cole? Like, who is this woman? What does she represent? Um, and how does the food translate to who she is and how she shows up in the world? Um, and that was a precursor to being able to write, I Hope You Fail.
Um, so I’m happy that I got to [00:29:00] collaborate with people and I’m even more happy that like, as I evolve on this journey, I get to continue to meet really dope people, not just in the hospitality space, but people in, in entrepreneurship. People who are just opening up their minds and consciousness to just be better.
I like being around people who want to be better. And if you want to be better, let’s work together because that is true collaboration. And to me, beyond money, that is what success is all about.
Maiysha Kai: I mean, that was a word right there. And I love that. I mean, I absolutely love that. It’s something that, um, I always love hearing on this podcast.
Um, but I can’t talk to you also without talking about the fact that you are a marketing genius. Like you just are, you know, like I’m looking at these titles. I’m looking at Slutty Vegan. I’m looking at, you know, and obviously when somebody asks you to write a book like this, or somebody picks up this book to read, they’re looking for the Pinky Cole secret sauce and not the one that goes on your burgers.
Um, now I won’t ask you specifically what your secret sauce is because I think that is uniquely you and I’m not even sure you could [00:30:00] articulate it for us. But I do think that there’s something interesting here in this conversation that I don’t typically get to talk about with authors on this podcast.
Which is the hook, you know, like, I don’t think, um, I’m a, I’m a songwriter, for instance, and, you know, we always have to get back to, well, what’s the hook? Like, what, you know, give me a good hook. Uh, So for you, when you are, you know, whether it’s a title, whether it’s a, you know, a new dish that’s going on the menu, how does that, there’s just an innate cleverness to what you do.
And I feel like you’ve made it part of your brand. Tell me about like the marketing side of all this creativity, because that is really the business of it that makes you such a marketable
brand.
Pinky Cole: It is giving it to you raw, no chaser, no straw. You know, a lot of times, it’s the truth. A lot of times, we as people [00:31:00] fabricate.
There’s something about reverse psychology that I’ve been able to use that has afforded me success. It’s hitting you raw in the face, requiring you to ask questions and create dialogue. And with that dialogue, you want to know more. Right? I’m creating something that makes people want to know more and that is giving it to you raw.
No chaser, no straw. When we think about Slutty Vegan, I’ve merged the two most pleasurable experiences in life and that’s food and that’s sex. We all have eaten food. And I mean, we all know how we got here. Right. But, but those are two things that depending on who’s talking about it, will either make you feel comfortable, uncomfortable, or it’ll be educational.
Right. So I’m taking words and, and phrases and emotions that you have to identify is this positive? Is it negative? I don’t know, but I want to talk about it. And when I can do that, I’m intrigued. [00:32:00] And when you have people intrigued, now you had their ear and it’s just like, oh, okay. Well, she didn’t mean what she said that she meant.
It actually meant something else. And when you can do that reverse psychology, it really warps people’s minds because now they stuck, but they’re stuck for the right reasons. And if you can get people stuck for the right reasons, that is the biggest one. And that is really how I’ve been doing my marketing.
So while people call it like the secret formula to marketing, I just really take things that make people uncomfortable and I add comfortability in it. And you decide whether it’s something that you want to talk about, whether it’s something you want to be a part of. But then I’m just like, okay, is your mind in a gutter or not?
Like, are you thinking about this intellectually or not? Right. And it has worked for me since day one. And that is my marketing style and I’ll never change it. And a part of that is because I’ve been a television producer for a very long time. I was a producer for the Maury show, a whole bunch of other shows.
And what I learned is, is that you have to be able to communicate [00:33:00] with people in a way that is going to be striking and not boring. And if you can strike them with your words and your intentions, then they’re not changing the channel. So what do I continue to do so that people won’t change the channel? Give you racy, jargon, language, and throw it in your face so raw that you have no choice but to lean in.
I want people to lean in and that’s what I’ve been doing.
Maiysha Kai: I mean, you have, you have made vegan, veganism, not so virtuous. Right. And that, and I think like people who are turned off by that, who are turned off by, you know, Oh, veganism. It’s so, you know, you’ve, you’ve turned that on its head. I, I, I commend you.
Uh, and I had to ask you about it. Cause I, it is really, it, it is a brand and it is, absolutely genius, and we are all leaning in. Um, you know, you, you mentioned earlier that, uh, you know, it’s hard to get people to read now. Um, I would counter that. Yes, that is true. Um, people’s attention spans feel shorter than [00:34:00] ever, but it’s also such a great time to be a Black author.
There’s so many amazing, I mean, I’m, I’m blessed because I get to talk to all of you on this podcast or as many of you as I can, um, which, you know, feeds my writer’s heart. But, um, I do ask on every podcast, like, you know, who speaks to you? Who do you read? Who, who? Inspires you, um, when you are looking for that outlet or when you were looking for those words of guidance, who do you, who do you read?
Who do you like?
Pinky Cole: Um, Robert Kawasaki is my favorite author.
Maiysha Kai: Okay. Is this like Rich Dad Poor Dad?
Pinky Cole: This is Rich Dad Poor Dad.
Maiysha Kai: Okay. I thought so.
Pinky Cole: You know what somebody said to me yesterday? That my book was the Black, uh, Four Agreements.
Maiysha Kai: Oh, I could see that though. I can kind of see that.
Pinky Cole: Obviously, I’ve read all of those, right?
Like, those kind of books that like get me fired up. Um. Think and Grow Rich, [00:35:00] um, is one of my favorites.
Maiysha Kai: Okay.
Pinky Cole: Um, who else do I, you know, he doesn’t have a book. Um, but I actually like to listen to Dame Dash. And, and the reason why is because he’s in your face, no chaser and no straw. And it may either make you feel uncomfortable or you can be like, okay, I get it.
Maiysha Kai: It didn’t surprise me for some reason. I was like, I can see it.
Pinky Cole: Yeah. Um, but you know. Like just being in the, the company, whether it’s a book, whether it’s a book, I don’t know if you saw it, but just recently I did a challenge where it was a book a day. Um, Gary V is, he’s really dope, you know, and, and I don’t know if you understand the style of like the, in your face, like very raw.
I just read a book not too long ago, um, Relentless. Have you ever read Relentless?
Maiysha Kai: I haven’t read it yet.
Pinky Cole: Relentless is a really good book.
Maiysha Kai: All right, I’m gonna have to read it.
See, this is why I asked this question.
Pinky Cole: And then that was one of my latest books. And Relentless, what [00:36:00] he talks about is how he’s been a coach for athletes.
So like Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, I mean a whole bunch of other people. But you would think that it’s a book about like how to lift weights and how to work out. But what he was really talking about is mindset and how like these people, the Michael Jordans of the world and Kobe Bryants, like all those people he touched when everybody else wanted to chill and just like play around.
These people were so committed to their craft and winning. And it was a mindset thing had nothing to do with the fact that they were running and working out is because they wanted to win by any means necessary. Um, so yeah, so. I lock in and, you know, it feels good to be able to lock in and I hope that I end up on people’s list.
Maiysha Kai: I was about to say, I think, I think, you know, I think you will be in the lexicon now of, of motivational, uh, tomes, uh, cause this is super relatable. It really is. It’s super relatable. You don’t have to be an entrepreneur to enjoy it or to get inspired by it. [00:37:00] I was definitely inspired. So, Pinky, I Hope You Fail. I hope you fail.
Pinky Cole: Oh, thank you.
I appreciate that. You know what’s so interesting? A lot of people have been buying the audiobook.
Maiysha Kai: It’s a great audiobook. It really is. Everybody, I was, I was saying this before we even got on the air today. I was speaking to our producers. I don’t want to listen to everybody read their book, but I loved this one.
This one, I really, I heard you. I felt you. I could even hear how, and I hope this isn’t overstep. I was like, she must be a great mom because I feel motivated. I feel supported. So, you know, congratulations on this book, on the audio book, on all the new endeavors. I will be holding my breath for a Slutty Vegan to hit to touchdown here in Chicago.
Uh, and, uh, really thank you for, uh, appearing with us on Writing Black because I know that your time is your money and I really do appreciate you spending some time with us today. Uh, so y’all pick up, I Hope You Fail by Pinky Cole. Uh, excellent gift to give to people as is, [00:38:00] Eat Plants, Bitch. You don’t have to become a vegan to enjoy vegan food and I think this book proves it.
Pinky Cole, thank you so much and congratulations.
Pinky Cole: Thank you so much.
Maiysha Kai: Well, I don’t know about you, but that was a very refreshing, very fulfilling conversation for me. Uh, can’t thank Pinky Cole enough. I can’t recommend. I Hope You Fail enough. I think, uh, there’s a lot of you out there that are going to benefit from this book and it’s frank talk.
Uh, what’d she say? No chaser, no straw? I, I, I, I personally loved it. But this is the part of the episode where I recommend a few other things. Uh, a little section I like to call my favorites. And this week my favorite, aside from Eat Plants, Bitch, is this book by Tiffany Aliche, The Budgetnista, as many of you may know her from social media, Uh, Get Good With Money.
This book came out a few years ago. This is 10 Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole. And just like Pinky, you know, I really, what I love about [00:39:00] Tiffany and her style is that, you know, she’s, she’s speaking as somebody who’s been there. You know, she’s speaking as somebody who has failed, who has struggled, who has rebuilt her life.
Who is building it again and again, who is learning over and over. Um, there’s some great lessons in this book. And I think, you know, for those of us who, uh, are trying to figure out how to get it done without generational wealth on our side, without, uh, the infrastructure, without the support, dealing with systemic issues.
You know, both she and Pinky do such a great job of pointing out, yes, this is, these are very real factors and they are, um, they, they can be very real impediments to our success. But there are, there’s a way around and above everything and a lot of it has to do with your mindset and a lot of it does have to do with hunkering down and doing the hard stuff, um, whether it’s setting a budget or, uh, processing that pain.
So highly recommend both of these books. And I highly recommend that you tune into our entire catalog of Writing Black on theGrio’s Black Podcast Network, and that you join us for the [00:40:00] next episode. So I will see you then. Thanks so much for joining us for this week’s episode of Writing Black. As always, you can find us on theGrio app or wherever you find your podcasts.
The Blackest Questions: I’m political scientist, author, and professor, Dr. Christina Greer, and I’m host of the Blackest Questions on theGrio’s Black Podcast Network. This person invented ranch dressing around 1950. Who are they? I have no idea. This all began as an exclusive Black History or Trivia Party at my home in Harlem with family and friends.
And they got so popular, it seemed only right to share the fun with our Grio listeners. Each week, we invite a familiar face on the podcast to play. What was the name of the person who was an enslaved chief cook for George Washington and later ran [00:41:00] away to freedom? In 1868. This university was the first in the country to open a medical school that welcomed medical students of all races, genders, and social classes.
What university was it? No, this is why I like doing stuff with you, because I leave educated. I was not taught this in Alabama public schools. Question number three, you ready?
Yes. Okay. I’m trying to redeem myself. How did we go from Kwanzaa to like, these obscure we’re not a sport, darling. This is why the New York Times crossword from a Monday to a Saturday, right? Or wrong. Because all we care about is the journey and having some fun while we do it. I’m excited and also a little nervous. Oh, listen, no need to be nervous. And as I tell all of my guests, this is an opportunity for us to educate ourselves because Black history is American history. So we’re just gonna have some fun.
Listen, some people get zero out of five, some people get five out of five. It doesn’t matter. We’re just going to be on a little intellectual journey together. LaToya Cantrell?
That’s right, Mary LaToya Cantrell. [00:42:00] Hercules Posey. Mmm! Born in 1754, and he was a member of the Mount Vernon slave community, widely admired for his culinary skills.
I’m going to guess Afropunk. Close. It’s Afro Nation.
So last year, according to my research, it’s Samuel Wilson aka Falcon. Wrong. Wrong. I, I am, I am disputing this. Very, very, very, very 99.9999 sure that it is representative John Lewis who is also from the state of Alabama. That lets you know, Christina, we got some goodness come out of Alabama.
There is something in the water in Alabama, and you are absolutely correct. The water is a problem. Oh, wait. Uh, The Harder They Fall. That’s right.
I’m one of those people that, that just changes one word. I mean, I know they’re talking too well. I just don’t know nothing today. It’s okay. I’m gonna pour myself a little water while you tell me the answer. The answer is Seneca Village, which began in 1825
with the purchase of land by a trustee of the AME [00:43:00] Zion Church. You know why games like this make me nervous? I don’t know if I know enough Black. Do I know enough? How Black am I? Oh, my Lord, they, they gonna, we gonna find out in public.
So give us a follow. Subscribe and join us on The Blackest Questions.
