Cole didn’t set out to create a vegan food empire. She’s also not a chef — she’s a former casting director for Iyanla: Fix My Life. Television production was her dream job, but then came her cravings for vegan junk food, and nothing she tasted would suffice. 

“I kind of stumbled on it,” Cole told Blavity. “I decided to go vegan about eight years ago and when I made that switch, it was like, ‘Wow, I’m glad that I did this,’ and I just wanted to make my friends and family vegan food, but not the kind of vegan food that tastes grassy.”

Diving headfirst into vegan food meant she’d have to leave behind her dream job. 

“I had no idea that Slutty Vegan would take off in the way that it did,” she said. I had my dream job already. I was a casting director and I was making a lot of money — I was doing well. I had, to some people, reached the height of my success in my career, but I knew that that wasn’t it for me. When Slutty Vegan started to take off and become really successful, I was like, ‘OK, this is bigger than me — I’m solving a universal problem.’” 

That universal solution? Helping people reimagine vegan food in a way that they’ve never seen before. But it wasn't a recipe that set off her inner light bulb. It was the name Slutty Vegan that crafted the whole idea. 

“[The name] felt special and that was the light bulb moment,” she said. “I know that sex sells and if you can merge the two most pleasurable experiences in life, and that’s sex and food — while teaching people at the same time, it’s a win.”

Several celebrities have supported the business including Justin Timberlake, Jermaine Dupri, Taraji P. Henson, Tyler Perry, Tiffany Haddish and Queen Latifah, among others. But, while Cole said she doesn’t get star-struck, she's been excited about some great connections she’s had with famous folks. 

“Snoop Dogg was one of my most memorable experiences,” Cole said. “I’ve also spoken to Chris Paul a number of times and he was just so cool and down-to-earth, and we were just chopping it up about veganism.”

Essence magazine is a time-treasured staple in the Black community, so naturally, Cole was to the moon with her excitement to be its January/February cover girl, especially since she got to share the experience with her boyfriend, Derrick Hayes, and have the shoot done in their home. 

“It felt and still feels amazing,” she said. “It finally clicked in that I’m on the cover of a magazine that I never would have imagined that I would be on. You see somebody on Essence magazine and it’s like, they made it, made it.”

Her absolute favorite parts of the experience were sharing it with Hayes and christening their new home by having it be the setting for their photoshoot. 

“Not only were we on the cover of Essence, but we were on the cover in our own home. That’s a flex, right!”

Food justice and philanthropy are just as important to Cole as her restaurant. 

“Not only am I teaching people about veganism, but I’m also showing people what happens when you grow in business — you bring your community up, you create this ecosystem and you foster opportunities for people who need resources," she said. 

Using this mindset, Cole has launched PETA's Push for Food Justice, provided life insurance policies to 25,000 Black men as well as to the family of Rayshard Brooks, paid rent for local businesses and paid the tuition of 30 students at her alma mater, according to a press release shared with Blavity. 

She also created the Pinky Cole Foundation in 2019 to serve as a means to help bridge the generational wealth gap. 

“Black people have not been afforded the same opportunities as our counterparts for years,” she said. “We are now moving into a space where we are finally starting to get those opportunities. So, it’s my duty to champion these people into spaces where they feel safe. Into spaces where they can get opportunities for themselves and spaces where they too can learn about financial literacy and entrepreneurship so that they too can have a business that’s successful, so they can create generational wealth.”

The COVID-19
pandemic didn’t seem to stop the lines from wrapping around Slutty Vegan. Cole said the secret to staying open during such an uncertain time has been keeping it real with her customer base and having a little fun with branding. 

“What I’ve learned is when you are true to who you are and in alignment and keep it real with your consumer, they respect it," she said. "Secondly, I believe people love our marketing and our approach to marketing — it’s raw, it’s real and it’s entertaining.” 

But, Cole also contends that the responsibility she takes with community investment is also a major business driver. 

“Once upon a time, business was just about making money, but nowadays, people support businesses that have a core ethos about them — that are mission-driven and intentional," she said. "It’s not just about selling a product these days, so when you think about food justice and community health, that is what keeps businesses thriving, not the products.”

While you won’t find any of the Slutty Vegan burgers in Cole’s forthcoming cookbook, Eat Plants, B*tch, you will find easy-to-cook vegan recipes, including Jamaican dishes, tapas and southern comfort food. 

“I didn’t want to create a cookbook for vegans. Vegans already figured it out. We already know what to cook," the new author said. "I wanted to make a vegan cookbook for the meat eater and the person who is not so much interested in going vegan, but just wants some really good food and is a foodie.”   

She’s said she’s most excited about a recipe created by Hayes, a Philadelphia native who is the owner of Atlanta’s Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks. 

“So, my boyfriend made a vegan cheesesteak eggroll,” she said. “When I tell you that thing is so good, and I see why people go crazy about his food in the meat space. He was basically able to recreate it for us and that’s one of my favorite recipes in the cookbook.” 

There are other chef contributions in the featured recipes. It’s also a beginner’s level cookbook since Cole herself is admittedly just a foodie.

“Contrary to popular belief, I am not a chef,” she said. “I just love to cook and I have no formal training, so these recipes and the contributing recipes are very easy, anybody can make them.”

During a time of extreme uncertainty, Cole found herself successfully running a restaurant and a foundation, working on a cookbook, buying a house and having a baby. These experiences continue to shape the woman she is.  

“I had a baby, but she’s a good baby,” Cole said. “But, my world has specifically changed because I went from being a CEO to a mompreneur. And, I don’t know the first thing about being a mompreneur.” 

Cole gave birth to her daughter in mid-July. Two weeks later, she purchased commercial properties to begin working on new locations for Slutty Vegan. 

She said she wants other women to know that they too can have it all, with a little help and support. 

“Get help — don’t feel like you gotta do everything by yourself," the first-time mother said. "I wouldn’t be able to be as successful as I am if it wasn’t for the help that I received. Everybody is just pitching in to help and make sure we have the things we need so that we can all win together.”