We talk to a lot of important women at Glamour—astronauts, pro athletes, executives, and the occasional First Lady. And while they span the professional spectrum and live all over the world, we’ve found that high-ranking women tend to have one thing in common: They’re truly excited to hold the door open for the women coming up behind them. In our Future Forward series—part of our College Women of the Year coverage—we asked some of those industry leaders to welcome the next generation to the table with their hard-earned life and career advice. Pinky Cole, the founder and CEO of Slutty Vegan, shares hers below.
Pinky Cole decided in college that she wasn’t going to do anything that she didn’t want to do—and then she created a life that would allow her to play by her own rules: In 2018 she started selling Slutty Vegan burgers—inspired by her own cravings for vegan junk food—first via delivery apps, then her own food truck. Less than a year later, she opened the first Slutty Vegan brick-and-mortar in Atlanta; today it’s a chain (nine restaurants and counting, plus a small fleet of food trucks) that’s valued at $100 million.
“Food is what I’m passionate about, and vegan food is really my lifestyle,” Cole says. “So I get to do what I love every single day.”
The brand’s initial buzz (Snoop Dogg has been a fan since the early days) might have had something to do with its memorable name. “I wanted to create something that was going to make people spark dialogue and pay attention. I knew if I put two unlikely words together, it would force people to ask questions,” she says. “And when I get their attention, I can teach them about plant-based living through a great experience.”
On the heels of her stratospheric restaurant success, Cole also launched the Pinky Cole Foundation, which hosts networking events, fundraises, and fosters educational programs to help “teens, college students, and younger adults to become fearless entrepreneurs.” (In a similar vein, Cole is offering one-on-one support, as a mentor to Karyn Onyeneho, a Glamour 2022 College Woman of the year who’s working to increase diversity and equity in the public health space.) “We know that if we don’t have the support of the people, we have nothing,” says Cole, who’s found support in spades. (She raised $25 million in a Series A funding round in May of 2022.) “So, because we get so much support, we want to make sure that we put that support back into the communities and areas in which we serve.”
Find a few of the secrets to her success below.
Glamour: What was your first childhood dream job?
Pinky Cole: I thought that I was going to be a famous singer, like Beyoncé. I was going to play on huge stage and sellout crowds. Now, I’m nowhere near as big as Beyoncé. But I feel like as long as I continue on the path that I’m on, I might just get there—without the singing part, of course.
Does your current job align with your college major?
Absolutely not. I graduated with a degree in mass media arts—radio, television, and film. I’ve never gotten an internship in my life. Now I’m trying as an adult to get internships for different companies. I’m like, “Hey, can I interview?” And they’re like, “You really want to intern for me?” Yes! Yes, I do. I want to learn.
What was the moment you realized, “Okay, I might actually be successful.”
After Snoop Dogg ate my food. He went online and talked about Slutty Vegan, and then everybody wanted to know about the company. Everything blew up from there. Slutty Vegan went from a popular brand to a brand that celebrities wanted to tap into.
What’s the most valuable career lesson you’ve learned through experience?
Make sure that you have a good attorney and a good accountant. You need to be able to protect your assets, and you need to be able to protect your business. There are so many evils in the business world that a lot of people really don’t talk about. I wanted to make sure I had the right people around me, professionally, so that I can make the best decisions in my career.
What’s the best life advice you’ve been given, not related to your career?
Nobody cares. So, when I say, nobody cares, I mean: The crying, the self-sabotage, the beating yourself up and feeling defeated, being lazy—nobody cares about that. We all go through stuff, we all got drama, we are all dealing with the woes of the world. So, get up and do exactly what it is that you need to do. Despite the circumstances, despite the obstacles, you’ve got to get up and get past your worst self, because the minute that you can get past your worst self—the worst version of yourself—you will be all right. Trouble really does not last always.
What personal quality is nonnegotiable for success in your field?
I will never give somebody, professionally, a second chance to screw me over. What I’ve realized in business is: When you see a cancer, you have got to cut out that cancer. If I continue to give chances over chances—when I know that there’s a cancer—it’s my fault [when something goes wrong], not theirs. In order to be successful in business, you’ve got to have people around you who are smarter than you—people who want to see you win, and win big.
If someone is just starting out in your field, how can she position herself for success?
A lot of people skip past marketing and just focus on a product. But you’ve got to market yourself. Tell people who you are, where you came from, and why your story is so unique and so special. Then people will fall in love with you—and whatever you do, they’ll buy into it.
People think that you just sell products, or you just sell a service, and that’s it. But you’ve got to be able to market your brand, and you’ve got to separate yourself from everybody else. If you do not do that—if you don’t properly market your brand — all you’ve got is a great product and no story behind it. I know that having a brand is the best currency in the world. Because the value that’s placed on a really, really good brand will allow you to keep making money forever.
What makes a résumé or cover letter stand out?
I want to see beyond the accolades and what a person has done, and know what’s in their hearts. If somebody sent me a cover letter and said, “Listen, I know this is not a typical cover letter, but I want you to know who I am. I’m a mother of two. I love being around my kids. I work a lot, so, sometimes I have mom guilt. But I want you to know that this opportunity will give me the chance to be able to support you in a way you’ve never had before. So please take a look and give me a ring. Let’s connect.” You know what I’m saying? I want real rawness and authenticity. Because people can look good on paper and be terrible in real life.
Post-interview thank-you notes: handwritten, emailed, or don’t bother?
I love creativity. I love a handwritten note because I feel like people took their time.
Fill in the blank: People would be happier doing their work if…
If they felt incentivized by the company that they work for. What I mean when I say that is, if they feel valued—if they feel seen—and they’re recognized for all of their hard efforts, people will get excited about that work.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Jillian Kramer is a journalist who writes about health, wellness, science, and adventure. She taps into a broad network of experts to write in-depth articles for leading publications, including Glamour, The New York Times, Scientific American, Travel + Leisure, EatingWell, and Food & Wine.
