logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2023
53m 20s

HIBT Lab! Slutty Vegan: Pinky Cole

Guy Raz | Wondery
About this episode

It’s hard to miss a Slutty Vegan when you’re driving past one. 

No, we’re not talking about a person… We’re talking about a fast-casual burger chain — and a vegan one at that! 

Since launching Slutty Vegan in 2017, Pinky has seen her plant-based brand through several iterations: a ghost kitchen, then a food truck, then eventually several brick and mortar locations that continue to pop up across the east coast. And with a valuation of $100 million and expansion into other sectors, Pinky is only getting started... 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Pinky talks with Guy about her journey as a TV producer-turned-restaurateur, and how Slutty Vegan is a prime example of Seth Godin’s Purple Cow theory: companies must build things worth noticing into their products and services. Plus, Pinky reflects on her roots, sharing the valuable lessons about discipline and work ethic that she learned from her parents. 

This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Yesterday
(July 2021) Ben Chestnut: From Side Business to $12 Billion – The Accidental Triumph of Mailchimp
In 2001, three web designers built a quirky email tool called Mailchimp.It wasn’t their main business.It wasn’t even meant to make real money.For years, Ben Chestnut and his partners survived on web-design gigs, while Mailchimp earned just enough to cover lunch.Then…one surprisin ... Show More
1h 19m
Aug 21
Advice Line with Jamie Siminoff of Ring (August 2024)
Ring founder Jamie Siminoff joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about balancing short- and long-term goals. Today, we meet Vico, an industrial designer in southern California who's launching a crowdfunding campaign for his patented ergono ... Show More
51m 54s
Aug 18
Madison Reed: Amy Errett
Amy Errett had a successful career in finance and venture capital before taking a leap into an entirely new business: hair color. When her wife complained about the indignities of coloring her hair at home, Amy realized the sector was ripe for a makeover. At age 56, she dove into ... Show More
1h 18m
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2024
Rapid Response: Slutty Vegan wants to be the next Shake Shack, with founder Pinky Cole
While many plant-based food brands have struggled recently, Pinky Cole’s fast food chain Slutty Vegan keeps growing, with new restaurants across the U.S. Pinky sits down with Rapid Response host Bob Safian to explain how she’s scaling the brand despite lawsuits, social media atta ... Show More
23m 25s
May 2024
Entrepreneur: Eat Plants, B*tch : 91 Vegan Recipes That Will Blow Your Meat-Loving Mind says Pinky Cole: Slutty Vegan ATL Founder.
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald, interviewed Pinky Cole. If one were to use the words “sexy” and “vegetable” in a sentence, they would probably never be said one after the other. However, the Slutty Vegan’s ow ... Show More
20m 41s
Jul 2023
1005: Pinky Cole CEO and Founder of Slutty Vegan
Pinky Cole is the CEO and Founder of Slutty Vegan, based in Atlanta, GA. Pinky's first restaurant, Pinky's Jamaican and American Restaurant, operated ion Harlem fir 2 years, but closed down in 2016 after a grease fire. She opened her first Slutty Vegan in 2018 through a food truc ... Show More
1h 16m
Sep 2020
396: No Biz Experience? Learn As You Launch like Bella Lam
When Bella Lam made the switch to eating vegan and gluten-free, she was instantly faced with the major lack of offerings in the market for her dietary needs. A chocolate chip cookie that fit her needs was like a unicorn. So Bella thought, why not me? Why can’t I create something ... Show More
41m 10s
Nov 2017
Young and Vegan
The number of young people turning vegan is rising. Grace Dent meets some of the people opening vegan eateries and finds out how creatives are using social media to further the "vegangelical" cause. Grace goes to the Hackney Downs Vegan Market to speak to Jay Brave who argues tha ... Show More
28m 46s
Jun 2023
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley on Personal Style, Brand and Businesses, Wellness Routines and Daily Habits
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley shares everything you’ve wanted to know from her in this episode from her multi-faceted life. Rosie, Founder + Chief Creative Officer of Rose Inc., shares the secrets behind her success. We dive into her commitment to non-comedogenic products, explore th ... Show More
52m 57s
Sep 2023
Yovana Mendoza On Raw Veganism Vs. Meat Diets, Detoxes, Internet Scandals, & Finding Healthy Balances In LIfe
#609:  Today, we're sitting down with Yovana Mendoza, formerly known as "Rawvana," a raw vegan influencer. Yovana has transitioned to a non-vegan diet after a health scare and is here to talk about what she's learned throughout her transition to animal-based foods. Yovana is a Me ... Show More
1h 6m
Mar 2022
The Cult of Veganism
Veganism isn’t just a diet, it‘s not just a lifestyle, it’s a whole identity, aesthetic, community, religion, and even a career for some people… like our special guest, Lauren Toyota, creator of “hot for food,” a vegan blog, YouTube channel, and series of cookbooks. Veganism has ... Show More
40m 29s
Dec 2021
#421: From Court Rooms To TikTok: The Korean Vegan’s Journey Of Reinvention
Talking Life And Career Transitions Over Curry Like soooo many of us, Joanne Lee Molinaro hopped on to TikTok in July of 2020 as a way of coping with the isolation of quarantine. But as fate would have it, a post of her making Korean braised potatoes for dinner (while her husband ... Show More
58m 3s
May 2023
Lauryn's Explant Surgery Ft. Dr. Robert Whitfield AKA "Breast Implant Illness Expert" & Everything You Want To Know About Implants & Explants
#572: Today we're sitting down with Dr. Robert Whitfield, board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in Explant Surgery and Breast Implant Illness. Known as the “Breast Implant Illness Expert,” due to his exceptional explant skills and holistic and scientific approach to care, ... Show More
1h 34m