In Dallas, Pinky Cole Sparked the Conversation Every Black Woman in Business Needed to Hear

When Pinky Cole sat down with journalist Tashara Parker in Dallas, the atmosphere felt honest and familiar. There were no dramatic introductions or rehearsed moments, just a space filled with women who understood what it means to start over.

Cole’s From Blueprint to Empire tour stopped in Dallas during a turning point for many. Across the country, thousands of Black women have left or been removed from the workforce. Some are searching for stability, others are creating it through entrepreneurship. For many, the path forward is uncertain but necessary.

Cole knows this kind of uncertainty well. Years before her name became known for Slutty Vegan ATL, she lost her first restaurant in a fire that left her financially devastated. She rebuilt from nothing, using that failure as the foundation for something new. When controversy and criticism surrounded her earlier this year, she responded in the same way she always has, by staying transparent and continuing to build.

In Dallas, she reminded the audience that success requires resilience. “You have to choose your hard,” she said. “Entrepreneurship will test you, but quitting will too.”

Her words echoed through a conversation that centered on faith, discipline, and legacy. The women who joined her that day carried stories of rebuilding in their own industries.

Trademark attorney Rosézena “Rosina” Pierce, known as The Biz Lawyer, spoke about the importance of ownership. “Within our community, people see failure as final, but it is part of the process,” she said.

Marketing strategist Avery Liggins encouraged business owners to plan ahead. “Automation should be part of your plan from the beginning,” she said. “It is what keeps your business running when life gets busy.”

Cybersecurity founder Rae McElroy reminded entrepreneurs to protect what they create. “Do not depend on someone else to safeguard your business,” she said. “You are the source.”

Beauty entrepreneur Phylicé Stoker shared how faith led her from a corporate layoff to ten years of successful business ownership. “You have to believe in yourself even when it feels impossible,” she said. “If you cannot see it, you cannot reach it.”

Educator and investor Teri Ijeoma, founder of Trade and Travel, spoke about vision and obedience. “I built a hundred-million-dollar company, but it began as an idea I wrote down,” she said. “People need to see others who look like them so they know what is possible.”

The dialogue in Dallas was more than a discussion about business strategy. It reflected the reality of this moment for Black women who are redefining what work means. Many are building from loss while navigating the emotional weight of uncertainty. Still, they continue to show that entrepreneurship can be both survival and liberation.

As National Entrepreneurs Month continues, the message from Pinky Cole remains clear. Failure is not the end. Rest is not surrender. The work of rebuilding has always been part of the story for Black women.

When Cole closed the conversation by saying, “Failure does not mean finished,” the room fell quiet for a moment. It felt less like a quote and more like a reminder that even in hardship, we continue to build.