Pinky Cole Loses Ownership of Slutty Vegan, But She Implemented A Strategy To Get It Back!
- Michelle J. Miller
- Apr 4
- 4 min read
When headlines broke that Slutty Vegan founder Pinky Cole had lost operational control of her company—even while owning the trademark—many entrepreneurs were stunned. How does a visionary build a wildly successful, celebrity-endorsed brand, only to find herself on the outside looking in?
In early 2025, financial difficulties led to a restructuring that resulted in Cole relinquishing control of her multimillion-dollar enterprise. According to People Magazine, in February 2025, Pinky put Slutty Vegan through a restructuring, which meant that she had to relinquish control and ownership of the company to an assignee. In March 2025, Pinky bought back her company (for an undisclosed number) under the name “Ain't Nobody Coming to See You, Otis LLC,” a purposeful use of the popular quote from the 1998 film The Temptations. Well, here's the deal: the business has gone throught a global restructing and Pinky bought her company back!
In a recent Instagram post, Pinky said "Slutty Vegan is mine again... and this time, we’re doing it bigger, bolder, and better. Thank you to everyone who believed in me," she wrote in the post. "This is not just business. This is personal. Welcome to Slutty Vegan 2.0."
This development brings to light critical distinctions between trademark ownership and company ownership. In my work as a trademark and business attorney, I often tell founders: your trademarks are the keys to the kingdom. Owning the federal trademark registrations to your brand name, slogan, logo, or product line gives you exclusive rights to monetize and control the use of your brand in the marketplace. Slutty Vegan, Inc. owns all the registered trademarks so let's breakdown som considerations.
What happens when the old company owns the trademark registrations, but a new company is now operating the business?
Let’s break this down.
Who Legally Owns the Trademarks?
Trademarks are registered either:
Personally, under the founder's name; or
By the business entity, such as an LLC or corporation.
This scenario underscores the critical importance of understanding and managing trademark ownership within a business structure. When trademarks are registered under a company’s name, they are considered assets of that company. If ownership of the company changes hands, control over the trademarks typically transfers with it. For entrepreneurs, this highlights the necessity of strategic planning regarding intellectual property to ensure that control over trademarks aligns with their business interests.
What Do You Do?
If you’re in a situation where:
You no longer own the company that holds your trademark registrations;
You’re launching a new company to operate the same business…
… then you must obtain legal rights to the trademarks before using them in your new entity and this can happen in a few ways.
Pinky Cole’s experience serves as a valuable lesson in the importance of proactively managing trademark ownership to maintain control over one's brand. Entrepreneurs should take deliberate steps to structure their business and intellectual property arrangements to prevent potential loss of control over their creations.
Legal Strategy Isn’t Just for Crisis—It’s for Confidence
Entrepreneurs often focus on visibility, growth, and creative output—which are essential. But true brand power comes when your vision is supported by legal clarity, strategic structure, and proactive protection.
Even when you hold the trademark, if your business operations and ownership documents aren't aligned, you may find yourself limited in how you lead, license, or scale.
Legal infrastructure isn’t just about avoiding conflict—it’s about building confidence. Confidence to enter new deals, license your brilliance, expand internationally, or exit with power.
In other words, strategy secures your seat at the table—not just today, but for the future you're building.
Let Pinky Cole's Story Be a Wake-Up Call
When Pinky Cole—founder of the multimillion-dollar Slutty Vegan brand—lost operational control of her business due to internal disputes and business structure issues, it shocked the entrepreneurial world. Although she owned the trademark registration, she had to buy her own company back under a new entity to regain full control.
This is a textbook example of why intellectual property ownership alone isn’t enough—you must understand how your business entity, contracts, and IP rights work together to protect the wealth you’re building.
If you're a high-performing entrepreneur, public figure, or faith-driven leader, don’t wait until you’re forced to defend what you’ve built. Be proactive.
Protect Your Brand and Business
If you're a high-performing founder, public figure, or Kingdom-driven entrepreneur, don’t wait until you're forced to react. Be proactive about securing what you’ve already worked so hard to build.
The Brillionaire Wealth Strategy™
The Brillionaire Wealth Strategy™ is a private, 2-hour legal strategy consultation designed specifically for entrepreneurs and creators building income-generating brands. Led by celebrity business attorney and Clinical Law Professor Michelle J. Miller, Esq., this experience delivers:
A full legal audit of your business + brand
Review of your entity, contracts, and trademark portfolio
A custom roadmap to align your IP with your operations
Premium tools to protect and scale with confidence
You'll also have the opportunity to add federal trademark filing after your session—ensuring that what you own, you truly control.
Don’t Wait to Defend It. Strategize to Own It.
Let Pinky Cole's story be a lesson, not your legacy. If you're building brilliance, it's time to protect it with precision.
Apply Now for the Brillionaire Wealth Strategy™ Consultation
Your brilliance deserves legal clarity. Your legacy deserves ownership.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
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