Pinky Cole Says Joining 'RHOA' Was a 'No-Brainer' After Dealing With Business Drama: 'I Was Already Prepped'

Pinky Cole was more ready than anyone to dive into the drama on The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

By the time Bravo came calling, the restaurateur had already weathered significant criticism stemming from a series of financial challenges tied to her business S------ Vegan.

Cole speaks exclusively with OK! about getting into the mix with the Georgia women, putting her life on television, the cast member she became the closest with and her advice to entrepreneurs.

After temporarily losing control of her plant-based fast food chain, navigating Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and ultimately buying the company back, the businesswoman was hardly intimidated by reality television.

"Going on the show was a no-brainer for me," she says. "I'm like, 'Well, my information is all out in the media anyway. I might as well!' I was prepped for this. Now, I can inspire somebody else and give somebody else an opportunity to understand business in a whole new way. I wouldn't take it back for a thing. There is going to be somebody who's sitting in their house, watching this show, and they're going to see me and think, 'I'm not going to give up because Pinky fought through the hardest moments of her life.'"

Despite Cole’s fearlessness, opening her life to cameras alongside her husband, Derrick Hayes, and their three children came with a steep learning curve.

"It was an adjustment, but I adjusted," she shares. "I'm happy that I did because I've gained some really good friendships along the way. When you see me walking in the room, and I'm like, 'Hello everybody!' It's because I've never met a stranger in my life. Every time I get around somebody, either you're going to love me, or you're going to leave me alone. That's the energy that I bring."

Being new in an established cast can be daunting, but luckily, Cole had K. Michelle for lean on.

"I connected with K the most," she says. "She's my sorority sister. We hit it off, especially because even though she's a newbie like me, this is not her first rodeo on a reality TV show. She's really a veteran just like the rest of them. I've been able to connect with her in a way in which I get to one, learn from her, and two, exchange big ideas. We talk about life business; she's a newlywed like me. On and off-camera, that is my girl."

Due to her vast experience in taking risks with her business, Cole has a great piece of advice for entrepreneurs.

"You are going to fail, and it's okay to fail because failing is not failing," she says. "It is finding the aspiration in the losses. Some of the biggest companies of our time that we patronize today have failed at something. Amazon almost went bankrupt. Delta went bankrupt. American Airlines had its financial challenges. Some of the biggest chain restaurants have closed their doors and filed for bankruptcy. Then most of them have bounced back. In the failure, you really learn lessons that will make you stronger for the next time."

New episodes of The Real Housewives of Atlanta premiere on Bravo Sundays at 8/7c ET and stream via Peacock the next day.