I Hope You Fail

cathiebp24
Feb 4, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Apr 17, 2024

As the cliché goes “don’t judge a book by its cover”, the title caught my eye – a bright red Fail on the cover is hard to miss. For my return to food writing book reviews, I selected How to Fail due to the author’s restaurant, Slutty Vegan, the Atlanta-based vegan-based burger chain.

"This book really is very personal for me because I've been through a lot," Pinky says. "I'm still a work in progress, and I wanted people to know that you can go through things and still be great on the other side but it's all about the mindset shift and reverse-engineering negativity. Because the power of the tongue is so real, and that's exactly what I've been doing."

Touted as “vegan comfort food”, the name lends itself that vegan is nowhere near boring. But in this book, she tells the tale of how she got to where she is, and then some. She is raw in her dialogue which I found to appreciate – but fair warning, she gets real. The writing was a gritty telling of the hardships of life and lessons learned. She reflects lessons learned, heaving hitting that at times you just need to take a B.R.E.A.T.H.E.: Be ready (for) everything as time heals everything.

The following are a few key takeaways that resonate towards my personal dialogue:

Mindset

What pleasantly “surprised” me: When she made mention of mindset [See NOTE below]. She shares six steps to recognizing the need to pivot because we all need a bit of guidance. Because mindset is crucial to pivoting.

“And when you have taken all these steps, my friend, you have pivoted!”

Pivot

What made an “aha” read: When she made mention of pivot. I am like “hey, that’s my word for 2024!”. It’s reframing disappointments to challenges; a shift in mindset.

"If you want to succeed badly enough, you’ve got to be willing to pivot.”

Collaboration

What was the “wow” factor: When she made mention of her limited-edition shoe collaboration with Steve Madden and her lipstick shad of red with The Lip Bar. (I never heard of The Lip Bar aka TLB.) It’s the little big things!

This couldn’t be a better selection for my first book review to start the year. I am truly thankful to be able to return to food writing blogging. I will also be most blessed at the opportunity sharing my POV that will instill you to follow me for more as I embark on this renewed journey.

If you’re “Feeling Slutty”, view her restaurant Slutty Vegan. The burgers alone look deliciously sinful!