How Kat Cole Rose From Hooters Hostess to $600M CEO

Kat Cole’s rise to the top of the corporate world is one of the most remarkable leadership stories in modern business. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, and raised by a single mother after her parents divorced when she was nine, Cole learned the values of hard work and perseverance early in life. Mabumbe Today, she leads AG1 — a company projected to generate over $600 million in annual revenue — as its CEO.

From Waiting Tables to the Boardroom

Cole started waitressing at Hooters as a high school senior and rose up the corporate ladder to vice president by age 26. Next Big Idea Club Her ascent wasn’t the result of a grand plan, but rather a habit of saying yes to every opportunity. Within a year of joining Hooters, she was sent to Australia to help open the brand’s first international location — a pivotal moment that set the stage for her corporate ascent. Mabumbe During her tenure, she helped grow the company from 100 to 500 locations across 33 countries.

Turning Brands Into Billion-Dollar Businesses

Cole’s next chapter proved equally impressive. During her over four-year tenure as president, Cinnabon quickly resurged as a multichannel, global brand with over 1,200 stores in 56 countries, and saw its sales pass the $1 billion mark. WSB In 2021, she joined AG1 as President and COO before being promoted to CEO in July 2024.

Cole is now tasked with taking the supplement giant into its next chapter, which will involve channel diversification. While the brand became famous for its inflation.