Dolly Parton on how to succeed in business

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Dolly Parton is a live performer, recording artist, songwriter, writer, philanthropist, Netflix producer, theme park operator, and hotelier, to name a few of her businesses. It sells everything from dog accessories to fragrances to even muffin mixes.

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How does he keep up his pace? “I'm working,” he told Bloomberg News in an interview with Dolly Parton's Buttermilk Pancakes to create his newest endeavor at ConAgra Brands Inc., the grocery chain.

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The famous business mogul takes about fifteen minutes between performing at the Thanksgiving football game halftime show to film and launch a commercial for the 2024 Olympics for his newest album, Rockstar (his highest Billboard 200 debut). A new pirate-themed dinner theater in Tampa, he is, of course, the only American to have the dual honor of a RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars series and a statue in the Tennessee state capitol (which he politely declined).

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For Parton, her appeal goes beyond the music. In an era when “quieting” is common in the workplace in the United States and the increasing number of Gen-Zers who are mingling in the office (or scaling rooms) has been criticized, Parton works to make ends meet from a nine-to-five. . And at 78, he shows no signs of letting up.

Work Shift spoke with him about the continued expansion of his empire, trusting the people he hires, and the importance of the “9 to 5.”

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Q: Dolly Parton is not just a person, she is an empire. How do you make it all work? What decisions do you make and what do you delegate?

DP: I have a huge empire because not only do I have my music stuff, but I also have Dollywood, a theme park, hotels, bars, dinner theaters and all the things that I'm involved with. That's why I have thousands of employees.

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I'm smart enough to know that I don't know everything there is to know about it other than music. I'm more of a creative force and generalist. I try to find the best people and trust them to do what they say. And then I have people who look after all of them.

I have a very good gut. If someone is wrong, it shows, or other people you trust show it repeatedly, you know it's time to let go of that person. So I depend on my own higher wisdom to know that I am in the right place with the right people. I have been blessed to be surrounded by great people throughout my life. We really care about each other, or I think they like me. Some of them do.

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Q: In the 1980 song “9 to 5” you said, “You're a rung on the boss's ladder.” Now you are the boss woman. How did the experiences that formed the basis of that song shape the boss you are today?

DP: Well, I'm still on my ladder because I'm always climbing. I was so proud of this movie because I think it opened a lot of doors and brought a lot of attention to women who are so skilled and for so long haven't been given all the opportunities they deserve. I think a lot has changed.

Many people do not believe that some women can be feminine, sexy and intelligent at the same time. You prove yourself by doing what you do best. This is how I've run my business since I was a very young girl in Nashville. I've always believed that we all have something that makes us a lot of money. To look like a woman and think like a man so to speak.

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Many people do not believe that some women can be feminine, sexy and intelligent at the same time

Dolly Parton

Q: When it comes down to it, the way you look—your hair, your clothes—is a huge part of who you are. What advice do you have for working women about using our looks to our advantage?

DP: Lord, not everyone wants to be like me. I look like I work in a strip club.

I have always said that everyone should be comfortable in their own skin, in their own life and in their own clothes. You know what business you're in and you know what to expect. If you have a dress code, look as good as you can, stick to it. You can bend the rules a bit, but if this is the job you need and you already know the rules, stick to the rules. Look like a stripper for the weekend.

Q: How do you keep expanding your empire without diluting it?

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DP: At my age, I treat these things like a new adventure. I've done everything I set my mind to in music. Of course, I want to do more, do better — I'm doing my life story as a Broadway musical. If I've done nothing musically other than get this show off its feet, get it on stage and do well, I feel like I've accomplished almost everything I wanted to do.

If I was doing these things when I was trying to build my music career, it would have weakened or people would have confused who I was. But this is who I am becoming now. People know that I am a singer, writer, producer. They already know this. I proved it. I spent my life for that. Now that's interesting stuff for me. These are what we call “mailbox money” (or passive income). You may or may not attract your royalties, but I love having meetings with all the great people who have done so many great things. I don't think I'll be fading anytime soon. So whatever I want to do, I do what I love.

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Q: Dolly Parton Inc.'s partnership with ConAgra, which began with Duncan Hines but is now growing further. How does it fit into the company's grand scheme?

DP: I only make things that I believe in, believe in, and feel like I can sell with confidence. So, my favorite food. I grew up cooking and eating in a house full of children. So when Duncan Hines came out on top, I said absolutely. I have been using Duncan Hines for a long time. I thought it was a good way to start on the food chain.

Bloomberg.com

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