27/08/2026
Shared this on my LinkedIn page but thought it might be worth sharing here as well. Comment with your thoughts.
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Dolly Parton’s passing hit me a little harder than I expected.
I was always a fan, but I think part of it is personal. My own mother is about to turn 80, and in some ways she has always reminded me a little of Dolly. Thankfully, she’s in good health, but losing someone who has been such a familiar presence for so long has a way of making you think about time, family and the people who leave an impression on us.
Over the past few days, I’ve found myself reading a lot of stories and quotes about Dolly, and as someone who has spent most of my career in marketing and advertising, this one really stuck with me:
“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
It’s great life advice, but it’s also pretty great branding advice.
The strongest brands, whether personal or professional, usually have a clear sense of who they are.
They know what they stand for.
They know what makes them different.
They have a recognizable voice, point of view and personality.
And most importantly, they’re intentional about it.
For companies, that means consistency in the way a brand looks, sounds and shows up in the world.
For personal brands, it means understanding what you want people to associate with your name and reinforcing that through the work you do, the ideas you share and the way you show up for others.
That doesn’t mean never evolving. Good brands evolve all the time.
But there’s a big difference between evolving who you are and constantly trying to become someone else.
Dolly may be one of the best examples of this.
Her career spanned decades, industries and generations, but through all of it, she was unmistakably Dolly.
Her style. Her humor. Her generosity. Her values. Her voice.
She knew who she was.
And she did it on purpose.
That’s not just a great way to build a brand.
It’s a pretty great way to build a life.
