Parton was ambitious.
Very ambitious.
Long before she became one of the world's most recognizable entertainers, she dreamed of becoming a star. In a 1977 interview with Barbara Walters, she openly discussed her desire to become a superstar and understood that she wanted a career that extended beyond one narrow category.
She did not pretend that success simply happened to her.
She worked for it.
She wrote songs.
She toured.
She performed.
She negotiated.
She built businesses.
She took risks.
She created opportunities when opportunities did not appear naturally.
And perhaps most importantly, she continued believing in herself when other people questioned her decisions.
Her creation of Dollywood is a particularly powerful example.
Parton recalled that lawyers, accountants, and others around her warned that she was making a mistake when she pursued the project. Rather than abandoning the idea, she changed course, found people who believed in her vision, and moved forward.
