08/29/2026
Alright Ladies, I learned something about Mary Kay Ash and Dolly Parton that I just had to share with you. I think it’s a small piece of history that you’ll love or find interesting.
We all know Dolly as the rhinestones, the big hair, the music, the humour and the incredible businesswoman.
But did you know Dolly Parton was a genuine admirer of Mary Kay Ash? Not just the company but Mary Kay herself.
Dolly reportedly wanted to acquire the rights to Mary Kay Ash’s life story with the intention of bringing her story to the screen. Two women who came from very humble beginnings. Two women who were underestimated. Two women who embraced being feminine instead of trying to become “one of the guys” to succeed. Two women who built enormous businesses around something they believed in… And two women who understood the power of making other people feel good about themselves.
But here’s my favourite part…Dolly actually LOVED a Mary Kay product. Her signature scent for years was a combination of Tova Musk and Mary Kay Intrigue.
When Intrigue was discontinued, Dolly said she went onto eBay and bought as many bottles as she could find because she didn’t want to give it up. 😂 She would purchase the fragrance from the company by the case!!
That’s pretty cool.. and it made me think about something… Sometimes we get so caught up in what people think Mary Kay is that we forget what Mary Kay Ash actually created.
She wasn’t just selling lipstick. She was a woman who looked at a business world that didn’t give women the opportunities she believed they deserved and said “I’ll build my own.”
She built a company around beauty, yes.. but also around confidence, recognition, relationships, entrepreneurship and giving women a chance to believe they could do more. That’s the Mary Kay I want you to know. Not the stereotype. The woman.
Truthfully, knowing that a woman as fiercely independent, creative and business-minded as Dolly Parton admired Mary Kay Ash makes me appreciate her story even more. They both understood something incredibly powerful..You don’t have to become less feminine, less yourself or less authentic to become successful. You can build something beautiful and build something big.
. that’s a pretty wonderful legacy.
