5 Business Lessons From Dolly Parton Every Small Business Owner Needs Right Now

My Instagram feed has been wall to wall Dolly Parton tributes this past week, and rightly so. Losing her has genuinely felt personal for a lot of people, myself included.

I didn’t want to write another “five things Dolly taught us” post. Everyone’s doing that, and most of it will be forgotten by tomorrow. But a few things about her life stopped me mid scroll. Not just because of the music, although have you seen the duet with Miley Cyrus? Just wow. But because they were about business, and about being a woman who refused to shrink to make anyone else comfortable.

She turned down Elvis. She built a library out of grief. She answered every insult with a punchline sharper than the insult itself. And she spent five decades being asked to pick a side, and simply never did.

None of it was luck. All of it was a decision, made over and over again, to stay entirely herself.

If you’re running your own business and quietly wondering whether you’re allowed to do things your way, here’s what I think we can all take from her.

1. Say no to things that don’t serve you

In 1974, Elvis wanted to record “I Will Always Love You.” The night before recording, his manager rang Dolly demanding half the publishing rights. That was standard practice for anything Elvis touched.

Dolly said no. It broke her heart at the time. Two decades later, Whitney Houston’s cover of that same song made her a fortune.

I see so many of you saying yes to the collaboration that costs more than it gives, or the client who doesn’t value what you do, because the opportunity looks too good to turn down. Dolly said no to Elvis. You are allowed to say no to that thing you really don’t want to do too.

2. Turn your hardest experiences into something positive

Dolly’s father never learned to read. He was ashamed of it his whole life. She built the Imagination Library because of him: free books, sent to children all over the world, still running today. He lived long enough to hear the kids call her “the book lady.”

She took a painful, private experience and used it to change millions of lives.

Whatever brought you to your business in the first place, the frustration, the gap you couldn’t find filled anywhere else, the thing nobody else seemed to understand, that’s not just your backstory. That’s your brand, if you let it be.

3. Know who you are and don’t compromise on it

People called her look cheap. Her answer? “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.” She never once dressed down to be taken seriously. She made her appearance and her manner key parts of her brand.

This is the conversation I have on repeat with the women in my membership. So many of us (me included!) try to sand down our personality to look more “professional” online, and it just makes us forgettable. Being memorable will always beat being palatable.

4. Let your critics fuel you, not shrink you

“I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes, because I know I’m not dumb, and I know I’m not a blonde.” That’s a straight quote from Dolly. She turned the joke into an empire before anyone else got to the punchline.

Criticism designed to belittle her became one of the most iconic responses in entertainment history. Next time a comment stings, ask yourself what she’d do with it… and if it’s saying more about the person sharing their ‘opinion’ than it is about you.

5. You don’t have to attend every argument you’re invited to

For decades, Dolly faced pressure to pick a political side, from both directions. Her answer never changed: “I’m not in politics. I’m an entertainer.”

Staying out of a fight is a decision you’re allowed to make too. You do not owe every trending debate your opinion, especially when it has nothing to do with your business or the people you serve.

The real point behind all of it

Since Dolly’s passing, my feed has been flooded with things about her I never knew. She was a true legend. But I think that’s the actual point here. Some people do things purely for applause. Others do things to make a difference.

I think we all know which one Dolly was.

If you’re sat there wondering whether your work is interesting enough, whether you’re allowed to say no, or whether it’s safe to just be yourself online, take this as your sign. You don’t need a bigger personality, a louder opinion or a perfectly polished feed. You need to stop shrinking.

Fancy more of this in your feed?

I talk about exactly this, staying true to yourself while building a business that actually works, over on Instagram most days.

Follow me on Instagram @rheafreemanpr for more social media, PR and marketing tips and tricks.

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I Said What I Said: Social Media Pet Peeves Edition

Social Media Pet Peeves: 6 Mistakes Hurting Your Business

Social media marketing expert sharing pet peeves for small business owners

Three weeks into the summer holidays, and my patience is well and truly gone!

As a social media, PR, and marketing expert who has spent years helping small business owners get noticed, I see a lot of content online. Most of it comes from hard-working, hugely talented people who are doing their best to juggle a business, client work, and real life.

However, every now and then, I see trends and posting habits that make me want to put my head in my hands.

Here are my top social media pet peeves – well, six mistakes that are hurting your business, and what you should do instead… and if I upset you, I really am sorry. But they might just help you up your social media game!

1. Microbe-Sized Tiny Text

We have all seen those carousel graphics or Instagram stories where the font is so small you have to squint, take a screenshot, and zoom in with two fingers just to read a single sentence.

Yes, I probably should wear my glasses more often. But if your text is microbe-sized, your potential clients are not going to fetch their spectacles; they are simply going to keep scrolling.

Your audience is busy, distracted, and often reading your posts on a mobile phone screen while boiling a kettle or waiting in the school pickup line. Do not make them work for it. Keep your font bold, clean, and large enough to read instantly without needing a magnifying glass.

2. Generic, Unfiltered AI Posters

For the people sitting in the cheap seats: generic AI content makes you look exactly like everyone else who could not be bothered.

Let me be clear here: I use AI tools all the time in my own business. AI is brilliant for helping you brain-dump ideas, organise your thoughts, or draft a quick outline when your brain feels completely scrambled.

However, I would never let an AI tool spit out generic slop and post it directly to my page.

When you prompt AI to make a social media post without the information it needs on your voice, tone, style, vibe. When it doesn’t understand your customer. When it’s just doing something quick because that’s what you told it. You don’t woo and excite your customers. You make them scroll on, feeling that they really didn’t know you at all. 

3. Context-Free Cliffhangers

Another huge pet peeve of mine is the no-context cliffhanger. You know the ones: hospital check-ins with zero explanation, vague posts saying “I cannot believe this just happened…”, or asking a dramatic question and then completely leaving people hanging.

I am busy enough with my own dramas, and so are your ideal clients. We do not have the time or energy to play detective online.

If you have something valuable, exciting, or important to say, just say it. Respect your audience’s time by giving them clear context, real insights, and genuine value every single time you post.

4. Slapping Emojis Over Faces

This one pops up constantly, particularly in lifestyle, country, and family-run businesses. People post a lovely picture, but stick a massive, random emoji right over a person’s face.

I completely understand privacy concerns, especially when it comes to children or staff who do not want to be on camera. Privacy matters. But if you do not want someone’s face on the internet, simply do not post the picture!

Take a photo from behind, crop the image, focus on the hands or the product, or make your account private. Sticking a giant yellow emoji over a face ruins the aesthetic of your page and looks messy. Job done.

5. “Share This to a Random Account”

I frequently get comments on my posts telling me that someone will share my content if I send a direct message to a completely random account.

They are either up to something fishy that I cannot be bothered to work out, or they simply do not know how the share tool works. Either way, let us just pretend this whole interaction never happened.

Never fall for these spammy engagement traps, and certainly do not use them on other people’s pages. Real business growth comes from building genuine relationships with real human beings who actually care about what you do.

6. Fonts You Simply Cannot Read

If your chosen font looks like a tired spider crawled across the screen after dipping its feet in ink, it is a hard no from me.

Is it scroll-stopping? Maybe. Is it engaging? Absolutely not.

If your audience cannot read your headline in less than two seconds, they will swipe right past it. Fancy cursive fonts might look pretty on a wedding invitation, but on a fast-moving social media feed, readability wins every single time. Fonts matter. Choose clear, bold, easy-to-read typography that gets your message across fast.

Have I Been a Bit Harsh?!

Maybe… maybe not!

At the end of the day, social media does not need to feel like an overcomplicated science. It comes down to basic respect for your reader’s time and attention. Make your content clear, keep it honest, bring your real personality to the table, and make it effortless for your ideal client to consume.

Ready to Make Your Social Media Work Harder?

If you are tired of guessing what to post, feeling completely overwhelmed by social media, and wanting a simple, step-by-step strategy that brings in real clients without taking over your life, you do not have to figure it out on your own.

Sign up to be notified about my 60 sprint courses. They are short, hyper-focused, 60-minute training modules designed to give you practical tools to grow your visibility, polish your messaging, and get real results fast.

Or, for honest marketing tips, PR secrets, and practical advice on how to build a business you love, come and follow me on Instagram @rheafreemanpr

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Why You Need to Stop Marketing to People Who Don’t Like Fish

Why You Need to Stop Marketing to People Who Don’t Like Fish

Overcoming Fear of Judgment in Marketing: The Fish Lesson

I have a bit of a confession to make: I completely and utterly loathe fish.
I cannot stand the taste of it, I cannot tolerate the smell, and if you put a plate of seafood in front of me, I will pass on it every single time. I actually had to bolt for the door at a wedding when the fish course was served. But that is a story for another day!
Now, imagine for a moment that you run a high-end, premium seafood business. You spend your days sourcing the absolute best catch, and pouring your heart into your craft. How much weight should my personal opinion carry in your business?
The answer is zero. Absolutely none. I’m never going to be your customer.
Yet, every single day, I see brilliant, highly skilled small business owners take the opinion of people who will never give them a single penny, and adjust their plans accordingly. They put a piece of content online, launch a new product, or share a service they are proud of, and then they get a blank response, or worse, a throwaway negative comment from a random stranger.
And what happens? They freeze. They doubt their entire craft, step back from the spotlight, and completely sabotage their own growth.
If you have ever caught yourself pulling back on your marketing because you are terrified of judgment or putting off the wrong person, let us break down why this happens and how to fix it.

The Trap of Online Paralysis

We have all been there. I have certainly been there too.
You spend hours drafting a social post or working up the courage to talk about what you do. You hit publish, and instead of a wave of applause, you get silence or a off-hand comment from someone who was never going to buy from you in a million years.
Immediately, the internal dialogue starts creeping in:
  • Is my work actually interesting enough?
  • Have I completely missed the mark here?
  • What if people are judging me?
So, you retreat. You let that quiet paralysis set in, you step away from your keyboard, and you stop telling people about what you offer.
The thing is, when you quieten yourself down, your business suffers. You cannot grow a business if nobody knows you exist. When you let the opinion of someone who hates fish dictate how you run your seafood stall, you do yourself, your hard work, and your real customers a massive disservice.

Focus Entirely on Your Real Audience

Clever business owners do not waste time or energy trying to convert people who do not like fish. They focus every ounce of their marketing effort on the people who absolutely love seafood.
They know their ideal customer inside out. They talk directly to their specific needs, their daily struggles, and what makes them tick.
When you get crystal clear on who you are actually talking to, a wonderful thing happens: internet trolls and random negative comments completely lose their power.
The next time a comment or a lack of engagement throws you off course, take a breath and ask yourself one simple question: Is this person my target customer?
If the answer is no, move on. They are just passing through and picking a fight. Do not let someone who is never going to hand you a penny dictate how you show up for the people who are ready and waiting to buy.

Fear of Judgment is Ruining Your Marketing

Underneath running an independent business, the fear is real. We fear failure, we fear being disliked, and we fear being misunderstood.
However, listening to those fears gets you nowhere.
You cannot test your offers, refine your message, or build long-term momentum if you do not put yourself out there in the first place. Marketing is a simple process of testing, reviewing, and tweaking. If you hide away the moment things feel uncomfortable, you rob yourself of the chance to learn what actually works.
It is time to stop letting the loudest, least relevant voices in the room hold you back. Show up bigger, post consistently, and build something meaningful for the people who genuinely value your craft .

Ready to Show Up with Confidence?

If you are tired of  second-guessing every single post, and feeling completely overwhelmed by what to say to get real traction, you do not have to figure it out on your own.
Sign up to my mailing list to be the first to hear about the new 60 Minute Sprint Series of mini courses. They are short, hyper-focused, 60-minute modules designed to give you clear, practical strategies to build your visibility, nail your messaging, and attract your ideal clients without the headache.
Or, if you want regular practical tips on how to stand out, master your PR, and build your business on your own terms, come and say hello over on Instagram @rheafreemanpr.
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Why One Brand Walked Away from a £6 Million Ad Budget (And What It Means for Your Business)

Why One Brand Walked Away from a £6 Million Ad Budget (And What It Means for Your Business)

A major clothing brand just walked away from a £6 million digital advertising budget. And you might be wondering what this means for your business? Probably more than you think…
The company decided they were completely done with paying tech giants to get noticed. Instead, they chose to hand that money straight back to the people who actually wear and love their products.
If you are an independent business owner wondering how on earth you are supposed to compete with massive corporate ad spend, this is for you. Because it proves that you do not have to play their game if you get clever about yours.
The brand in question is Snag Tights, led by the fearless Brie Read. Brie was actually one of the extraordinary entrepreneurs I interviewed for my book, You’ve Got This, and she is an absolute masterclass in doing things differently.
Recently, Snag pulled off a brilliant marketing disruption. Rather than feeding millions of pounds into social media ad platforms, they launched their ‘Snagtivists’ initiative, taking their £6 million marketing pot and using it to pay their own customers for word-of-mouth recommendations.
It is bold, disruptive, and rewards the very people who built their brand from day one.
Here is what this move teaches us about growing a business, building genuine loyalty, and making your marketing work without burning through cash.

The Power of Elite Problem-Solving

Snag was not born out of a boardroom meeting. It started on a street in Edinburgh when Brie’s tights kept rolling down… to the point she had to remove them in public. She felt mortified, but when she started asking other women about it, she realised something fundamental: the problem was not women’s bodies. The problem was poorly designed tights.
She built a brand around fixing a real, everyday problem for real people. Because the product actually delivered on its promise, the customer base became fiercely loyal. They became flag-waving advocates because they finally felt seen, comfortable, and understood.
As businesses grow, it is far too easy to fall into the trap of pumping more and more money into paid ads without stopping to ask: Is there a better way to connect with the people who already love what we do?
Paid digital ads can be brilliant, but they are not the only path forward. When you focus on solving a core problem for your ideal customer, you lay the foundation for organic, unstoppable word-of-mouth growth.

Three Ways to Grow Without Relying on Paid Social Ads

You do not need a multi-million pound budget to take a leaf out of Snag’s book. You just need to focus on rewarding the people who already support you.
Here is how you can apply this disruptive mindset to your own business right now:

1. Build a Simple Referral or Affiliate Setup

Instead of paying ad networks upfront to find new eyeballs, reward the people who bring you customers. Set up a simple affiliate link or discount code system that allows you to track where new sales come from. When a client or customer recommends you, give them cash back, a credit toward their next order, or a meaningful perk. You only pay when a real sale happens.

2. Double Down on Owned Brand Assets

Relying solely on social media algorithms to reach your audience means building your house on rented land. If the algorithm shifts or ad prices skyrocket, you are left vulnerable. Shift your focus toward growing assets you actually own:
  • Your Email List: Build a direct line of communication with the people who want to hear from you.
  • Your Website & SEO: Optimise your website with helpful, search-friendly blog posts that answer your customers’ exact questions so they can find you naturally through search engines.

3. Nurture Your Core Community

Snag’s community thrives because they treat their customers like partners, not transactional targets. Look at your current client list or customer base. How can you make them feel genuinely valued this week? A handwritten thank-you note, early access to new releases, or an exclusive check-in can turn a casual buyer into a lifelong brand champion.

Looking at Your Budget Differently

This is not to say you should never spend a penny on paid ads. But if you have an objection to spending on big tech, if you want to try something different, or if you simply want to split your budget to test new ideas, options exist.

Ready to Streamline Your Marketing Strategy?

If you are tired of staring at a blank screen, feeling completely overwhelmed by social media algorithms, and wanting a simple, step-by-step marketing strategy that actually fits into your busy week, you do not have to figure it out alone.
You might want to sign up to hear about my series of 60 minute sprint courses. They are short, hyper-focused, 60-minute training modules designed to give you clear, practical tools to grow your visibility, master your PR, and get real results without the guesswork.
Or, if you want a complete breakdown on how to get journalists knocking on your door without spending a penny on ads, follow me on Instagram @rheafreemanpr for regular, practical advice.
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