Driving along I-95 in South Carolina, I accidentally tuned into a Sirius XM radio interview with Andy Cohen and Dolly Parton.  At first, I was a bit skeptical, but after two minutes, my giggles had my boxer, Cruz, wondering what was going on in the driver’s seat. I sat back to take in the conversation.

For those of you unfamiliar with the personality of Andy Cohen, he is the openly gay host of Bravo’s Watch What Happens: Live. He’s also the executive producer of the Real Housewives franchise and an author. Plus, he’s a devout St. Louis Cardinal fan!

I will assume most of you know who Dolly Parton is, but as my mentor always tells me “….don’t assume that people know.” So, Dolly Parton, singer/songwriter of over 25 songs that have reached #1 on Billboard Country Charts, 8 Grammy Awards, actress with 2 Academy Award nominations, and the list goes on.

However, what the craftsmanship of Cohen’s conversational ability and Parton’s open book attitude  conveyed  was an awesome sauce lesson.

Here are 3 things I was reminded to emphasize in my life from this conversation:

#1 Laughing is really contagious.

When Dolly and Andy laughed, I laughed! It’s infectious, and listening to people really enjoy each other, appreciate, and respect their moments is so simple.

I’m afraid that many of us have lost the ability to laugh out loud due to the high volume of device usage (emojis) incorporated into our world over that past few years. Try it this weekend, listen and laugh. It really does make you feel good.

#2 If you lose your wig, it’s not the end of the world.

Surprise! Dolly wears wigs. She has names for them, knows what wig goes with what outfit and her stylist is brilliant.

However, in one of her most embarrassing moments, a fiddle player got his fiddle bow stuck up underneath her hairpiece and it raised way up.

The visual is tremendous and the pair can hardly get through this story without snorting. (Snorting is the ultimate sign of a funny story!)

What is tremendous about this story is that Dolly shares how she readjusts and finishes the set without drama. How many of us have worked with people OR been that person who creates drama and chaos because of a slight miscue?  We all lead, and learning how to remain human and keeping it real is what separates the superstars from the never will be’s.

#3 Own your story!

Dolly maintains privacy in her personal life despite all the media attention. Her husband of 50 years, Carl Thomas Dean doesn’t like the spotlight, and May 30th they will renew their wedding vows. Post wedding dinner-Taco Bell!

Regardless of the money, assistants, and gifts that an amazing career has opened for her-it really is about being true to who she is! Dolly owns her story. Loves to drive in the front seat of a camper, eat fast food, and listen to Taylor Swift.

Do we all own our story? I love to shop at Goodwill, visit Dairy Queen, and watch Cruz wiggle with excitement when I come home. I believe we have to learn to live in true freedom.

The 90-minute interview highlighted her fearlessly authentic life. My lesson learned is that living the kind of life that reveals to others that the person I am and the person I want to become are the same. My life has changed and what stands in front of me is changing.

Thanks to Dolly and Andy, I will dig deeper and find courage to walk a road that I didn’t see and hum “9 to 5.”