08/27/2026
We can learn a lot from Dolly Parton and the way she handled business, especially when it came to protecting and owning her intellectual property. When asked about Whitney Houston’s rendition of “I Will Always Love You” for The Bodyguard, Dolly basically said Whitney could have the credit as long as she got the cash. And baby, Dolly banked. Whitney bodied that song, but Dolly still owned the pen behind it and collected millions in royalties. That’s a lesson in intellectual property: you don’t always have to be the face of the product to profit from what you created. Own your work.