Hello. I’m Johnna Vogelbacher, the newest Pony at Fast Horse.

For my first post I’m going to admit something kind of embarrassing, usually polarizing, and something that I normally would not reveal to new friends – I’m a full-fledged, lifelong Dolly Parton fan. I know it’s so not cool to openly share my love of Dolly, but in order for you to know me, you should know a little about her.

For anyone not familiar with the legend, Dolly Parton has 46 Grammy nominations, a record recently tied only by Beyoncé. She’s composed more than 3,000 songs (“9 to 5” being my personal favorite), starred in multiple films, including the classic “Steel Magnolias,” and has her own theme park. What other celebrity has their own theme park? Besides Michael Jackson, I guess.

I’ve loved Dolly since I was little. Half of my family hails from West Virginia (I’m even related to Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus, but I’ll save that for a later post) so I grew up on country, and Dolly was my favorite.

In addition to loving her music, I love Dolly’s take on life. She’s spunky, smart and straight to the point. She’s taught me several life lessons that have guided me through my personal and professional life. The first lesson is about being fearless.

“You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try” – Dolly Parton

With almost 30 years of life on this planet, and nearly seven years of agency experience under my belt, I’ve learned that many times the things or ideas that excite and grow you also scare you.

Whether it’s studying abroad in Africa, sky diving or making the leap to Fast Horse, I’ve tried not to let fear hold me back from growth opportunities. I love working with people who share this fearless mentality. It’s what motivates me and what makes work exciting. I knew coming to Fast Horse I’d be working with a talented and bold team.

The second life lesson Dolly taught me is about having a sense of humor.

“I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb… and I also know that I’m not blonde.”  – Dolly Parton

Self-deprecating humor is endearing, and a great icebreaker (ergo this first post). A sense of humor makes life and work so much better. Nothing is worse than a marketer who takes him- or herself too seriously. Seriously. Nothing.

Well, that’s it for life lessons with Dolly. I promise this won’t be an ongoing series. I’m excited to be part of the Fast Horse team, and looking forward to sharing my new adventures here!