Often, real influence happens in the shadows, away from spotlights, awards, or titles. Such is the case with 2024 Influential Person and my dear friend Molly Brown. 

From being the original creative force behind Cookeville’s Visitors Shop and leading rebranding efforts for Visit Cookeville (Have you seen the bear?) to her work with WCTE/PBS’s “Wish You Were Here” television program, and her entrepreneurial venture, the bus excursion company Tour the Upper Cumberland (TTUC), Molly Brown has been a force of influence, change, and collaboration for decades. 

“The most rewarding part of tourism is the relationships, the stories behind the places and the personalities that are behind everything happening in our communities. I get a sneak peek at things before people know about them, and that’s really special. I get to know people and their hearts and why they’re doing what they’re doing.” Brown added, “I think we’re only getting started with tourism in the Upper Cumberland. Rural communities have such a focus now, because people want to see the small towns and where the locals go. That’s translating to more serious efforts to promote the rural areas of our state. I love to see this, because I have a heart for the small town. There’s no place like a rural community to see people who are real, authentic, and genuine.” 

In addition to her work pushing rural travel via “Wish You Were Here” and as Rural Destination Development Manager for the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Molly has expanded her own responsibility and impact by entering into business ownership through Tour the Upper Cumberland. TTUC offers sight-seers a bus-chauffeured, guided look at all the very best vistas, sounds, drinks, food, and entertainment the UC has to offer. Scary at first, the leap into entrepreneurship has proved a rewarding adventure for Molly. 

She stated, “I really struggled when I first acquired Tour the Upper Cumberland, because I had always worked in an organization where I was serving and reporting to a board. I had to figure out my own ‘why’ as a business owner. Being able to go out and meet with the small businesses that have been landmark locations, often for decades, that many people living here don’t even know about, and highlight those on the tours makes owning the business rewarding. That’s my ‘why.’” Brown continued, “The Upper Cumberland is home, and being able to share our backyard with people from all over the world makes it even more special. You get to look at your home through other people’s eyes and have a new appreciation for it. And I think that’s why I like tourism so much.” 

As a native of Jamestown and someone acquainted with small-town living, Molly finds encouragement in the development taking place on main streets all across the area. 

“I think the pandemic had a huge effect in that people weren’t going to places that were overly populated, and it gave a shot in the arm for these small communities to attract visitors.” Brown elaborated, “Visitors bring change, not only financially by investing in those communities. They come there and spend money, but also, they change perspectives for people who live here, because they start recognizing WHY people are coming. The Upper Cumberland has so many great outdoor destinations and natural beauty, so many draws. I think there’s been more strategy in marketing those and many other assets over the past few years, and I’m so happy to see the impact it’s having.” 

Since 2005, Molly Brown has lived in dedication to the people, places, and stories of the Upper Cumberland. She sees the varying steps in her professional journey and the increased wisdom that has accompanied every leg as a call to live each day in gratitude, mindfulness, and appreciation for what we have in this beautiful community. 

“I feel like we celebrate hustle culture too much. How many jobs, accolades, or titles you can have. But to me, being influential is not about any of that. It’s the people and the relationships and setting an example of how to treat people well. Everything that’s led up to where I am now in my career has been based on relationships.” She finished by saying, “If I can influence anyone to do anything, it’s just to slow down. My goal is to slow down. Not to acquire accolades or titles, but to slow down and enjoy the ‘little things’ that are really the ‘big things.’” 

Molly was reluctant to be recognized as a person of influence. She’s spent the majority of her adult life serving the people of the Upper Cumberland, selflessly and without the desire to be celebrated. Beyond all she’s accomplished, we think her humble heart, relentless work ethic, and others-first leadership make her the definition of an Influential Person. 

Personally, I’m proud to call Molly Brown my friend and can’t think of a more deserving person to honor through Cookeville Lifestyle Magazine. 

– written by Andrew Buckner, photos by Abby Weeden