The Best Business Advice Oprah Winfrey Learned
According to the media mogul, Oprah Winfrey, the best advice she ever heard in business was the saying “Run your own race.” Before she got to where she is right now, she faced a lot of challenges and competition during the late 80’s and early 90’s in day time television talk shows.
What kept her focused was to just continue to stay in her lane and avoid worrying too much about the rest of what others are doing. She also taught her staff the same principle. This allowed her to shift and transform her values into a positive and supportive lifestyle.
Before achieving success as a talk show host, Oprah started her career as a reporter. She struggled to become relevant to the audience. It even came
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She first entered the industry of daytime talk show in 1986 where her show went on national television. Soon after, her program became the number one daytime show in the U.S. Every day, millions of viewers all over U.S. tuned in to her show.
Oprah incorporated her own personal touch on various topics discussed on the show. Her program followed a format that was spearheaded by Phil Donahue. However, in the early 90’s, there were new formats of talk shows that served as her competitors such as Ricki Lake and Jerry Springer.
While Oprah closely monitored her competition, she knew that it could distract her and the team from what they had to do to be able to sustain their number one spot. So, Oprah told her staff to work like race horses with blinders on so that they can focus on their own track. Their producer Ellen Rakieten said that during the time they were on air, she couldn’t recall seeing a full hour show of other talk shows.
When Oprah realized that her show has seen its share of negativity, she decided to create more episodes that focused on the positive side of people including a person’s spirituality. This move proved to be risky because the rating saw a dip in millions. However, she continued on her path and refused to go to the route of her
Oprah Winfrey achieved great success in her various endeavors, growing from a news reporter in Nashville to the world-famous talk show host she is today. During the 1980s, talk shows were a crucial part of daytime television. Shows were organized based upon their content and varied greatly in subject. The popularity of talk shows led many people to enter this field, leading to a constant struggle for airtime. Oprah’s rise to fame began when she moved from her hometown in Nashville, to college in Baltimore and ultimately to Chicago, where she lives today. She appeared on an early morning television program called A.M. Chicago, which was later retitled The Oprah Winfrey Show which aired its first episode on September 8, 1986. Talk shows like Oprah’s were wildly popular, especially to women, because they focused on entertaining their viewers rather than discussing political problems. The thirty-minute to hour-long programs allowed for people to escape their problems, even if only for a short period of time (Rose). Biographer, Ilene Cooper took on the challenge of writing a biography about the complex and extraordinary life of Oprah Winfrey. In an article on the Kirkus Review website, published in 2010, a critic enjoys how the author of the biography, Up close: Oprah Winfrey, “makes excellent use of many quotes from interviews, Oprah’s own writing and, of course, her television show” (“Oprah Winfrey”). This reviewer appreciates how the biographer uses all of her resources to understand more information about Oprah. Some of Oprah’s greatest contributions to society are her generous donations to several organizations, and the way she encourages individuals to take actions that can not on...
Oprah Winfrey’s credibility in the entertainment industry is one that many use as a platform to follow to achieve their own success. Oprah Winfrey career started as an anchor for many local news stations in Nashville, Baltimore, and Chicago. Winfrey took over the half hour morning talk show A.M. Chicago. A year later the show was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show. The Oprah Winfrey Show was highly influential and gained credibility by not trying to profit off the products it endorsed (2013). The show allowed Winfrey the chance to debut her acting skills in 1985 with the movie The Color Purple by Steven Speilberg. Winfrey was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Color Purple (Ward, 2011). Winfrey’s credibility for her acting skills and her talk show allowed her to launch The Oprah Winfrey Show nationally (Ward). From books to film, from health and lifestyle, to pressing social issues which demand attention and donations, Oprah and her self-created, self-named brand are one of the most sought after forms of endorsement for any business TeamGlad2bawoman (2013). This is why Winfrey has been able...
Perhaps the most notable triumph of Oprah Winfrey is her job as host of her own television show, "The Oprah Winfrey Show". Because anyone is free to decide what they choose as a career, she had the opportunity to create this show. The viewings and acceptance of the consumers to her show allowed it's prosperity. Keep in mind that Oprah had no control of the success her show would receive, although she had free decision to do what she pleased with it, it was the decision of the consumers
Oprah’s childhood was not the greatest. Her unmarried parents split up, and she grew up on a farm with her grandmother. She developed rapidly and could read before she was three. Also, she was tested out of kindergarten and second grade, thus only taking first grade and skipping to third grade. When she turned six, she started to live with her mother and was very lonely. However, she began her speaking profession around that time. “She was invited to recite poetry at black social clubs and church teas, where she became known as ‘the little speaker.’ At 12, during a visit to her father in Nashville, she earned $500 for a speech she delivered at a church” (“Winfrey, Oprah”). As you can tell, Oprah started young in her profession and was determined to make a living off of this since her prior experiences.
Oprah is a transformational leader which means she inspires others. Oprah identifies what needs to change, creates a vision and through motivation can achieve results with her surrounding team. Oprah has a vision and mission, and she inspires people through communication. Oprah has had a profound effect on the media, education, and business. Oprah can change the way people act and thinks. Oprah is very charismatic; she has a particular set of beliefs and values that motivate people to follow. When Oprah speaks, people listen because she has such incredible level of integrity, charisma, and emotional intelligence.
Even though she's had a gruesome childhood, she's still exceedingly successful today, and she's one of the most famous women around the world. She was the first African-American female billionaire, but it wasn't always so effortless and easy for her. The first talk show that she was on, she was fired because she was too open about her life. She's been on multiple talk shows and eventually built herself up enough that she started her own. Oprah is a tremendous inspiration and role model for women around the world. Due to her working assiduously her whole life, she's very successful today and continues to be an
Still attending college Oprah got offered a job as a co-anchor on the CBS television station. She thought that having a job and going to college could intervene with her college education, so she confined in her speech communications teacher, he told her “that it may be the ultimate step to launch her career” (Imbd 33). Oprah stuck with this job till the end of her college career. She wanted to reach out to somewhere other than Nashville. In 1976 Oprah took a risk and moved to Baltimore. She eventually found a job in 1978, and became a cohost of the station’s “people are talking” talk show.
Oprah Winfrey is an inspiration to many all around the world. She did not have a very good home life up until the age of 14. She was abused as a child and did not see her mother very often because she was a housemaid who was gone almost every day all day. Vernon Winfrey, Oprah’s father, was a big service in her life when it came to keeping her in a nonviolent manner. Oprah also had her career going for her when she became Miss Black Tennessee at age 17. When Oprah became Miss Black Tennessee she was offered a radio broadcasting job and a full scholarship to Tennessee. Oprah had quite a few talk shows yet she made the most money off her own show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and now has her individual network called The Oprah Winfrey Network. Oprah Winfrey’s influential style greatly impacted those who came after her in the entertainment industry.
During her childhood years living with her mother, Oprah had very little money and life was difficult. She wants to help as many children as possible grow up in a sound, safe, and educational environment. Oprah has changed the world with all of her organizations and charity efforts. Oprah Winfrey has helped thousands of children attend school with her scholarships that she has funded. Many of these children would never go to school or continue their college career without her amazing efforts of providing financial support to these children. Oprah also helped build homes for families through her efforts with Habitat for Humanity and her donations after Hurricane Katrina helped families start their lives over again after the mass destruction of the hurricane by providing the financial support to rebuild many communities and neighborhoods(“Oprah Winfrey”). When researching Oprah Winfrey, I now realize why she is such an incredible person. The world is a better place because of Oprah Winfrey. This is another example of a person that has worked very hard to achieve her goals in life. Oprah strived for her dreams of being able to give back to the community and world. Oprah came from nothing, built an empire and became one of the most influential people in the world. While building an empire, Oprah has influenced millions of people achieve a better way of live. Oprah has positively
This essay I have decided to write about Oprah Winfrey. This is because Oprah had many serious life events. These life events must have implemented her key development stages or the other.
Oprah Winfrey was once a follower of the trash TV format, but her long running popular TV talk show has since been reformed. Like Jerry Springer, the Oprah Winfrey Show takes talk TV to its extreme, but Oprah goes in the opposite direction. Oprah’s show is probably the most immaculate talk show there is. It is unlikely that you will find guests on Oprah that have committed adultery, or have sold their souls to the devil. Instead, the show focuses on the improvement of society and an individual’s quality of life.
Oprah was born on a farm in 1954 to a poor family. Winfrey enjoyed reciting African American poetry, and became known as the "little speaker" in her town. When she was 12, Winfrey won $500 for a speech she gave at her father 's church. From then on she wanted to "be paid to talk." When Winfrey was a teenager, her dream was put on hold. Some of the trusted men of her family began to sexually abuse her. She lashed out in anger at the world by lying to her mother, running away from home, and stealing. Unaware of what Winfrey was going through, her mother sent her away to live with her father. If her mother never sent her away, Oprah 's life would have been much different. At age 17, Oprah Winfrey won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant and was offered an on-air job at WVOL, a radio station for the African American community in Nashville. Oprah continued to work at WVOL in her first years of college, but her broadcasting career was already taking off. She left school and signed on with a local television station as a reporter and anchor. In 1976, she moved to Baltimore to join WJZ-TV News as a co-anchor. There, she co-hosted her first talk show, People Are Talking, while continuing to serve as anchor and news reporter. In January 1984, she was invited to Chicago to host a half-hour morning program on WLS-TV. In less than a year, she turned AM Chicago into the hottest show in
Winfrey has brought so much change to the world that one cannot just write a simple paragraph about. She has used her platform to discuss topics that are truly life changing such as Weight Issues, Reading, Give Big, and Taboo. Topics about weight have always interested the public, and Oprah was one individual who discussed it for the world to put their input in. She has talked about her own weight and made it clear how diet and exercise is important for the body. She strived to put the message in people’s ear’s that being healthy is what’s right. The next topic is reading, and this came from her “Oprah 's Book Club”. Oprah has always believed that reading is a fundamental skill and she wanted others to hop on the bandwagon and expand their knowledge. She started this book club for many reasons and it surely brought change to society. Give Big is the next topic of discussion and this changed society in a positive way. In 1997, Oprah wanted her viewers to make a difference in other people’s lives by donating their spare change. Shortly after that, she transformed that into the charity known as “Oprah 's Angel Network”. This charity was a huge success and has helped a lot of individuals in need. The final topics that will be discussed are taboo topics such as abuse, infidelity and addiction. These types of topics are what made Oprah Winfrey’s show such a success. She was so open about her childhood and other obstacles she had to face in her life that people began to trust
Her father was very strict and cared a lot about school and wanted her to get high marks. At high school she was a brilliant student, she loved being in the drama club and the student council. After she graduated in 1971 she received a four year scholarship to Tennessee State University. She began to develop broadcasting career at seventeen while working for WVOL radio in Nashville. While still at university Oprah at nineteen became the youngest and the first African-American female news anchor at WTVF-TV in Nashville, this shows us today that you can conquer anything you put your mind to, I mean she went through such a hard childhood but yet still conquered this. In 1976 Oprah took the job to be a co-host on an early morning talk show called People are Talking. In 1984 Oprah moved to Chicago and got chosen to host a talk show called AM Chicago. The show became really popular during the time of seven months and was then extended to be a one-hour show. In September 1985 after all the show’s success it was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show. It was on TV for twenty five years. Oprah interviewed and engaged with her audience a lot and talked about her childhood on the show. Her show ended in 2011. After her show ended Oprah published the Oprah Magazine and then set up her own cable television network named Oxygen in 1999. Oprah started collecting funds for charities and children that couldn’t afford to go to school and then established the Family for Better Lives
For most people growing up is filled with memories of joy and happiness. A childhood should be filled with affection and care, but Oprah did not always feel those things. Oprah did not have such a great upbringing, but despite the odds she rose up and became who she had wanted to be. Oprah had dealt with many accounts of sexual abuse, the lack of attention from her mother, and moving from place-to-place for most of her early years (Fry, web). Not only was Oprah faced sexual abuse, but she also became pregnant from one of the instances (Fry, web). This made things even more difficult for the young Oprah.