John Kariungi
BUS& 101
Susan Thompson
October 17, 2015
OWN- Oprah Winfrey Networks & Harpo Businesses
If you looking for an inspiration, an idea or personality to follow and mentor your life, Oprah Winfrey born January 29, 1954 and is quite the role model. She’s an example of the American dream, a business personality who’s a billionaire by the making. She began from a poor humble background and is a true explanation how business really gets personal. She explains that it was her responsibility to make it by living her life from the inside out. This demonstrated this when she took charge of her life by the age of 14 years. From Mississippi, she leant to read at age 2 and was known as “the little speaker”. Her grandmother also taught her to
…show more content…
How people deal with problems affects their productivity either as leaders or employees in the workplace. How we truly see ourselves reflects the kind of impact we will make in this lifetime. She was sexually abused at age 9. She graduated from Tennessee State University with a Bachelors of Arts and Science Degree. By age 19, began her career as a news anchor, moved as was fired. Oprah co-hosted a talk show and 1977 and felt the connection to the audience. She didn’t seem to shy away from her past and opened up to the world which introduced a new form of entertainment. In 1986, “The Oprah Winfrey show” gained ground and ratings to an untapped market. The viewers and guests shared the same stories, and hurts and needed a platform to heal, learn and deal with the personal problems. From the text the principle of supply and demand determines the validity of the business model. At the pick of her career she interviewed Michael Jackson and the show had a rating of 36.5 Million viewers, the highest in daytime …show more content…
She is a true philanthropist who understands about adversity, giving back and reaching out to those in need. This acts of generosity has reflected in the magnitude of her success in business and opened the Leadership Academy in Johannesburg for girls. Social Justice is one of the areas that she is directly involved in, influencing change in the culture through her teachable moments on topics regarding , single parenthood, teenagers, fame, abuse, marriage, crime, retirement, benefits, healthcare and wages. Her current influence on television is now mostly driven by topics on spirituality, healthy living and empowerment through her the media business. People changed their eating habits by dieting through her by her books and healthy lifestyle. These projects are keeping her relevant in today’s competitive market. She developed as sense of freedom to innovate and move into new ventures. Oprah authored five books that were best sellers. Flexibility for a businesses as a sole proprietor is key according to the text in order to stay current with the market trends. She talks of taking risk in ownership of all the business successes and failures. She has mastered the art of building a sustainable business by slowly implementing and leveraging at what she’s good at. Aside from her production, she cofounded Oxygen Television Network. She also showed support for
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...
As technology has developed over the years, society has become extremely reliant and addicted to the media. According to A.C. Nielsen Co., a global information and measurement firm, the average American youth watches twenty eight hours of television per week. Within a sixty-five year timeframe an individual will have spent a total of nine years watching TV (Herr). Both of these sects contribute millions of jobs providing individuals with ample opportunities, a gateway to success. It certainly provided the break for one African American woman to attain a status she could have only dreamt of as a child growing up in an unstable, emotionally debilitating, and unpromising environment. Oprah Winfrey is arguably one of the most influential women in modern times. She sprang up from seemingly nowhere becoming a media mogul, named most influential and wealthiest woman numerous years in a row by both Forbes and The Time. Oprah was brought to fame for her critically acclaimed talk show, which swiftly boosted her from rags to riches, and over the years resulted in her crowning as the “Queen of Talk.” Oprah Gail Winfrey, named the first African American female billionaire, was nominated for an academy award in her performance in The Color Purple, and through hard work and persistence forged her way into a position as CEO of her own television network and production company. Her self-entitled talk show, which would become the highest rated of its kind, served as a pioneer for many TV shows that emerged in the late 1980’s following the premiered of her show on daytime television. “I’m Oprah Winfrey, and welcome to the very first national Oprah Winfrey Show!” she exclaimed as the studio audience cheered enthusiastically (Brown). However, what pe...
Oprah is one of the most well known and revered celebrities worldwide. What make Oprah distinct from mainstream celebrities is the entwining of the person and the product of Oprah. In each chapter, of Oprah: The Gospel of an Icon, Lofton compares materials from Oprah's many productions and religious culture. Lofton specifically focuses on the prosperity gospel as practiced by many churches and preached by Oprah, who gives gifts and fills pages of her magazine with products intended for a better life. Lofton also discusses celebrity culture and contemporary evangelism and how the brand Oprah thrives on the inseparable nature of religion and American capitalism
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
“In 1998 Oprah Winfrey was listed one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century by the editors of Time magazine” (“Winfrey, Oprah”). Oprah Gail Winfrey was born to Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey on January 29, 1954. Currently, Oprah is a successful chairwoman and CEO of The Oprah Winfrey Network: OWN since 2011.
Winfrey, Oprah, and Bill Adler. The Uncommon Wisdom of Oprah Winfrey: A Portrait in her Own Words. New York: Carol Pub. Group, 1997. Print.
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.
Oprah Winfrey was nominated and awarded the Cecil B. DeMille award for lifetime achievement at the Gloden Globes. Upon acceptance she delivered a standing novation speech that captivated her audience. (Ch 1, Pg. 11) Winfrey seemed natural and conversational as she verbally painted a picture of how she sat at home on the linoleum floor and watched the first Cecil B. DeMille award being given to a black man. Now thirty-six years later she offered to share her story of how that positively affected her as a child.
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
As a result, some business owners have become successful, while others have not. Oprah Winfrey has a huge influence on the business world and on people. Oprah Winfrey is being described as the most powerful and influential women in the world for many years. Oprah Winfrey is so well-known she basically bypassed the competition. Free Enterprise System is what allowed Oprah to create and expand her business.
Oprah Winfrey is as American entrepreneur and a popular talk show host. She was born on January 29 1954 in Kosciusko Mississippi. She was the result of a broken teenage relationship and teenage pregnancy so as you can imagine it had quite an impact on her development as she grew up. Against all odds she became a very successful woman and is currently worth 2.8 billion USD.
She donates to charities. 2. She created a lot of foundations. 3. She is very humble.
Winfrey used almost every communication style throughout her career, but there is one that I want to go in-depth on, which is assertive communication. Oprah Winfrey is so successful because she expresses how she feels without demanding an answer. Celebrities and other guest are so comfortable speaking with her because she’s so down to earth and she really listens to what you have to say. Oprah knows how uncover what someone is going through without coming off too strong, and that’s what people want. Assertive communication is how you get the job done, and Oprah is phenomenal at using this particular communication style. An example of her using this style brings back to the interview with Michael Jackson. There was so much that everyone wanted to ask Michael but he felt comfortable speaking with Oprah because she didn’t come off too strong or that she wanted his information for personal gain(whether that was the case or not). She asked Michael questions that the world wanted to know, but she also paid attention and cared about what came out of his mouth. Mrs. Winfrey’s assertive communication method is impeccable. This style encouraged and led others to believe that they could follow in her footsteps and become a substantial interviewer/media personnel like
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
Although when she was young Oprah was faced with many difficult problems, she stuck to her school-work and pursued her love of teaching (Fry, web). One thing that Oprah is known for is her love of reading, teaching, and learning. This passion has helped her move forward and help others that are less fortunate than herself (Fry, web). These troubling things that Oprah was faced with turned her into a relatable, caring figure that many people would follow.... ... middle of paper ...