“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” – Oprah Winfrey
This week we are celebrating the one and only Oprah Winfrey! Named one of the most influential women in the world on multiple occasions, Oprah’s enterprising spirit has made her an icon.
Born into poverty in rural Mississippi, Oprah spent her first six years living with her maternal grandmother. During that time, her love of public speaking was supported and encouraged. She then moved to Milwaukee with her mother before moving to Nashville to live with her father when she was in high school.
During this time, she landed a job at the local radio station, but by 19 she became the youngest news anchor and first black female news anchor at Nashville’s WLAC-TV. In 1984, Oprah moved to Chicago to host the morning talk show, AM Chicago. Within months, the show went from last place in the ratings to becoming the highest-rated talk show in Chicago, overtaking the popular Donahue.
The Oprah Winfrey Show continued to grow, and by the mid-1990s, everyone knew who Oprah was. Her emotion-centered approach to her interviews and sharing personal details of her life created a new type of talk show. An “Oprahfication” was talking over the nation.
Oprah’s reach expanded beyond just her talk show. In 1986, Oprah founded her multimedia production company, Harpo Productions. Then in 1998, she co-founded the Oxygen Network. In 2000 she published her own magazine, O, The Oprah Magazine. And in 2008 she launched her own TV network, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). She has appeared in movies, written books, started a book club, and her yearly “Oprah’s Favorite Things” list influences millions when it comes to holiday shopping.
Oprah’s awards and honors are numerous, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and being inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. But what makes Oprah so inspiring is her consistent commitment to philanthropy and reaching back to pull other women up with her. From wearing potato sack dresses as a young child to becoming a billionaire, Oprah Winfrey’s entrepreneurial spirit has made her the household name she is today.
