Words of Wisdom From Oprah
Filed under: Media Minute > Inspiration > Oprah Winfrey
Aspiring media moguls take note!
Oprah Winfrey recently opened up to talk about the lessons she's learned during her many years in the biz.
She's built a $2.5 BILLION empire. To us, she's definitely worth hearing out.
O is guided by instinct. She says none of her business ventures have come out of forethought, "I haven't planned one thing — ever. I have just been led by a strong instinct, and I have made choices based on what was right for me at the time."
She also doesn't judge a business venture by its profitability. "I don't care about money. It throws people off all the time in business meetings. They start shuffling papers."
Well, after you have a couple billion in the bank, it's easy not to care about money - you never need any more!
Despite her surely crazy schedule, for the most part, Oprah keeps all her scheduled meetings! Oprah revealed during the interview that she remembers canceling only three meetings due to dire situations. Miz Winfrey explains, "The greatest fear for me of ever canceling is that you're going to disappoint somebody."
Most importantly, Oprah believes in treating her staff well. At Harpo Inc. in Chicago, employees are treated fabulous office amenities. There's a cafe on premises as well as Club Harpo, a workout facility, AND the Spa at Harpo. Winfrey seems to be as cool off camera as she is on. The Opes says, "I don't yell at people, I don't mistreat people. I don't talk down to people, so no one else in this building, in this vicinity, has the right to do it."
We wanna work for with Oprah!!!!!!!
[Image via WENN.]
I want to work for Oprah!
Go Oprah
1st?
tell that to kimora lee simmons!
HII
why is she pointing to her vagggg?
Hate this stupid fat cunt so much, wish she would fall off the face of the earth
first
first
Love her!!
smart lady
oh, oprah.
FIRST
ELLEN IS BETTER
Not that she doesn't deserve to assume the "diva" persona.. but she's getting awfully full of herself on her shows…
lol
SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE'S GRABBING HER DICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
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TEE TO THE MOTHERFUCKING HEE!!!!!!!!!!
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BOW
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THANK YOU NEW YORK….I'LL BE HERE ALL WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!
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JAZZ OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
work it! i need a glass of waatterr
I don't like Oprah!!!
THAT'S the spirit Op, - Now gimme some money!
Amen Sister!!! I want a team like hers…she's a great example of Women that are self employed…I strive to be like her…Thanks O
I believe her, but i still think Oprah's annoying. She parades her famous friends around so much, and she's always saying things like "my friend Julia Roberts and I had lunch, i don't want to namedrop but yeah, it was Julia Roberts…" like she's rubbing it in our face how she has famous friends and more money than any of us in the audience.
i hate it wen ppl think their 1st nd their not!
LOSERS!
um…yea, why don't you tell all that to the poor french employee at hermes that she accused of being racist because he wouldn't let her in the store after hours. doesn't talk down to people my ass. she's the same as all the rest of these self-entitled assholes.
and she makes her own phone calls! she could teach all these young divas a thing or two about CLASS
ELLEN WILL NEVER BE ANYWHERE NEAR THE SAME LEVEL AS OPRAH! OPRAH IS AN ICON!
Lady O really knows how to do it right, do it big, and do it well! I love her, she is the best in the business! She reminds me of myself and that's a plus! LOVE U OPRAH!
Right on!!!!
i don't know. i really used to like her show and would watch it religiously but something just happened in the past 5 years. i don't watch it anymore because its lost its heat and is sometimes just plain boring! i cant put my finger on it. does anyone else agree??
i now watch maury (trash talk i know) for the paternity tests!
hahaha. NOT FIRST!
I WAS FIRST YOU DUMBSUCKS! KISS IT!
love her!
She sent her whole company to Hawaii a couple years ago.
perez, did you read her quote?
"I don't mistreat people. I don't talk down to people"
this disqualifies you from working for Oprah.
maybe if you become a nicer person and stop ripping on women you might get a chance.
Her quote about how she treats her staff is a blatant lie - she has a reputation in the industry about being very hard to work for.
THIS IS FALSE! I live in chicago and I have a friend who works on the set of her show. Once she was chewing gum and the big O came over furious and yelled at her for chewing like a cow. This is just one event I have heard numerous things that have happened.
Did you know Oprah does NOT provided any education/tuition reimbursement for her employees??
And no day care allowances??
WHAT A LIAR!! My uncle is a flight attendant and he had to serve her in first class and she was a total diva and a rude bitch to everyone, especially other passengers who she did not think were good enough to sit near her.
omfg,
oprah :@,
i hate her.shes so mean
and in this picture look where her hand is?!!
its like shes trying to scratch her vag,
but otherwise whatever orpah,
she actually doesnt look so old for her age,
but HAHAH she is older THAN FUCKING HELL
ps, I LOVE YOU PEREZ YOUR FUCKING AMAZING!!!!!!:D
Geesh - she looks TINY in that photo…
While I confess to not being much of a fan of Ms Winfrey, I have to give her credit. She is a great role model to women, and the fact that she doesn't step on other women to get to the top, should be commended.
Too often, women in power positions are insecure of other women and instead of supporting them, put them down.
Oprah is very progressive and a shining example. We need more like her.
Rosie does/did everything Oprah says she doesn't.
Rosie was/is a nightmare Devil wears Prada type (if Prada made her size of course).
This goes a long way to explaining why Rosie's show, mag and every other initiative died a quick but painful death.
Tell me you aren't that stupid Perez? Please tell me you don't believe this self-serving bullshit Fatprah is selling? Read any number of articles, depositions, newspaper articles about disgruntled employees, etc., and you will probably conclude that she is the screaming bitch that people say she is. In addition to being a pathetic liar who won't come out because it will hurt whatever demographic she appeals to. She's a very astute businessMAN but she's also an over-bearing, unrealistic bitch. And you Perez are cuddling up to her? You are officially a sell-out. Too bad. You used to be funny before you, too, began trying to sell anything you could get your hands on.
Oh how nice of her to treat the little people THE WAY EVERYONE SHOULD BE TREATED. So sick of everyone thinking she actually has REAL wisdom to share. She has luck, plain and simple. Was just a black woman at the right place at the right time. Then hired good people to take care of her investments. NOW I wish she'd just go away.
That is not what her former employees say - they say she is quite difficult to work for.
I DONT BELIEVE THAT LAST STATEMENT….AS SUCCESSFUL AS SHE IS AND AN INSPIRATION TO MANY I BELIEVE U CANT MESS WITH HER…SHE WILL BE VERY EVIL AND SWELLS WIT ANGER
She doesn't mistreat people? She doesn't talk down to anyone???
What a joke. Ask anyone who has ever waited on her at a restaurant or on an airplane. This woman is a power hungy witch who has lost all concept of what it was like to be a little person.
She shouldn't grab her cock in front of the paps
She doesn't care about money?!! Hey, hon, how about throwing some of it my way! Then I can afford to buy a house so my 3 year old can finally get a dog that she constantly begs for. Nothing too extravagant just a modest 4 bedroom house would do just fine.
I used to walk my dogs in the same park as her (I have since moved) and definitely have witnessed experiences to the contrary as far as overall rudeness/"talking down to people". There's certainly a burden of responsibility when it comes to being recognized in public places and handling it accordingly, but it probably isn't wise to place yourself on a pedestal.
God, how I hate this fat, ugly, RACIST bitch. She could do us all a favor by standing on some railroad tracks.
Maybe she does offer a spa and cafe at the office but how much do the employees have to pay to use it?
She doesn't care about money?!! Hey, hon, how about throwing some of it my way! Then I can buy a house so my 3 year old can finally get a dog that she constantly begs for. Nothing too extravagant just a modest 4 bedroom house would do just fine.
Oprah be my boss, I would like to take my breaks in the spa!
Re: Lulu – Do I hear the hater alarm. It is sad that a person cannot just be successful because they worked hard. They have to be classified a certain color as their only reason for achievemet. LuLu you must know nothing about what it takes to succeed. Get a life and stop leaving hate filled post.
puh-lease, she doesnt talk down to people?
does she think no one with half a brain watches her show?
She is so self-righteous and condescending, unless they are celebrities she treats her guests like crap.
Once there was a woman in the audience who wanted to name her baby oprah and oprah lectured her not to do that.
Ummm, hello? if someone wanted to name their baby after me I would be hugely honoured, not giving the a lecture about not to do it
I don't think it's difficult to work for Oprah she just came from a poor back-round and she probly feels that if she could do it so should the next person and she didn't get to where she is by being lazy so stop complaining and get another job. afterall she is an Aquarian!!!
Re: jokerf – stop complaining and get a better job, better yet don't have anymore kids that you can't afford. trash
shes weird and crazy
Yeah, well the "Opes" is full of it. Anybody who has ever attended one of her tapings knows she treats the audience like crap, totally ignoring them until she needs them for the camera and then when the camera is on, she wants to act like she sat there talking and laughing with everyone like a bff.
Anyone who lives in Chicago knows she is a b*tch to her staff. She makes them all sign gag orders so if they quit or are fired, they aren't allowed to speak publicly about what goes on behind the scenes, but if you live here, you hear all the dirt about how she screams and belittles her staff and is a nasty phony.
Re: MB –
Yeah, I know people who have worked for her and it's not all spas and roses.
Her so-called best friend Gayle is fake as hell. She saw a couple of ladies standing by an elevator that was about to open, and she refused to get in - and opted to wait for an elevator that she can take by herself. I found that kind of rude. Maybe she didn't want anyone to notice how she looked w/o the makeup. She had shades on; but those circles under her eyes were dark as hell and she really does look like a man! Needless to say, she's definitely a snob. Don't know about O though -
Yup, it's called Damage Control. And hypocrisy. And complete BULLSHIT.
Her media EMPIRE is starting to crumble, and she wants to "get out there" to her young "Black Enterprise" readers, in order to squelch the ratings tumble, and fake out the fact that the majority of her readers/watchers are middle-aged white women.
And I've a question: Who the hell cares how she treats her employees? The woman is a fucking hypocrit. (Or is that hippo-crit?)
She supports a man for president who claims to want to help the poverty-stricken and repressed, yet she owns what… FIVE homes? She thinks Tom Cruise's kitchen is NORMAL?
She tells MILLIONS on her talk show, "How To Lose Weight," but cannot control her own?
She supports Scientology, (make no bones about it, whether it's a secret or not) and yet she backs a presidential candidate who comes from a history of varied God-fearing religions?
She reportedly supports the Gay/Lesbian/Transsexual Movement, yet cannot find it in herself to admit that she's a big dyke?
(Anyone with "gaydar" can back me up.)
Let's face it:
OPRAH MAKES HER DECISIONS BASED ON WHO WILL LIKE HER THE MOST.
(And therefore PAY HER THE MOST.)
My theory: If you feel the urge to tell people that, "I don't care about money," chances are it's the only fucking thing you DO care about.
Re: van – You don't understand the English language very well do you? All I said was if she doesn't care about money I'll be more than happy to accept some of it. My children and I do very well considering I'm a stay at home mother and wife (I'd rather raise my children myself then pawn them off on a babysitter) she can just make the home buying process happen alittle faster for us thats all.
And also please don't call me trash. I'm not a drug addict, not an alcoholic, I don't cheat on my husband, I volunteer and donate to the less fortunate, and I've never been arrested. Also, I was married before I became pregnant and I value and practice good morals, so your comment is completely off base. But don't worry I forgive your ignorance.
Oprah is a bitch… I personally know some of her "friends" and she's not a kind person. Unless it's bad publicity all of the bullshit about her being nice and understanding is a bunch of B.S.
dont worry oprah! the screaming is an act out of desperation! you understand! you will soon enough! seriously! thanx for the advise though! seriously! i been on the air before you! really! think about it!
Sounds like everybody's dream place to work. I'd work for her in a second!
i've lived in chicago for many years and i've heard this many times. oprah really does treat her staff like gold. they really love working for her. she rocks!
Perez you might want to reread the last two sentences of "your" post! Learn to be a kinder person or YOU will never get anywhere!
yea right..i love oprah and everything but my cousin used to work for oprah. one day he was turning a corner in the studio and accidently ran into oprah herself…all he could do was apologize and she stuck her nose up at him and walked the other way…ive heard several terrible things about her attitude!
SHE looks like Orange Oprah here, or at least high-yella Oprah.
YAWNNNNN !!!!! who gives a shit……who gives a fuck !!!!!!
you white w@ores talk crap about oprah , call her a porch monkey.. but you b@tches knock a b@tch down trying to get on here show for free stuff.. get the eff out of here.. oprah thats how you treat employees not like these racist azz white folks do ! jealous w@ores!
Re: jokerf – "I volunteer and donate to the less fortunate," you sound like the less fortunate one begging for someone elses money, however you put it it is still begging, "donate" to yourself. and people who speak more than one language are smarter and the "English" language is a "thief" of other languages, not unique at all educate yourself about language and then learn how to type it/ express it correctly! Stop begging for other peoples money. Stay at home my ass. say hi to god for me oh rightous one!!!
Yeah, did those three meetings count where she let down thousands at the V to the Tenth Vagina Monologues by not showing up because she was too busy campaigning for Barack Obama?
Didn't think so.
RADICAL QUEEN SAYS…….WHO GIVES A RAT'S ASS WHAT THIS VILE VULGAR CUNT HAS TO SAY….SHE'S NOTHING MORE THAN A LUCKY BITCH WHO WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME….AND ABLE TO TURNED HERSELF INTO THE WORLD'S TOKEN BLACK BROARD. I THINK IT'S TIME FOR HER TO GO SUCK OBUMMER'S LUCKY DICK…OR GAYLE'S TWAT….WHICH I'M SURE SHE'D LIKE BETTER…AND SIMPLY GO AWAY ON HER OWN BEFORE SHOWBUSINESS SENDS HERPERMANANTLY OUT TO PASTURE…..THE OLD UGLY COW !!!!!!!!!!!!
too bad more employers don't realize this. employees are MUCH more willing to give it their all and do a good job when they feel respected, so in the end the employer is getting more than money's worth, than when they make someone resent them and not care if they half ass it because they're dick heads.
Hey fat ass (Mario), why don't YOU go over to Africa and build a school?
She is full of it. That is patently untrue. She's as nice as can be as long as she gets what she wants, when she's done with you… you are over… but then Perez is the ultimate social climber n'est pas?
i've seen that dress before… i think this was worn by the ms. japan who won the ms. universe.
If her talk diva career fails she could go in a different direction and become an amateur financial adviser.
wowww. like almost all of these comments are negative towards Oprah. No matter cared about what she was doing and then all of a sudden recently allegations have come up against her and it's like everyone was bored and decided to jump aboard on the insult Oprah ship.
She came from nothing and made something of herself despite everything that was against her. She is strong and smart and amazing simply for that.
She has given sooo much in front of people and behind closed doors. How can you guys say such bad things about her. It is hard enough to be famous and she is one of the people who has kept to herself and not made big scenes or intentionally hurt someone and yet you still feel the need to bash her.
I am with Perez in supporting Oprah. So what if she name drops…you guys don't when you have the chance to? With the billions of dollars and celebrity friends and stuff she has…it is bound to come out sometimes since it is like the biggest part of her life now.
I don't watch her show a lot, but GO OPRAH
So it's only the guests on her show that she talks down to… unless they are celebrities of course….
That is Queen Oprah. Show respect.
It's so very sad knowing that she will eventually grow old and die.
Believe me, you don't want to work for Oprah. Let's just say that if it sounds too good to be true, it most certainly is.
ew is she scratching her cob webbed va jay jay?
this is what Riyo Mori Ms Universe 2007 wore on the coronation night. I'm guessing this is the size 8 version of that dress. Hahaha.
I'll never forget the time I was having lunch with Julia and Halle at my Montecito estate. Brad and Angie had just left, and I was expecting a call from Barack. Just then I realized that my best friend Gail was dropping by with Mariah, so I called her on her cell and asked her to stall so that they would not run into Halle. It's a long story, one that only a celebrity could possibly understand.
Re: van – Make no mistake, honey, I'm definitely a sinner but I'm not trash like you claim. I find it very amusing that you take such offense to me saying if she doesn't care about money she can share her wealth with me.
If you are claiming to speak more than one language don't think its anything special or unique, my 3 & 6 year olds speak two different languages. Also, speaking multiple languages doesn't necessarily make one smarter. You do not punctuate your words correctly and you also misspelled "righteous" and "probably" from an earlier post. Just letting you know.