Best That Ever Did It?

Oprah Winfrey is that girl. Period. End of story.

If I had to choose my favorite all-time talk show host it would be Oprah Winfrey. Oprah Winfrey has made a name for herself within the media industry outside of being a talk show host. She is an entrepreneur, a media mogul, and an inspiration.

As an aspiring talk show host, Oprah has always been my greatest inspiration. I see myself in her when it comes to her level of dedication. Oprah was able to remain uncomfortable enough to progress from being a news anchor in Nashville, Tennessee to making low-rated show “AM Chicago” into a first place show in under 12 months. She could have easily stopped there, but she chose not to because she knew she had the ability to achieve more. After launching “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, she then created her own magazine and now has an entire network in her name. That level of tenacity is hard to come by.

A quote I learned during my youth was “don’t ever get comfortable when you have the ability to achieve more.” Once a person becomes comfortable with their current status in life, it leads to a state of stagnancy. There’s no reason to move forward because they are satisfied with where they currently are. Oprah showed the world that she was destined for greatness because she never stopped investing in herself. She kept herself open for new opportunities to come her way.

Oprah’s ability to connect with her interviewee and audience is truly astounding. She ensures that her guests are comfortable enough so that they would feel safe enough to share their truth. That’s why people would reach out to her to share their stories rather than other hosts. She’s compassionate, even if she doesn’t agree with whomever she may be conversing with, she still provides them with an open space to share their opinions. Oprah also makes sure to give back to her community. Not only has she given away cars, she’s built a foundation for underprivileged girls to go to school. She’s given many charitable donations throughout her time.

During her time as host on The Oprah Winfrey Show, she had great ratings. Many televisions in the nation tuned in whenever it was time for her show to come on. Turning on her show was like having her right there in front of you. It felt like she was talking to me. Watching The Oprah Winfrey Show as a little girl started discussions in my household. It began a dialogue that has molded me into the woman I am today.

The biggest takeaway from Oprah is connecting to your viewers and guests. You could see her growth over the years from when she began to where she is now. Her audience didn’t always agree with what she said and sometimes yelled slurs at her. She was able to hone in on that energy and come back stronger each time. She speaks with such elegance and grace. I want to be able to connect with my guests to the point where they would love to come back whenever there’s more to talk about. In my head, me and Oprah are best friends. I want my audience to feel like we’re friends and that I’m right there with them.