Nobody imagined that the little girl Oprah Winfrey who lived on a farm in Mississippi would become one of the most influential women in the world, and an icon of resilience.
Her life is a story of personal improvement that continues to inspire and empower thousands of people, especially women, since today's businesswoman has faced and overcome all kinds of obstacles to be able to build an empire and a fortune that amounts to more than 2.8 billion Dollars.
Who is Oprah Winfrey?
Oprah Gail Winfrey, daughter of a single mother and in the midst of a context of poverty, on January 29, 1954, Oprah Winfrey was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi. The first six years of her life were spent with her grandmother, who was in charge of raising her.
After that period she returned to her mother, a dark time for Winfrey as she was a victim of sexual abuse by her mother's family and friends.
That violent environment led her to leave home at age 13 to arrive in Nashville, Tennessee, with her father, a local barber.
During her adolescence she combined studies with beauty pageants, she even became Miss Black Nashville. In 1971 she entered Tennessee State University, but she abandoned her studies shortly after finishing her degree because she wanted to dedicate herself to advancing her professional career that she had started when she went to work at a local radio and television station.
A rising trajectory
His communication skills were outstanding, which allowed him to grow rapidly in the world of media, to such a degree that in 1976 he moved to Baltimore, Maryland, to host his first program called “People Are Talking”.
The communicator's success was undeniable and her ability to connect with people caught the attention of several, including a Chicago network that recruited Oprah after eight years of leading that project in Maryland.
His arrival at the morning show AM Chicago put a new challenge in his path: for the show to leave the last place in the audience ranking, which it achieved, exceeding any expectations, by positioning it as the most watched program.
1986 was an unforgettable year for the businesswoman, as she was not only nominated for the Oscars in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her participation in Steven Spielberg's feature film, “The color purple”; He also founded his own production house: Harpo Productions and it was also broadcast for the first time. “The Oprah Winfrey Show”.
It was with this last show that she became the first African-American host of a daily talk show with national reach, which she maintained for 25 years and earned her several Emmy Awards.
A successful businesswoman
Oprah's eye for business was enviable. In addition to his own production company and his successful program, he has had other relevant projects such as Oxygen Media, a company specialized in the production of content for private television and the Internet, as well as Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), a subscription television channel.
He also gave a boost to the publishing world with the creation of The Oprah Magazine, a magazine that had printed copies for 20 years. As of 2020, the publication moved to a fully digital format.
Her project, Oprah's Book Club, to review and discuss books chosen by the presenter herself and which was initially a segment on the famous TV show, evolved to reach AppleTV+.
The most human side of Oprah
Her childhood of abuse and violence made Winfrey sensitive, so she developed a deep interest in helping others. She is one of the most powerful voices of the #MeToo movement, she even gave a speech during the 2018 Golden Globes ceremony that earned her a standing ovation from the audience.
She founded her own nonprofit association, The Oprah Winfrey Foundation, which helps women and children in need, in addition to funding the education of thousands of low-income students.
In order to prevent more children from suffering from the abuse she experienced, she promoted the creation of the Oprah-Bill law which, among other things, suggested the creation of a database of pedophiles in her country.
Her fame, business and philanthropic work made Oprah a living legend, who has been considered the most influential woman by publications such as Times, Life, CNN, Vanity Fair and Forbes. In 2005, she was appointed “The greatest woman in American history” for The Greatest American, and in 2011, she was recognized with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Oscar for her humanitarian work in favor of social causes.
Oprah Winfrey's life story has been, for many years and for many, a personal motivation, as she left behind experiences in poverty or violence, to become an example of improvement and teach the lesson that, based on effort , there is no obstacle that stands in the way of achieving any goal.
Daniela Ramos Communicator and mother. With 10 years of experience, I have been able to tell stories related to business, personal finances, work culture, entrepreneurship and technology.