According to WWD.com, Oprah recently did an interview with Black Enterprise magazine in which she revealed some of the counterintuitive secrets of her success. Here are the three business-advice takeaways:1. Do Not Plan.
Oprah says: "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."
2. Don't Care About Money
Oprah says: "I don't care about money. It throws people off all the time in business meetings. They start shuffling papers."
3. Be Available and Friendly
Oprah says: "The greatest fear for me of ever canceling is that you're going to disappoint somebody." Also: "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."
It's ironic, right? Those of us who do care about money are worth $847, and the woman who's worth $2.5 billion couldn't care less about it.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. Me: I don't care about Oprah.
Tony Messinger at 12:37PM on Jun 3rd 2008
2. I guess she doesn't have to worry about the 65.00 it takes to fill up a compact car just to get to work, so you can make 80.00 a day.
TJ at 12:58PM on Jun 3rd 2008
3. i think this woman has done a lot of good in her lifetime. she helps a lot of people and inspires many of us to do the same. shes very inspirational and truly a good person at heart. the world will not be the same when shes gone.
DANIELLE at 2:27PM on Jun 3rd 2008
4. Well, I agree, Ada, it is easy to say you don't care about money when you have it. I am by no means a fan of the Oprah craze; yet being fair Oprah earned every cent. No honest person can say she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Some folks who had her horrendous childhood wouldn't even be functioning, let alone successful millionaires.
David S. at 1:20PM on Jun 3rd 2008
5.
Oprah is an artist, an entertainer. She does what she does because she loves it not because it is profitable. Most entertainers are like that even if the majority of them have to hold down other jobs to support their art. I am not an artist nor am I an entertainer. However, I was luckly to work most of my career in jobs that were so mentally rewarding that I did not care that I could have been making more money in other positions. I am retired and have no regrets that I ignored the money and went for the job satisfaction.
longwalker at 1:20PM on Jun 3rd 2008
6.
Since she doesn't care about money, can I be first in the begging line with my hand out?
FL Chick at 1:51PM on Jun 3rd 2008
7. IDON'T CARE ABOUT OPRAH. SHE IS NOT NEWS. I NEVER WATCH HER. WHO CARES WHAT SHE HAS OR HOW SHE SPENDS IT. I DON'T ENVY HER ONE BIT. SO PLEASE WRITE SOMETHING WORTH READING.
VIV at 1:53PM on Jun 3rd 2008
8. OPRAH SUCKS
hd at 2:06PM on Jun 3rd 2008
9. VIV : Please look at your comment. Then look at the other comments. Notice the diffrence! It is the result of a fairly decent education. Your comment is the web version of red crayon on wrpping paper.
longwalker at 2:08PM on Jun 3rd 2008
10. My appoligies - wrpping should read wrapping. Also VIV, meet hd. Birds of a feather should flock together.
longwalker at 2:10PM on Jun 3rd 2008
11. TJ, at $4.00 a gallon $65.00 is about 16+ gallons, assuming your gar gets 30 miles per gallon; you, according to you post, work 240 miles away from your house. My advice, either get your numbers straight, or MOVE closer. Loser
charlieofthepcu at 4:44PM on Jun 3rd 2008
12. 11. TJ, at $4.00 a gallon $65.00 is about 16+ gallons, assuming your gar gets 30 miles per gallon; you, according to you post, work 240 miles away from your house. My advice, either get your numbers straight, or MOVE closer. Loser
charlieofthepcu at 4:44PM on Jun 3rd 2008
Talk about a "LOSER", "charlieofthepcu",... you STUPID BOOB. What's the matter with you; not so good with simple math, yourself... are you? In your over-anxious zeal to ridicule and insult someone else... you've managed to expose yourself as an utter idiot; which you are. Why not just post a picture of yourself, next time? It would make it a lot easier for us to recognize "the real you".
1.) $65.00 at the pump, divided by $4.00/gal., = 16.25 gals. of gas.
2.) why you would "pre-sume" she can get 30mpg, is bogus; 15mpg is much more realistic. So, let's use that figure, instead. And, let's 'assume' that she doesn't want her tank to run completely dry... between fill-ups. ERGO: 15mpg X 16gals. = 240 mi.
SHAZAM....... Why, looky there!!! How can that be?
3.) Unless you expect us to believe that she actually drives 240 miles, ONE WAY, to work... and then 'coasts' all the way back home... with the engine turned off... let's 'assume' that she only has to drive 120 miles away from home, to get to work. You might be surprised to learn of how many people have to endure such hardships. Open your mind.
4.) OH, SORRY... here's the math for #3, above.
240, divided by 2, = exactly, 120, each way.
5.) I'm not even going to try and convince you that she "probably" has to make trips for groceries, drop kids at school, visit friends, Dr. appointments, etc. But, I'd be willing to bet she does.
Sooooooo, math genius; think ya might 'owe' someone an apology? Hm m m m m m ?
PARKER at 6:36PM on Jun 3rd 2008
13. Oprah does not care about money because she has more than she can spend! Maybe she will give the rest of the world the money she does not want. LOL. I quit watching her when she started supporting Obama.
Mary Ann at 8:41PM on Jun 3rd 2008
14.
Ummm.... I really don't think TJ's point was that the person in her example uses an entire tank of gas to go to work for one day.
I'm pretty sure her point was that the person has to work (nearly) an entire day to earn enough to fill their gas tank.
FL Chick at 8:45PM on Jun 3rd 2008
15. I blame Oprah for Dr. Phil and Rachael Ray.
Captain Negative at 10:05PM on Jun 3rd 2008