Oprah Gail Winfrey is one of the greatest female entrepreneurs in the world. She is a woman of color who paved her way into being one of the biggest success stories. Everyone knows who she is and what she does. However, not many people know about her early life struggles or what she really had to endure to climb the ladder of success.

EARLY LIFE

Oprah was born in a poor, rural town near Jackson, Mississippi on January 29, 1954. Her single mother was a teenager struggling to provide for her daughter. Her grandmother raised her in her early years and even taught her how to read at the age of three. Her grandmother would take her to the local church where she would recite Bible verses and poems. It wasn’t a grandiose life at the farm in Mississippi, but Oprah felt loved by her grandmother and the church community.

Life turned upside down when Oprah was 6. She was sent to Milwaukee to be with her mother who had finally found work in the city. Her mother was working long hours, and Oprah would be left at home with her cousins and uncle. Heartbreakingly, she was molested by those entrusted to take care of her for years.
Oprah could not endure the trauma anymore. When she was 13, she ran away from home. It did not end well because the juvenile detention center that she ran to did not have any beds available for use. At 14, she was pregnant by her own accord. However, the baby was lost after it was prematurely born.
After enduring more pain in 14 years than some in a lifetime, Oprah went to live with her father in Nashville, Tennessee. This is where her life finally started to change for the better. Her father was very strict and had many rules, but he believed in the person she could be. This led her on the right path. Oprah told The Washington Post in 1986, “If I hadn’t been sent to my father, I would have gone in another direction. I could have made a good criminal. I would have used these same instincts differently.”

RISE TO SUCCESS

With pressure from her father to be the best version of herself, Oprah did just that. At 17, she received a full scholarship to Tennessee University and won a beauty contest sponsored by WVOL. After winning, she was offered an on-air position at WVOL in Nashville. Oprah continued to work there for sometime, but was then offered a position as an anchor at WLAC-TV in Nashville at 19. Oprah Winfrey left Tennessee University and became the youngest and first Black female news anchor at this TV station. After thriving here and inspiring so many minorities watching the news, she moved to Baltimore when she was 22 to co-host her first talk show called People are Talking. Her personality shined through at the talk show, and she started catching many people’s eyes due to her talent and energy.
In 1984, she moved to Chicago to host Channel 7’s A.M. Chicago where she revolutionized the whole industry. By 1985, a mere one year later, Channel 7’s A.M. Chicago increased air time by half an hour and became The Oprah Winfrey Show. In 1986, Oprah formed her own production company, “Harpo Productions, Inc.”, which later on acquired ownership and all production rights over The Oprah Winfrey Show. By 1987, the show and Oprah herself were winning numerous awards including multiple Emmys. She continued to thrive and is still thriving, leaving a huge legacy on entrepreneurship.

OPRAH’S LEGACY ON ENTREPRENUERS

Oprah never stopped. And she still hasn’t stopped. She started off as a struggling child who craved more for her life. Oprah realized that from a young age her past would not define her. She found her purpose in life: serving others. She stated this in O Magazine. Oprah was not craving money or fame on the way up the ladder of success. She was not even focused on the success. She was focused on service. Oprah found her calling and expanded on that in numerous ways. She was constantly taking her own life struggles and thinking how I can make other people’s lives better. With this mindset, she became the first Black female billionaire in 2003.