Oprah Winfrey is not into hiring fans to work at her media empire. Being an Oprah Winfrey fan did not help you if you happened to work for the media mogul. Insiders say any sign of admiring the OWN founder served as a first-class ticket out the door!
Fortune reports that a former staffer is opening up about the treatment potential employees would receive if they let slip how much they loved the billionaire magnate. According to Jeff Boodie, who worked for Winfrey from 2007 to 2010, anyone who inquired about meeting Winfrey would earn a spot among the rejects.
During Boodie’s time working as a business coordinator for Oprah Magazine (now Oprah Daily), he noticed the types of people who made it to the final rounds of hiring and those who didn’t last long.
“We were excited to be part of Oprah’s team, but we weren’t fans,” Boodie revealed in a personal essay for Business Insider. “I knew right away that there was intentionality on who was being hired.”
“I saw firsthand how anyone more concerned about how often she was in the office or when they’d get to meet her would not make it to the final rounds of hiring,” he recalled.
The experience taught Boodie how important it was not to worship celebrities because they were still regular people. He also found it “crazy” how many people would ask to meet Winfrey while still interviewing with the company.
“I learned from Oprah that to work for someone like her, be great, but don’t be a fan,” Boodie wrote.
“Be aware that you were a part of the team inspiring the world with life-changing messaging, but it wasn’t your position to get so swept up in working for an influential person that you couldn’t do your job.”
Having worked with other celebrities and even royals, Boodie saw firsthand how rare it was for an influential figure to amplify anyone who wasn’t themselves. However, that wasn’t the case with Winfrey. Her reputation for turning her friends into reputable public figures is well deserved.
“Oprah had and still can uplift experts and allow them to be stand-alone stars,” Boodie wrote about Winfrey’s friends and frequent show quests, Suze Orman, Dr. Phil, and Gayle King, among others.
“She pushed experts up front and celebrated their findings on various topics for her and the audience,” he added. “To me, that was genius. Let experts be experts. No one knows everything, and witnessing her curiosity and ability to let others shine made me realize how special it was to work for her.”
It’s an experience Boodie took with him as he became an entrepreneur himself and launched his own media agency, ConnectUp Media Agency.
“I carry this lesson with me still: lifting others up and not worrying about their stardom,” he concluded.
Working for Oprah is Like Dating
While Boodie didn’t land his job by gushing about Winfrey, he did write a thoughtful thank-you note that he said “played a pivotal role” in getting him hired.
In a previous essay for Business Insider, Boodie said that “not being a fan” was a key factor in his success, and a thank-you note sealed the deal.
“I wrote the thank-you note to include specifics about the job description we discussed and expressed how and why I was prepared for the job,” Boodie added. “I included the values I knew I could bring to the position and wrote about my excitement to learn from someone seasoned in their career. I included details we discussed about Nancy’s family and my understanding of what it’s like to work hard and build success for those you love.”
Looking back, he said that the note “played a pivotal role” in landing that job.
“Nancy mentioned it two years later when I was finally comfortable enough to ask for the reason I was hired,” Boodie concluded. “While working for the company, I saw firsthand how candidates who wrote thank-you cards or notes stood out from those who didn’t.”
More than Just a Boss: Oprah's Leadership Style
Boodie describes his time at Oprah Magazine as a positive experience, even if the hiring process was unique. He recalls the office environment as welcoming, with colleagues working together to make the company successful.
“When I worked at the company from 2007 to 2010, people seemed excited to be part of what Oprah created,” Boodie said. “My colleagues were also the best in the business at what they did. Everywhere I turned, I had the brightest people working on a piece to make the whole machine move forward.”
He says he learned valuable lessons from Winfrey, including the importance of focus, believing in your product, showing appreciation to your team, letting experts be experts, and trusting your gut.
“Oprah was and still is about her business,” Boodie said. “She surrounds herself with people who protect it. I saw firsthand how anyone more concerned about how often she was in the office or when they’d get to meet her would not make it to the final rounds of hiring.”
The Gift of Giving
Boodie recalls Winfrey’s generosity toward her employees. He mentions a time when everyone received a new iPod as a gift for a successful quarter, a gesture that he says motivated him and made him realize the importance of giving back.
“Oprah often left a token of appreciation on our workstation without making a big announcement,” Boodie said. “Even though I had access to a lot, I was still shocked when gifts were left on my desk. These thoughtful gestures motivated me and made me realize that one day when I have my own company, I will do the same.”
He also mentions that Winfrey provided a bonus to her employees at the end of each year, a gesture that was unique to Oprah Magazine within the Hearst organization.
“At the end of each year, we'd have a holiday party. We'd get a bonus each year while I was there,” Boodie said. “It was one week's worth of pay from her money. None of the other Hearst publications ever received such a broad gesture, and I knew that because we were the envy of the media business for having such a giving and top-notch boss.”
More Than a Mogul: Lifting Others Up
Winfrey’s reputation as a media mogul is well-earned, but Boodie emphasizes another important aspect of her leadership style: uplifting others.
“After three years of working for Oprah, one of the biggest things I learned about running a business and bringing people together is let people who you trust to be experts be experts,” Boodie said.
He highlights Winfrey’s practice of featuring experts on her show and in her magazine, giving them a platform to share their knowledge with the world.
“I was honored to travel with Oprah around the country each year,” Boodie said. “Our experts, who you'd see on her show and read about in the magazine, would come to our events to inspire, connect, and pour into our loyal fans. Dr. Oz, Suze Orman, Dr. Phil, Nate Berkus, Marianne Williamson, Gayle King, and many more made the dreams of so many fans come to life.”
“In this selfish me culture of the entertainment industry, and I'd say America in general, it's rare when you're a celebrity and brand to uplift others,” Boodie added. “Oprah did this flawlessly.”
“She pushed experts up front and celebrated their findings on various topics for her and the audience,” Boodie said. “To me, that was genius. Let experts be experts. No one knows everything, and witnessing her curiosity and ability to let others shine made me realize how special it was to work for her.”
Winfrey’s approach to leadership has left a lasting impact on Boodie, who now runs his own media agency, advising and managing influencers, royals, wealthy families, nonprofits, and brands.
“Oprah had and still can uplift experts and allow them to be stand-alone stars,” Boodie said. “She trusts her gut, which she's publicly open about. I carry this lesson with me still: lifting others up and not worrying about their stardom.”
A Legacy of Impact
Boodie says he has learned a lot from his time at Oprah’s empire and continues to be grateful for the experience.
“I learned a lot working in the Oprah Empire,” Boodie said. “I've been fortunate enough to check in on folks still in Oprah's orbit. Relationships are everything to me and my media agency. I smile, realizing I can credit Oprah for much of how I run my business. Because of her, I've been able to live some of my wildest dreams.”
Boodie’s insights offer a glimpse into the inner workings of Oprah’s empire, highlighting the importance of both talent and personality in securing a role with the media mogul. His experiences also reveal a fascinating perspective on Winfrey’s leadership style and her commitment to uplifting others.
