Learn from those who have succeeded

Who Mentored Oprah Winfrey?

“Surround yourself only with people who are going to take you higher.” – Oprah Winfrey

If you’ve ever sat back and wondered who mentored Oprah Winfrey, consider this; If you were to ask any successful woman in business if they have a mentor, they would invariably answer, “Absolutely YES!” And wouldn’t you agree that Oprah Winfrey is one of the most successful women on the planet?

Whether you are aspiring to greatness like Oprah or running an online business from your dining table, it’s important to understand that it can be a lonely road with many pitfalls. By looking at who mentored Oprah, it’s obvious that by seeking out someone who has walked a similar path and learnt from their mistakes that we can only benefit from the ‘gold’ of what they have learnt and will share with us.

Attitude is a Choice

As you may know, Oprah grew up in poverty and adversity, experiencing traumatic events in her childhood. She could have ended up living life as a victim. Instead she sought out a woman who would share her wisdom and mentor Oprah to rise up strong. So, when we ask “Who mentored Oprah Winfrey?” we might risk assuming the mentor was responsible for Oprah’s amazing career. While the woman who mentored Oprah was extremely pivotal in Oprah’s life, it was Oprah who chose a path of empowerment.

So, Who Did Mentor Oprah Winfrey?

One of Oprah’s major turning points came when starting out as a reporter in her 20’s. She was lucky enough to interview the renowned poet Maya Angelou. Already a huge fan of her poetry, Oprah found great solace in Maya’s work which changed the course of her life. “Meeting Maya on those pages was like meeting myself in full. For the first time, as a young black girl, my experience was validated.”

How Mentoring Can Change Your Life!

A mutual respect, friendship and mentorship was forged that remained until Maya’s passing in 2014. Maya’s gift as a mentor to Oprah sent her on a life-changing trajectory that eventually elevated her into a household name. Without Maya’s empowering mentorship, Oprah may not known how to strive for the level of global success she has achieved.

Oprah has paid it forward in bucketfuls by becoming an inspiring mentor to millions of women worldwide (including me!).

These two women demonstrate how powerful a mentor can be by providing such valuable insights because they have “been there done that”. Having done the hard yards, endured the challenges and achieved their success, a mentor helps us identify the problems faster, shortcuts our journey and allows us to operate at a whole other level we didn’t know we were capable of.

Are you Ready for Change?

So when you look at it like that, why hasn’t everyone got a mentor?

A mentor has allowed me to look at my life through a different filter and inspired me to make different choices that has sent me on a direction I had never considered before, but one that resonated with my heart and brought huge fulfillment.

Having a mentor gives us the opportunity to be the best we can be in both our business and personal life.

So if you look at who mentored Oprah Winfrey, it’s about finding that mentor who helps you discover the best version of yourself!

Author, Julie Gabrielson is Co-Founder of Ruffle Mentoring