Oprah Winfrey Explains Why She Expanded Into Podcasting At 72: ‘I Know How To Talk’

Oprah Winfrey Explains Why She Expanded Into Podcasting At 72: ‘I Know How To Talk’

Oprah Winfrey is opening up about why she decided to expand her media empire into podcasting at 72.

While speaking with LinkedIn Editor in Chief Dan Roth, the media mogul said stepping into the podcast world felt natural after spending decades interviewing people. She joked,
“One of the things I know for sure is I know how to talk.”

Oprah said her gift for conversation was apparent even as a child, recalling that her grandmother’s friends at church would describe her as “a talking child.” After hosting The Oprah Winfrey Show for 25 seasons, however, she once pictured retirement much differently. She said she imagined going “behind the gates” to “pick roses and take walks in the park.”

Instead, Oprah ultimately saw podcasting as another way to continue the conversations that defined her television career.

“The idea of me doing a podcast is an extension, obviously, of what I’ve been doing on the show all of these years.”

She added that despite major shifts in media and culture, people are “still seeking meaning and a depth of purpose in their lives,” explaining, “People still want that.” (EW.com??)

Oprah also reflected on what she believes people are searching for amid social media, algorithms and the constant noise of modern life. She said that when people are alone with their thoughts, they ultimately want “to know that they matter in the world” and to find happiness and well-being for themselves and their families.