If You’re Not Telling Your Own Story, Someone Else Is.

We all said our goodbyes to the Oprah Winfrey Show last month with regret, with glee, or with indifference.

However you may feel about Oprah, she deserves respect due to her ascension as one of the most powerful and influential women in the media industry. She has risen from talk show host to owning her OWN network which gives her the ability to decide what she wants viewers to see.

She was able to capitalize on this opportunity because of her great success with her own production company, HARPO Productions, which produced her show as well as other successful shows like Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, and Rachel Ray. The verdict is not quite out yet on The Nate Berkus Show.

Recently, there was an article written about the relevance of Essence magazine for today’s black woman.

Although major companies like BET and Essence magazine were started by African Americans, they have since been bought by major conglomerates. The crux of the problem was touched upon but not really addressed. “Other” folks continue to define who we are and tell our story.

We fail to keep in the forefront of our minds that we live in a capitalistic society where the only thing that matters is what will bring in the greatest revenue. We get angry. A perfect example is the Father's Day Hallmark card for single black mothers. We ask ourselves and each other, why can’t they ever see the positive things that are going on in our community and write about that?

If we want our story to be told correctly then we have to tell our own story and manage the images and perceptions that other people have of us. It is imperative that we are sitting at the boardroom table where those types of decisions are being made. This applies to every aspect of our lives may it be media, entertainment, sports, and etc.

We have to give Oprah some credit. She could have BUT she didn’t sell Harpo Productions to the highest bidder after twenty five years. She decided to parlay her power into a bigger opportunity to bring about even greater influence. She decides what shows go on HER network.

We should take note. It should be clear to us by now that we must control our own destiny and create our own history. In a capitalistic society, where money yields power, one of the primary means to do that is to become extremely successful entrepreneurs in major industries.

I understand Oprah is not THE only black entrepreneur who has had significant success in the boardroom. Of course, there are others who are famous and not so famous!

Nevertheless, the time has come for us to create what we want for ourselves instead of waiting or expecting others to give us what we believe is our just due.

Bio:

Danielle Douglas is President of Inspire Enterprise. Get more great information to learn How to Be a Successful Entrepreneur.