When Oprah speaks, people listen. When Oprah surprises a crowd of creative folk in a room by showing up, people not only listen, but get drawn in to the unique wave of positivity that fills the air. Such was the case in LA last week at the new OWN HQ during Fast Company’s FC/LA Creativity Counter Conference.
And what she said truly mattered.
Oprah started OWN because she believes in the power of connection, aspiration and inspiration — and that was quite obvious in announcing two new programs: For Peete’s Sake, featuring Holly Robinson Peete and Rodney Peete and Belief, an seven-part series, fully funded by Oprah, that focuses on the similarities (instead of the differences) that connect humanity. Oprah and OWN have had their feel firmly in both disciplines, reality and documentary. It will be interesting to see how both perform.
It’s not fully clear to me how For Peete’s Sake will make an impact in the crowded reality/non-scripted category — but the fact that the Peete family has been deeply part of the fabric of Oprah’s previous show, over the years, creates strong familiarity and could be the secret to creating its own (no pun intended) unique place.
Belief, on the other hand, should (hopefully) make a strong impact due to its ambition and subject matter. It was fully-funded by Oprah and filmed in 34 countries over three years. The trailer we were treated to was impressive and it’s obvious that Oprah’s passion, on a topic that is in desperate need of sharing, plays a major role.
Being at the new OWN HQ was pretty darn amazing. The energy is really positive and one can’t help but get fully immersed in, not just the vibe of Oprah, but the people who work there. I must have been sucked up in the moment because, quite surprisingly, I had the chance to ask Oprah a question in the Q&A portion of our time there.
Even more surprising, though, was her reaction to the question I asked.
