Page 86 - The Magic of Tiny Business

Chapter Five

Be Ready for Takeoff

“

I didn’t watch The Oprah Winfrey Show.

”

In the mid-2000s, Oprah was the number one afternoon
talk show host on one of the most famous television shows
in the United States (and possibly the world), but she just
wasn’t on my radar. I became aware, however, that there
were lots of women who stopped everything to watch her;
among them was my close friend and neighbor, April, and
my mother-in-law, Ales. Almost every day my neighbor
would relay stories from the show to me.

I can actually pinpoint when it occurred to me that my
brand ECOBAGS had to be featured on Oprah. It was
2006. Al Gore was talking about climate change on the
national stage; hormone-free milk, Whole Foods Market,
and organic everything were getting ink; and my pioneer-
ing concept of reusable bags was being warmly adopted by
the fringe. I was confident Oprah was my ticket to the
mainstream with her huge, devoted audience who listened
to her like a god.

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