Oprah Winfrey’s Hiring Secret Revealed: Why Being a Fan Could Get You Rejected

Working for Oprah Winfrey may sound like a dream come true for many, but according to a former staffer, being a fan of the media mogul could actually hurt your chances of landing a job on her team.

In a recent essay, Jeff Boodie, who worked as a business coordinator at Oprah Magazine (now Oprah Daily) from 2007 to 2010, shared insights into the unexpected hiring practices at Winfrey’s company.

Boodie claims that potential hires who expressed admiration for Winfrey or showed too much interest in meeting her were often eliminated early in the selection process.

According to Boodie, the hiring team was intentional about selecting candidates who were enthusiastic about the work but not starstruck by the billionaire media icon.

“We were excited to be part of Oprah’s team, but we weren’t fans,” Boodie wrote in a personal essay for Business Insider. “I saw firsthand how anyone more concerned about how often she was in the office or when they’d get to meet her would not make it to the final rounds of hiring.”

This strategy, Boodie explained, taught him an important lesson about working with high-profile figures: focus on the job at hand rather than getting caught up in the celebrity’s aura.

He noted that many applicants made the mistake of prioritizing personal encounters with Winfrey over the responsibilities of the role.

The experience left a lasting impression on Boodie, who now runs his own media agency, ConnectUp Media Agency. He credits Winfrey’s approach to leadership and her willingness to uplift others as key factors in his own professional growth.

Boodie highlighted how Winfrey consistently elevated experts like Suze Orman, Dr. Phil, and Gayle King, allowing them to become household names in their own right.

“Oprah had and still can uplift experts and allow them to be stand-alone stars,” Boodie noted. “Witnessing her curiosity and ability to let others shine made me realize how special it was to work for her.”

Boodie’s story provides a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the world’s most influential women curates her team—not by seeking admiration, but by prioritizing professionalism and dedication to the mission.