The interview with Oprah Winfrey that flipped, floored, and inspired

What happens when the world’s most influential communicator joins Belgium’s boldest entrepreneurial stage?

You get something unforgettable.

Oprah Winfrey sat down with Jürgen Ingels during SuperNova’s opening night — An Evening with Oprah Winfrey — for what was supposed to be a one-way interview. Oprah quickly made it clear that she had read Jürgen’s book Start, Grow, Sell, and somewhere between chapter references, handholding to de-stress, and good-natured teasing, it became a two-way street. 

What followed was part fireside chat, part leadership masterclass, part soul check.

Here are 9 powerful insights Oprah shared that night — each one as relevant to entrepreneurs as to anyone building something bigger than themselves. 

1. You’re not just building a business. You’re answering a calling.

“I am not living my dream. I am living life’s dream for me.”

Forget the 5-year plan for a second. Oprah didn’t become Oprah by ticking boxes — she became Oprah by tuning in on her inner clarity and having the courage to follow it. From the age of four, growing up in rural Mississippi, she could feel it: her life had a bigger purpose.

Her success didn’t come from plotting every move, but from showing up, listening to her life, and saying yes when opportunity knocked. It's a reminder that direction matters more than perfection. 

Her advice?
Stop obsessing over control. Start paying attention to what your life is trying to tell you.

2. Strength over time equals power

“You walk into a room, and you're not walking in alone. You walk in with everyone who ever loved you. Everyone who ever prayed for you. Every ancestor who dreamed you into being.” 

True power doesn’t come from your LinkedIn headline. It comes from every challenge you’ve survived, every lesson you’ve absorbed, every voice that ever believed in you.

Oprah’s upbringing in poverty, her early rejection, her career setbacks — those experiences from “the messy middle” — built her foundation. Power isn’t instant but it also doesn’t need to prove itself. It walks in quietly, and people can feel its presence. 

3. Dream big. Start small. Stay relentless.

“If you don’t start small, you stay small.”

At SuperNova, we believe in shooting for the moon. But Oprah reminded us: every moonshot starts with one small, committed step.

She didn’t launch a network or a school overnight. Her first steps were in church and on the local radio. The scale came later. Her point? Start where you are, use what you have, and let momentum do what you can’t control. 

4. Redefine success on your own terms

“If you’re successful and not happy, you’ve got the wrong kind of success.”

You can raise a massive round of funding and still feel empty. You can have the spotlight and still feel unseen. For Oprah, success equals alignment. Does your outer life reflect your inner values? If not, it’s time to rewrite your own definition of winning.

Her tip: define your version of success early — and make sure it includes joy.

5. Intention is the real superpower

“We didn’t do a single episode unless we knew the intention behind it.”

Whether it’s a podcast, a pitch deck, or a product release — intent matters. Oprah didn’t build a media empire on charisma alone. She built it by leading with intention — always asking “Why are we doing this?”

It’s the same in startups. A product without purpose will flop. A company without values will crumble. When the why is clear, the impact speaks for itself. 

If your actions aren’t aligned with your intent, people will feel it. And so will you.

6. Listening builds more trust than talking ever will

Oprah interviewed presidents, pop stars, prisoners — and noticed one thing: everyone, deep down, wants to be seen and heard.

“Everyone wants to know: Did you hear me? Did what I say matter?”

Great leaders aren’t just great speakers. They’re exceptional listeners. Because when you truly listen, people open up. So, in your next investor pitch, team meeting, or customer call — are you really listening?

7. You don’t need a monument to leave a legacy

Forget statues and TED Talks.

“Your legacy is every life you’ve touched.” 

We often chase legacy like it’s some future destination. But Oprah reminded us that real legacy might be the intern you mentored. The founder you believed in before anyone else did. The colleague you encouraged at the right time.

Legacy isn’t built at the end. It’s built in the everyday.

8. Your heart is your brand

“I used to say I wasn’t a brand. Now I say: my heart is my brand.”

Oprah once rejected the idea of being a brand. But then she reframed it: brand = values. Brand = trust. Brand = authenticity over image.

Because people follow people, not logos. 

Whether you’re a solopreneur or scaling a billion-euro startup — your brand should be an extension of who you are when no one’s watching.

9. Make your life an offering

“Ask yourself: How can I be used in service to something greater than me?”

This might be the most powerful question you can ask yourself — not just in business, but in life.

You’re not here just to scale. You’re here to serve, to contribute, and to elevate others as you rise.

And you don’t need to run a nonprofit to be of service to do so. Whether you’re solving a tech problem, launching a product, or mentoring your team — meaning lies at the intersection of impact and intention.

Final Thought

The conversation with Oprah wasn’t conventional in any way. It was real. It moved effortlessly between deep insights and spontaneous jokes, personal stories, and sharp business truths.
 
She talked about legacy, about challenging your way of thinking, and she reminded us that the best ideas often come when we let go of script and ego.
 
Yes, Oprah had read Start, Grow, Sell. And yes, she joked about adding her own chapter. But what truly stood out was her tone: curious, connected, and completely unafraid to go deep.
 
In the end, it wasn’t just a conversation to remember — it was a call to action. To ask smarter questions, to lead with more intention, and to build things that serve a bigger purpose. These 9 lessons can help. Now it’s up to you to make them your own.