As Oprah walked back to her big yellow chair, I stood there in disbelief—she was actually going to listen to me. Though the show had technically ended, a camera operator was suddenly at my feet, filming. My only thought was, Quencie, you better make this count.
By some miracle, the words flowed effortlessly. My ten seconds turned into ten minutes—perhaps Oprah’s fear all along. When I finished thanking her for inspiring me to chase my dreams, the audience erupted in applause. I hadn’t expected that kind of love, especially when they were supposed to be heading out.
Oprah walked over and gave me a big hug. I handed her a picture of me and Whitney with the words “You will win when you believe” written at the bottom.
She smiled and read it aloud. “You will win when you believe. Fantastic!”
I floated out of Harpo Studios, thanking God the entire way home. That day taught me an invaluable lesson—never give up five minutes before the miracle. Oprah had been on her way out, but I wasn’t rude, just persistent. And in the end, she gave me more than the ten seconds I had asked for. Once again, she proved her own words true: “God can dream a bigger dream than you.”
This wasn’t my first Oprah encounter—just the first time I stopped her from leaving her own studio. I’ve met Oprah four times, but only have one photo to prove it.
My First Oprah Encounter
The first time I saw Oprah, I was in college. My high school teacher—who had taught me to drive a stick shift—invited me on a road trip to Chicago for a taping. It remains the only time I’ve ever driven a manual car.
At the studio, I sat in the far-left section, close but not ideal. When Oprah opened the floor for questions, I eagerly raised my hand. A producer rushed over, deemed my question worthy, and instructed me to stand by the mic. But just as my turn came, Oprah announced, “We’re out of time.”
I threw my hands up in disappointment. My reaction made the whole section groan in protest. Oprah laughed and asked, “Did you just turn the whole section against me?” Then, to my surprise, she walked over and hugged me. I handed her a note and a picture of myself. No cameras captured the moment, but Oprah Winfrey had spoken to me and hugged me. Epic.
The Best Friends Show
In 2011, during The Oprah Winfrey Show’s final season, my best friend Tam made sure we attended at least one taping. She wrote a heartfelt letter about our friendship, and out of thousands of submissions, we got selected for a special Best Friends episode featuring Gayle King.
We flew to Chicago, buzzing with excitement. Even though I had been to Oprah’s show before, this felt brand new. Before the taping, we ran into Oprah’s Executive Producer, Sheri Salata—the mastermind behind Oprah’s legendary finale at the United Center. We even got a picture with her!
Each of these Oprah encounters reminded me that dreams unfold in ways we can’t predict. Sometimes, you just have to ask, be persistent, and let the universe do the rest.