# Oprah's OWN regret: people-pleasing over instinct

> Oprah Winfrey says ignoring her gut feeling about the Oprah Winfrey Network cost her dearly, teaching her a hard lesson about saying no.
- Title: Oprah's OWN regret: people-pleasing over instinct | Shortify
- Summary: Oprah Winfrey says ignoring her gut feeling about the Oprah Winfrey Network cost her dearly, teaching her a hard lesson about saying no. Trusting your…
- Keywords: oprah winfrey, own network, people-pleasing, career decisions, business regret, mel robbins podcast, harpo productions, discovery communications, business, technology, Oprah's, OWN
- Source: Business Insider — https://businessinsider.com/oprah-winfrey-people-pleasing-career-lesson-own-2026-9
- Author: Amanda Goh
- Published: 2026-09-18T05:23:53.453+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: oprah winfrey, own network, people-pleasing, career decisions, business regret, mel robbins podcast, harpo productions, discovery communications, business, technology
## Oprah ignored her gut feeling
Winfrey launched OWN in January 2011 while her talk show was still running. She felt so strongly something was wrong that she'd wake up unable to breathe, but pushed ahead anyway.

> Every single story headline about me was 'Oprah and the struggling OW Network.'
## 2012 was one of the worst years
The network struggled with low ratings and made painful layoffs, including 30 staff cuts in March 2012. Winfrey said the constant negative headlines about her struggling network were hurtful because they were true.

> 2012 was one of the worst years of my life.
## She stayed for the wrong reason
Winfrey didn't continue because she truly wanted to, but because she feared disappointing people involved in the deal. She was trying to please others rather than trust her own instincts.

> I was keeping my word because I was trying to please the people on the other side.
## You always have the right to change your mind
Winfrey compared it to realizing mid-aisle that a marriage is wrong. Even with invitations sent and everyone waiting, she said, it's still OK to walk away.

> You always have the right to change your mind.
## Her one major regret
In a 2024 interview, Winfrey said she would not have launched OWN while still ending her talk show. Building a network and closing a 25-year career simultaneously was her biggest mistake.

> I should've handled all of that differently.
## OWN eventually became valuable
Discovery acquired majority stakes in OWN over time, paying 70 million dollars in 2017 and eventually raising ownership to 95 percent. Winfrey's remaining 5 percent stake came from exchanging her shares for Discovery stock worth over 35 million dollars.
## Key takeaway

Trusting your instincts matters more than keeping others happy, even when contracts and commitments are on the line.