Sheri Salata, Former President of Oprah Winfrey Network + Harpo — Glambition Radio Episode 148 with Ali Brown

Sheri Salata had a dream job that many would kill for — a 20-year exhilarating career serving as Executive Producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show, and later as the Co-President of Harpo Studios and OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. On this #GlambitionRadio episode, I first have Sheri walk us through how she landed her dream job with Oprah. (She explains how it was destiny.) And then, why she recently decided to make the biggest ‘exit’ of her life. You’ll love how real and delightful she is in sharing the juicy details of this story.
My favorite fact? Sheri finally landed the initial position with O’s team when they were cleaning out an old closet and found her resume and VHS tape, and asked if she could come in to interview for a producer position. And that’s when she knew, this was it.
Being the Executive Producer for Oprah may sound glamorous, but Sheri shares how she sacrificed for the high-pressure job. (It sounds like she barely slept in 20 years!) But would she do it all again? YES. Because it led her in the direction to what I call her ‘iconic work’.
Today, Sheri hosts the popular ‘This is Fifty’ podcast with her soulmate friend of 28 years, Nancy Hala, which is all about recreating the middle of your life. The duo are also chief visionaries of The Pillar Life, which offers simple strategies to help transform and balance our lives.
Sheri has been named one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business, one of The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Power 100, and a winner of the 2017 Feminist Press Power Award. But it’s her candidness about her career highs and lows on today’s episode of Glambition Radio that speaks to all of us.
On the show, you’ll also hear us discuss:
*How the compass for most of Sheri’s life has been misery (misery!!) but how she uses that to then create happiness
* Why her 20s and 30s were a ‘total sh-- show’ (this had me cracking up!) before she found her big calling
* How her jobs with O seemed so glamorous from the outside, but they were really nonstop intensity, deadlines, and overnighters.  (Wow…)
* What REALLY went down during the creation of OWN (the cable network) and how they dealt with all the negative news reports in the beginning
* Her transition from an insane pace and literally working in the dark to entrepreneurship: She’s now in charge of her creations, schedule, and desires.
* Her view on life: ‘What if 50 was the middle?’ What if there’s so much more to come? (I loved this and it had me in tears, as I’m just a few years away from 50 myself) 
* The secret Hollywood health retreat where she went to detox after closing this chapter of her career, in order to feel like she was making a fresh start
* Why Sheri doesn’t use the word ‘work’ (she calls it something else very interesting instead)
Sheri and I also cover the importance of continually pushing yourself to make your biggest dreams come true, how that little voice in your head is a story and you have the power to change it, and how you are what you dream.
You don’t want to miss this powerful interview. Head over to iTunes and listen to this episode of Glambition Radio now (or download it for later).
Xo Ali
P.S. Sheri and Nancy are bringing together their favorite teachers, experts, and thought leaders for a weekend of inspiring workshops at an upcoming LIVE retreat NEXT WEEK... You can learn more here!