The final scramble for an 'Oprah moment'

With Oprah's show winding up, authors, entrepreneurs, and self-help purveyors are all hoping for a coveted spot on her couch, says Stephanie Rosenbloom at The New York Times  

Oprah's endorsement has helped propel the stardom of Rachel Ray as well as products like the body-sucking undergarments Spanx.
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For those fearing the "Oprah-calypse" — that day, in May 2011, when daytime queen of talk Oprah Winfrey will stop taping her long-running network TV show — repentance isn't as important as aggressive persistence. Oprah's golden touch has boosted countless entrepreneurs, writers, and self-help gurus over her 25 years on the air, says Stephanie Rosenbloom in The New York Times, and those who haven't made it onto Oprah's couch — like Stacy Igel, fashion designer for the Boy Meets Girl label — are madly scrambling to secure a slot before time runs out. Here's an excerpt:

Ms. Igel, who has adopted the slogan "Passion. Drive. Oprah!" as a personal and professional mantra (you'll find it on the Facebook page of her company), routinely pitches a producer at the show with whom she went to college. And she is considering having her brother-in-law, who she said lives in the same building as Ms. Winfrey's close friend Gayle King, slip Ms. King some Boy Meets Girl merchandise — though the idea makes her uneasy.

"That's a little aggressive for me," she said.

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Aggression, however, is probably warranted. The clock is ticking for those who envision themselves as the next Phil McGraw, Dr. Mehmet Oz, or Rachael Ray... "They're scrambling," said Susan Harrow, a California-based media coach who for decades has received so many "get me on Oprah" requests from writers, entrepreneurs, and even a Mafioso’s son, that she decided to write a handbook, "The Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah," which she sells for $99 (you read that correctly).

Read the entire article at The New York Times.

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