Oprah Reveals How One Person’s Belief CHANGED Her Entire Life

"Nobody but nobody can make it out here alone." In this powerful conversation, Oprah Winfrey shares how one teacher's attention saved her life during her darkest years and why being "seen" is the greatest gift one human can give another. Most people know Oprah as a voice of wisdom, but she wasn't always the woman we see today. In this premiere episode of "The Person Who Believed In Me," she sits down with Emmy-winning journalist David Begnaud to share the origin of her resilience - the lonely, introverted 13-year-old sitting in a chaotic cafeteria with a book, and the teacher named Mr. Abrams who saw something in her that she hadn't yet seen in herself. The conversation gets honest about the gap between who the world says you are and who you know you can be. Oprah opens up about overcoming the trauma of her youth and the moment she realized her past didn't have to define her future. If you've ever felt invisible or questioned whether you belonged, this conversation will remind you that one person's belief can change everything. It's a reminder that nobody makes it out here alone - and that you might be that person for someone else. Chapters ☀️ Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:04:05 Discovering a rare photo of Mr Abrams 00:06:04 Finding resilient girls with the it factor 00:09:34 The lunchroom conversations that changed everything 00:12:07 Nobody Makes It Alone: Oprah Reads Maya Angelou's Poem 00:14:07 The Deep Power of Being Truly Seen 00:16:30 Before Oprah Believed in Herself: The Truth She Was Hiding 00:19:34 "I See Something in You and I Know You Can Do Better" 00:25:55 The Contest That Changed Everything: The Barbara Walters Moment 00:36:18 When Did Oprah Truly Begin to Believe in Herself? 00:44:35 "What Are You Running From?" The Teacher Who Changed David's Life ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called “America’s storyteller.” In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Oprah Winfrey Executive Producers: Ellen Rocamora, Olivier Delfosse Associate Producers: Griffen Hamilton, Jonah Johnson Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Social: Mariah Maull Director of Photography: Foster Parks Theme Music: Slipstream Get more stories that remind you the world is still good: www.thedogoodcrew.com Thank you to Canva for believing in the power of storytelling and helping us bring this podcast to life: https://canva.com CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast David Begnaud: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidbegnaud/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@davidbegnaud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidBegnaud/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@davidbegnaud X: https://x.com/davidbegnaud Do Good Crew: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogood/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dogoodstory Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dogoodstory Oprah Winfrey: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oprah/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@oprah Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Oprah