The Oprah Podcast
Episode: Growing Your Passion into a Business with Oprah and Jürgen Ingels
Date: February 10, 2026
Host: Oprah Winfrey
Guest: Jürgen Ingels (Tech entrepreneur, venture capitalist, author of Start, Grow, Sell)
Overview
In this episode, Oprah Winfrey sits down with renowned Belgian tech entrepreneur Jürgen Ingels, author of Start, Grow, Sell, to discuss how passion and life experiences can be transformed into thriving businesses. They explore Ingels’ entrepreneurial journey, key business and life lessons, actionable tips from his book, and candid advice for budding and seasoned entrepreneurs alike. The episode also features two inspiring listener Q&As highlighting challenges and mindset shifts pivotal for mission-driven businesswomen. The conversation is energizing, practical, and deeply human—combining tactical wisdom with heartfelt inspiration.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Origin Stories: Turning Restrictions into Opportunity
[00:00–06:57]
- Shared upbringings: Both Oprah and Jürgen recount having strict fathers, which unexpectedly became catalysts for their respective talents—speaking and organizing.
- Ingels’ workaround: At 16, denied late-night partying, Jürgen negotiated to organize his own parties, eventually scaling from small gatherings to citywide events.
- Notable Quote [05:18] — Oprah: “The lesson...you want to be able to get around that. You are an enterprising teenager who then decides, I’m going to just create parties, invent parties for other people.”
- Key lesson: “Nothing you’ve ever done is lost.” Early challenges can be formative building blocks for future ventures.
2. Focusing on Talent vs. Sterile Mediocrity
[07:37–08:38]
- Challenging conformity: Ingels describes how traditional education aims for “average,” urging listeners to double down on their unique strengths instead.
- Quote [07:37] — Jurgen Ingels: “What you see...I’ve been educated to be average. And average is not wrong. But...today, average is not good enough anymore because you...compete with the rest of the world.”
- Building Teams: Surround yourself with people similarly strong in their domains; don’t waste time patching weaknesses.
- Oprah’s emphasis: “You’re one of those people who did the things you didn’t want to do and turned that into something that was more palatable for you.” [08:38]
3. Extracting Lessons from Every Experience
[08:38–12:28]
- Ingels details his transition from engineering to social sciences, necessity of working at ‘the Quick’ (Belgian fast food), and selling class notes—each experience teaching resilience, teamwork, and opportunity-spotting.
- Quote [10:22] — Jurgen Ingels: “I had to work 30 hours a week, so I couldn’t always go to the lessons…then I started, like, commercializing the notes.”
- Curiosity as a business driver: Ingels’ penchant for asking “Why is that?” sparked the founding of Clear2Pay.
- Inventing from need: Problem-solving often originates from a genuine desire to understand inefficiencies or obstacles.
4. Building and Selling a Business—Is It Luck?
[12:01–13:13]
- Clear2Pay story: Ingels describes turning curiosity into a global payments company, which sold to FIS.
- The myth of luck: He acknowledges luck but also stresses repeatable frameworks: “Can you do this again? ... I try to help those companies to be as successful. Because I believe...you can actually squeeze time and be more successful by using your experience…” [12:28]
5. Practical Tips: The Power of the Extra Mile
[15:27–19:18]
- Team choices: Your initial partners are crucial—don’t default to friends or convenient options; balance backgrounds.
- Quote [15:56] — Jurgen Ingels: “If you start a business and you have business partners, you really have to choose the right people that you can work with.”
- Underestimating costs and timelines: Always add 30–50% to initial estimates for costs and time to avoid cashflow crises. [16:41]
- Oprah: “Whatever they tell you ... add a third to a half more and sometimes it’s even longer.”
- Ingels’ “Extra Mile” Formula:
“If you work one extra three-hour block weekly, that adds up to a full extra month a year. Imagine what you could achieve if you had your own 13th month.” [18:10]- Oprah: “Going the extra mile actually creates extra miles in the future.”
6. Entrepreneurship & Work-Life Balance
[19:40–20:48]
- Sacrifices required: Both agree that achieving early business success often precludes work-life balance; the first five years are “really tough.”
- Quote [20:24] — Oprah: “There is a certain time period where you’re building momentum, and that momentum matters.”
- Jurgen Ingels: “Most successful entrepreneurs…just have worked harder than the rest.”
7. Listener Q&A: Real-World Entrepreneurial Challenges
a. Sana (Massachusetts): Mission-Driven Growth & Asking for Money
[21:57–29:19]
- Sana’s Story: Overcame childhood trauma, left finance to open a woman- and community-focused boutique, Happy on Main. Finds it “harder to ask for money than...to talk about my abuse.”
- Ingels' advice:
- “Focus on showing the added value of what you provide, work out KPIs, and let happy customers advocate for you. The money will flow if you deliver genuine value and tell your story.” [25:34]
- Oprah’s emotional endorsement:
“Your children are here to help you rise to the best of yourself...I cannot let this moment pass without saying how proud I am of you as a woman...you did that for your son, your daughters, their future children, the children in your community...” [27:05–28:39] - On asking for investment:
- Ingels: “Make a great business plan. Tell a story. Catch the imagination of the investor—it’s not just about bare facts.” [30:28]
- Jurgen on women founders: “We actually push women because women always say, ‘Ah, maybe I cannot do it.’...Giving that extra push is important.” [31:17]
b. Ashley (Virginia Beach): Keys to Expansion and Scaling Sustainably
[31:53–35:55]
- Ashley’s Story: Founder of Tones of Melanin (HBCU advocacy apparel), Shark Tank alum, wants to scale and diversify.
- Ingels’ three keys to expanding:
- Watch your cash position—expansion consumes cash for inventory, payment terms, etc.
- Be scrutinous about hiring—ensure cultural and value fit.
- Set up scalable systems early (financial, operational)—avoid costly rebuilds later. [33:00]
- Ashley’s vision: Broaden to pro sports apparel licensing for representation.
- Oprah: “What’s your bigger dream for your business?”
- Ashley: “Create products for pro sports teams...There aren’t too many black retailers with licenses.” [35:23]
8. When Is the “Right” Time to Start a Business?
[36:26–37:28]
- The sweet spot: Age 45—not 20—is statistically the prime time to start ventures due to stronger networks and experience.
- Ingels: “If you’re 45, you have a network...In life, it’s important what you know, but it’s much more important who you know.” [36:32]
- Squeezing time: The most successful founders leverage experience and networks to move faster.
9. Passion: The Irreplaceable Fuel
[37:28–39:12]
- Quote from the book:
“Passion is far and away the most crucial characteristic...If you don’t have this passion, there isn’t really much point in trying to become an entrepreneur.” [37:28] - Oprah: “It’s the thing that keeps you going when it seems like nothing else is working out.” [38:04]
- Problems are inevitable: Expect and prepare for setbacks—success depends on perseverance and networked support.
10. Leading with 'Why' & Financial Vigilance
[39:12–41:59]
- Ingels’ management tip: Respond to all asks with, “Why?”—forces team clarity and better decision-making.
- Oprah: “Mine is intention—come to me with the intention, and I can see if I can satisfy that intention or align with that intention.” [40:37]
- Sign every check: Both stress the importance of knowing your numbers and reviewing invoices personally.
- Oprah: “There’s a price to be you and to run your business. And nobody else knows what that is.” [41:59]
- Prepare for crisis: Maintain at least six months of operating costs with no revenue—expect the unexpected (referencing 2008 crash). [42:42–43:47]
11. Dreaming Big with Supernova
[43:53–45:05]
- Shoot for the Moon: Ingels founded the Supernova conference to inspire others to dream big and articulate their “North Star”—dreaming realistically but boldly.
- Ingels: “Think about where do you want to go, what do you want to achieve in life. And yes, shoot for the moon…” [44:10]
12. Final Reflections: What is a Well-Lived Life?
[45:30–47:03]
- Inspiration and giving back: Jürgen finds fulfillment in helping others pursue their dreams and pushing the “rock” of the world even a little in the right direction.
- Quote [45:30] — Jurgen Ingels: “Give something back...The nicest thing for me is...to see that what you’re taught about and what people said to you, you’re crazy...If you then push through and you see that as a success. That I think is important and obviously, have fun while doing it.”
- Oprah’s sendoff: The book is not only about business but “life lessons”—and a reminder to “Go well, everybody.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Oprah [05:18]: "The lesson for this is, you're told you can't have a party, you can't stay out late at parties...you are an enterprising teenager who then decides, I'm going to just create parties, invent parties for other people."
- Jürgen Ingels [07:37]: "I've been educated to be average. And average is not wrong. But...today, average is not good enough anymore because you have to actually compete with the rest of the world."
- Oprah [18:10]: “Going the extra mile actually creates extra miles in the future.”
- Jürgen Ingels [25:34]: “Focus on showing the added value of what you provide, work out KPIs, and let happy customers advocate for you.”
- Oprah [27:05]: "Your children are here to help you rise to the best of yourself...you did that for your son, your daughters, their future children, the children in your community.”
- Jürgen Ingels [36:32]: “If you're 45, you have a network...it's much more important who you know.”
- Jürgen Ingels [37:28]: “Passion is far and away the most crucial characteristic. You have to have the sacred fire within you.”
- Oprah [41:59]: “Cause there's a price to be you and to run your business. And nobody else knows what that is.”
- Jürgen Ingels [45:30]: “For me...inspire people to say, okay, go for it, but also give back. Pay it forward, give something back to people.”
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [00:00] – Shared origin stories
- [06:57] – How constraints led to entrepreneurship
- [07:37] – “Sterile mediocrity” and focusing on talent
- [10:22] – Ingels’ early side hustle selling notes
- [12:01] – Founding and selling Clear2Pay; myth of pure luck
- [15:27] – Choosing business partners and budgeting realistically
- [18:10] – Ingels’ “extra mile” formula
- [19:40] – Sacrifice and work-life balance
- [21:57] – Listener Q&A: Sana, mission-driven businesses, asking for money
- [31:53] – Listener Q&A: Ashley, expansion and scaling
- [36:32] – Best age to start a business—45, not 20!
- [37:28] – Passion as the ultimate driver
- [39:12] – Always ask “why”—the management secret
- [41:18] – Financial control and signing every check
- [42:42] – Preparing for economic crisis
- [44:10] – The purpose behind Supernova: Dream big, shoot for the moon
- [45:30] – What makes a well-lived life?
Summary Verdict
This episode is a goldmine for entrepreneurs at any stage. Through personal stories, hard-won lessons, and heartfelt listener advice, Oprah and Jurgen Ingels embody the transformative power of passion, perseverance, and strategic focus. Whether you’re hustling at a startup, scaling up, or dreaming of your “turn,” this conversation offers both the mental frameworks and the emotional encouragement to help you go further—one extra mile at a time.