Like all entrepreneurs I am always thinking of ways to grow my business, especially in this unique economy. As you know by my short little biography at the end of this article, I own a small pet supply store. So one day the brilliant idea hit me. . . . . . I need to have Oprah market me. Let me tell you how this idea came. Last month I was watching her show, just like millions of others. KFC was rolling out its new grilled chicken launch across America so everyone in her audience got free grilled chicken dinner coupons. Then she looked us in the eye and told us at home that we could download the coupons from her website for the next 24 hours. The next afternoon I did so, with much difficulty. I thought my computer was going to self destruct as millions of us were all doing the same thing at the same time. That night I took two coupons to KFC. Oh, my gosh! Cars were lined up out of the parking lot and it was really backed up. I looked at my husband and said "the power of Oprah". We went for pizza. I returned a few days later and they were out of food. . . no grilled chicken, no potatoes, no corn. They said they would not be honoring the coupon. Later I read in the paper that it had gotten out of hand and that the frenzy had briefly overwhelmed the chain. The company says the promotion was still a success. I also read that rain checks were given but I was never offered one. Perhaps I can still get one. So, as I mulled over the idea of "the power of Oprah" the next day I saw that CNBC was thinking the same thing and did a program called "The Oprah Effect". I tuned in. Here's what I learned: 44 million viewers a week tune in to Oprah; she is the most influential woman in America and at times, the world, so she is nicknamed "The Queen of Influence"; she is said to have the "Midas Touch"; her endorsement is equivalent to the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval; every book she recommends for her book club is a best seller; she is worth 2.7 billion dollars and 10.5 million KFC coupons were printed from her website on that one day. I will add that spell check on Microsoft Word accepts "Oprah". So, in this CNBC documentary a few businesses (not so unlike my own) had been given the Midas touch. In one instance she had been sent a cake which she claimed on air to be one of her "favorite things" and instantly that little cake store became huge. They had to hire people to man the thousands of phone calls they got per day. Now they are a BIG business. Oprah has a whole staff of people that just review entrepreneur's samples and requests. Lucky are those that get through. I guess my idea of her marketing my store wasn't such a new idea. I didn't know. I'm at work and don't watch Oprah until recently when I started recording and watching in the evening.

So now that I am watching, I saw the show where she brought out her new cocker spaniel puppy Sadie that she adopted from PAWS, the Chicago Humane Shelter. She showed film footage of going to the shelter and picking out the dog among others from the same litter. When she brought the puppy on stage she brought out the others and of course there were oohs and aahs from the audience and everyone wanted to adopt them. The cover of her June issue of O Magazine shows her surrounded with the puppies and other dogs from the PAWS shelter and inside is the story of the adoption drama. She did end up adopting one of the other cocker siblings named Ivan. Sadly he got parvovirus and died. Her beloved Sadie then also became sick with parvo, fought the battle and survived. I quote Oprah from the article. . . . "I wish for every citizen of this country to receive the kind of healthcare and treatment this little dog received. During the time she and Ivan spent in the hospital, I was worried and restless and got little sleep-the same as it would be with any family member. Which is what I know for sure pets represent in our lives: a connection to caring that's unconditional. And reciprocal. Puppy love. Nothing like it." Oprah lives on the 77th floor of a high rise in Chicago with Sadie and two Golden Retrievers. That should make some interesting house-training.

PAWS Chicago opened in 1997 and is the city's largest no-kill shelter. It has a state-of-the-art adoption center, where animals live in suites instead of cages and enjoy natural light, 30 foot ceilings and fresh air. Last year Oprah visited the shelter with her show for a series on puppy mills. She has sponsored a suite in memory of her late cocker spaniel, Sophie. According to O Magazine the pale yellow room is painted with tufts of grass, has a chandelier and a painted banner with words "In honor of my beloved Sophie". Pets make you smile.