Josie's Juice: Kirsty Spraggon: 'The Next Oprah'

Sunday 11 August 2013

Kirsty Spraggon: 'The Next Oprah'

Kirsty Spraggon is a name to remember. She's an Australian woman making huge inroads in the US. Here's Kirsty:

I saw this clip on the weekend 'Today' show in Australia recently, and was very keen to know more about her:

So... I popped her a line. And I was introduced to the warm, engaging, friendly and super-inspiring world of Kirsty Spraggon.

I mean, anyone dubbed "The Next Oprah" - who happens to be an Aussie - is important on my radar.

I interviewed Kirsty just for Josie's Juice on her journey so far. Here's what she said:

Josie's Juice: Tell me about the journey that led you from Perth to Sydney?

Kirsty Spraggon: October 3rd, 2007, and it’s a glorious sunny day in Perth. I am out by the lake running and “destination unknown” is playing on my ipod. I am singing while I run with my hands in the air. I feel so free and I don’t have a care in the world.

A week before my life had changed and change can happen in seconds, moments, days or years but for me it happened in seconds. There I was at the height of my career in real estate at the top of my field, ranked in the top 1 percent globally and I was living the dream. I had a successful career. I had invested we’ll from a young age. I had a gorgeous convertible, so hot! I was traveling the world while having three months off a year and most importantly I was able to contribute back through charity work. Yet I wasn’t completely happy I had this niggling feeling that something was missing. I felt I wasn’t living my purpose.

As I was sitting in a hotel room in Melbourne, I asked myself the question: "What could you change in your life?". So I started writing on the hotel pad. What if I decided to follow my dream. What would need to change. It may sound strange but I had never thought about other options. I think sometimes we can get stuck in a box. A role in life or a certain identity and thats how we see ourselves or how other people see us. I was Kirsty the successful real estate agent. When I started to think about it what I realised was I had other options, other choices. Within seconds my life changed as I realised the possibilities and the opportunities I had available to me.

I made the decision to take a risk, a leap of faith and believe in me. To go and live my purpose I felt so strongly drawn to. To become a speaker, author and TV host. I returned home two days later and resigned before I could change my mind. It has been the most extraordinary journey. Not a day goes by when I dont feel exhilarated and challenged. I have no regrets and am so glad I took that leap of faith. It was life changing.

And the journey from Sydney to the US?

Once I got to Sydney I started to feel like I was supposed to go to America but I didn’t feel emotionally ready. As much as I had no regrets. Dont get me wrong it hadn’t been easy. There had been plenty of tears. Leaving everything I knew, my family, friends, home and going from the pinnacle of my success back to the bottom of the food chain. Starting all over again. It was the most challenging difficult time for me but out of that comes strength, resilience, learning and growth. I learned what I am capable of.

So once I felt strong enough to make the next jump. I did.

It’s been 18 months since I sold everything I owned, at the height of my career in Australia and moved across the planet with 2 suitcases to Los Angeles, or “Lala Land” as some like to call it to build a talkshow.

What was the catalyst for you to head into the journey you are on now?

I can’t really explain it in any way other than to say I felt divinely guided. Where other career moves have really been jobs & work in some way or another the inner drive around this felt more like a calling, an inner knowing that this was what I was supposed to be doing. That sense was what gave me the initial momentum to just do it.

I wish that sentence was longer, more profound and not as easy for people to throw away because that cliche is gold! Keep in mind that I am not super human and building a show without any experience as a host, or interviewer and no camera training whatsoever, has left me paralysed with fear at times.

If I were to sum up my toughest times, I would say that Sir Edmund Hillary said it best, “It’s not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves.” It really has been about conquering myself emotionally and mentally.

What keeps me going at even the most challenging of times is that ‘inner knowing’ that this is what I am supposed to do, an inner guidance that keeps pushing me forwards.

I saw you on Today show in Australia dubbed as 'The Next Oprah'. What does this tag mean to you?

I think it is a huge compliment that Oprah has left such a mark on the talk show space that anyone entering in, is always compared.

However there is only one ‘O’ and I plan to be the "Next Kirsty". I am a huge Oprah fan and can only hope to have half the career she has had. Oprah has conducted over 30,000 interviews over a 25 year career. I on the other hand, am just at the beginning of my journey. I certainly hope to follow in her footsteps in terms of sharing meaningful stories that are important to tell and help people heal.

I hope to look back one day & to have left a legacy such as Oprah's and to have made such a difference in the world is something I certainly aspire to.

What’s happening with you right now – explain to those who are unfamiliar with you.

We’ll we launched 10 weeks ago now. We are on our 10th interview up and we share 1 story a

week an interview with a guest, a couch group discussion on the topic and an expert

conversation. Every week our number of viewers grows at warp speed, it has been such an

exciting time.

We have been filming in my apartment I started with 2 camera guys and now have a small crew of 7.

There are over 80 interviews available online. I have chatted with everyone from celebrities to experts, speakers, authors and every day people whom all share thier personal stories.

New videos go up every Tuesday and Thursday (Los Angeles time) at 3pm. Our channel is at http://www.youtube.com/KirstySpraggonTV

What’s your plan for the next 12 months?

The show is constantly evolving as I learn and grow. I would love to go live on air with a 1 hour

format. One of the biggest plans is to partner with a corporate sponsor so that we can start

filming in a studio and have live audiences to the show, where guests can interact with the

audience.

What do you ultimately hope to achieve?

We are all about the power of sharing stories. I believe when people share their stories they

heal themselves and they heal others. So I want to help people heal.

My hope is that people will feel less alone, and see themselves in someone elses story. I want

for everyone to be at peace with who they are warts and all and to learn, grow and heal.

You can connect on several platforms with Kirsty: