Meeting Oprah Winfrey — briefly: Bartolotta gets 5 seconds with fame

You'd think from the picture that Jennifer Bartolotta and Oprah Winfrey have been close for years. In reality, it only captures an instant, but one that resulted in a great photo and memory for the prominent Milwaukee restaurant executive.

She was always inspired by Winfrey, but never made it to one of her shows, said Bartolotta, president of Train-2-Gain and head of the Bartolotta Restaurants' charitable arm.

In April, she jumped on a chance for tickets to Winfrey's "Live the Life You Want" tour — including passes to meet and have her photo taken with the talk-show icon.

Bartolotta and a friend saw Winfrey's speech, then took an elevator up to the post-show reception, where they were told to line up.

"This is actually going to happen," Bartolotta remembers thinking, "I'm going to have five seconds with Oprah in my life."

Five seconds was about all she got. But as she stood in line, Bartolotta thought about what she wanted with those few seconds, and recalled an appearance in Madison by the Dalai Lama.

"So, when it was my turn, I said, 'Actually, if you don't mind, I have a favor to ask,'" Bartolotta said.

Initially, Winfrey wasn't familiar with the request, but Bartolotta explained the Dalai Lama's traditional greeting.

"And next thing I know, she grabs my face with both of her hands," Bartolotta said. "They snap a picture, and then I'm gone."

The warmth in Winfrey's eyes and smile is evident in the photo. Bartolotta draws a bigger lesson from the brief moment.

"I think that's the beauty of someone who has spent her life living with intention, recognizing that she — as we all do — has the opportunity to impact another person," Bartolotta said. "You can light up or diminish a person's life."

Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/