Life and Work with Laurie Dhue

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurie Dhue.

Laurie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
If my name looks familiar, perhaps that’s because I served as an anchor on all three major cable news networks: CNN, MSNBC and Fox News Channel. I grew up here in Atlanta and started interning at CNN after sophomore year at UNC Chapel Hill. Upon graduation, I started working at CNN and within six years became one of the youngest anchors in the network’s history. My TV news career then took me to New York City, where I anchored on MSNBC, NBC, and Fox. During much of my 20-year career, I was living a secret, painful, sad life battling alcoholism and drug addiction. My disease almost killed me, but on March 14, 2007, I made the life-saving decision to get sober and have never looked back. Since 2011, I have served as a national advocate for addiction and recovery, traveling all over the country to share my experience, strength and hope with a wide variety of audiences. I have spoken twice at the White House, during both the Obama and Trump administrations. I work closely with several recovery advocacy groups, including Shatterproof and SheRecovers. I’m also a proud board member of Kennesaw State University’s Center for Young Adult Addiction and Recovery (CYAAR). I am a Certified Recovery Specialist and am in the process of receiving certification to perform interventions. I recently founded Dhue Together, which aims to help individuals and families address addiction in a proactive, supportive and practical way.

I am honored to work closely with several national recovery advocacy groups, including She Recovers and Shatterproof. In fact, I am the Honorary Chair for Shatterproof’s Atlanta “Rise Up Against Addiction” 5K walk/run this Saturday, November 3rd in our beautiful Piedmont Park. The 5K is a terrific opportunity for the Atlanta community to come together and celebrate women and men in recovery, honor those who have died, and help end the stigma that is so unfairly attached to the disease of addiction. We have nearly a thousand participants signed up so far and encourage anyone and everyone reading this to sign up at: www.shatterproof5k.org. Addiction touches so many individuals and families in the greater Atlanta area; we want to shine a light and let people know that recovery works. I am one of 23 million people in this country who are living proof!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My life got infinitely easier and happier once I quit drinking and using drugs. Most of my struggles came when I was in denial about my disease. Once I admitted that I was sick, asked for help and began the journey of recovery, my life changed almost overnight. One of the biggest challenges I face as Recovery Advocate is helping people understand that addiction is not a moral issue or a character defect; it is a public health and human rights issue. Fighting stigma associated with addiction has now become my life’s work. While I’m grateful for all of the life-changing experiences I had during my 20+ years in the news business, I found my true purpose in life in my 40s and it feels great. For young women just starting their professional journeys, here’s some advice: tap into your inner confidence; believe that you are good enough and smart enough to achieve anything you want, no matter what anyone else might tell you; get yourself some mentors and LISTEN TO THEM so you can learn from them. You need people who’ve got your back. And here’s what no one told me: women can be really nasty to each other out of jealousy, insecurity or both. I’ve been sabotaged by many women in my career and personal life. If a woman betrays you, move on immediately. And finally: get yourself a good therapist.

Please tell us about Dhue Together.
Many people remember me for my time as the TV news anchor, but now people are learning to know me as a national recovery advocate and specialist. That makes me happy and grateful. While most of my advocacy experience has been on the speaking circuit, I am very excited to now have the certification to help individuals and families learn how to address addiction issues. I find family systems incredibly interesting; understanding family history is an essential part of a successful recovery process. I think a couple of things sent me apart: first, I am in recovery myself, so I know firsthand the pain, shame, and helplessness that people are struggling with. That gives me an important perspective. Second, I am incredibly honest and don’t sugarcoat anything. I’m going, to tell the truth, no matter what. Third, I had a career as a seasoned and skilled communicator in the first half of my life. My experience in the public eye has given me the ability to communicate on every level: corporate settings, schools, women’s groups, rehabs, conferences, and even the White House.

Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
I think one of the biggest barriers to female leadership is self-doubt. Perhaps that’s the first thing I thought of because of my own struggles with thinking I’m not good enough. Sometimes I am my own worst enemy, something echoed by many women on many different levels. We’ve got to believe in ourselves, even when we think we are failing and the chips are down. Self-confidence and self-love are absolutely vital to our success. Self-flagellation does absolutely no good; we’ve got enough people putting us down that we can’t afford to put ourselves down, right? I also think some of the other biggest barriers are: being treated equally and receiving equal pay (yes, even in 2018 and even with all the attention on pay parity); making our way to the C-Suite; dwelling on negative thoughts; and perfectionism (most men are not nearly as hard on themselves as we are on ourselves). The bottom line is: trust yourself and your own voice. You have so much more power than you think you do!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @lauriedhue
• Facebook: Laurie Dhue
• Twitter: @DhueTogether

Image Credit:
Laurie Dhue

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