Beth McDonough
Keynote Speaker: Recovery & Resilience Expert; Author of the Memoir "STANDBY"; Former Investigative Reporter
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Beth McDonough Biography
Beth McDonough is a dynamic and insightful speaker specializing in recovery, resilience, narrative leadership, and personal reinvention. With over 30 years of experience as a journalist and investigative reporter across major U.S. television markets—including Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and Houston—McDonough has witnessed firsthand how telling stories can reshape lives. Her expertise lies in navigating trauma, addiction recovery, and identity transformation; she guides audiences toward embracing vulnerability, reclaiming self-worth, and turning setbacks into springboards.
Her debut memoir, "Standby," chronicles her highly public fall from grace—losing her beloved TV news career and home—and her courageous journey to rebuild. McDonough is an in-demand keynote speaker for corporate events, leadership summits, and wellness conferences, and has worked with Fortune 500 clients, nonprofit organizations, and recovery-focused initiatives to deliver tailored, inspiring messages. In addition to her media background, she has received recognition for her advocacy in mental health and recovery at the Hazelden Betty Ford Center. Her powerful narrative and authenticity consistently leave audiences motivated, uplifted, and ready to rewrite their own stories. As good as she is with the written word, she's even better in person.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Beth McDonough and other top speakers and celebrities.
Beth McDonough Speaking Topics
Addiction doesn’t just take away habits—it strips away identity, relationships, and self-worth. In this keynote, Beth McDonough shares her own journey from a celebrated TV journalist to the devastation of two DUIs, public downfall, and the long road back to freedom. Drawing from her lived experience and the themes of her memoir "Standby," she offers a candid look at shame, resilience, and the power of second chances. Audiences will walk away with practical insights into navigating recovery, reframing setbacks as opportunities, and embracing vulnerability as a strength.
What do you do when your greatest mistakes play out in the public eye? Beth McDonough, once a high-profile TV journalist, faced that reality after two DUIs led to her firing, financial ruin, and a very public fall from grace. Instead of letting collapse define her, she chose reinvention—transforming shame into resilience and rediscovering her purpose beyond the newsroom. In this keynote, Beth explores what it means to rebuild when everyone has seen you break, and how to cultivate courage, authenticity, and strength in the aftermath. Her story offers both practical strategies and hard-won wisdom for anyone navigating failure, public or private. Audiences will learn how to shift from self-doubt to self-leadership, embrace vulnerability as a superpower, and harness crisis as a catalyst for profound change. Beth proves that even after the spotlight fades, you can rise again—stronger, clearer, and more grounded than ever before.
True accountability isn’t about punishment—it’s about growth, responsibility, and the courage to face ourselves. Beth McDonough knows this firsthand. After a celebrated career in broadcast journalism, her life unraveled following two DUIs and the very public consequences that came with them. Instead of running from her mistakes, she chose to confront them, rebuild her integrity, and create a new path rooted in honesty and resilience. In this keynote, Beth unpacks the transformative power of accountability: how taking responsibility restores trust, strengthens leadership, and opens the door to authentic reinvention. With candor and compassion, she shares lessons that apply to individuals, teams, and organizations alike—showing that accountability isn’t an end point, but a starting point for growth. Audiences will leave with a deeper understanding of how to embrace responsibility, navigate setbacks, and create a culture where owning mistakes becomes a foundation for lasting success.
Stories are more than words—they are the lenses through which we see ourselves and the world. As a former investigative reporter and now memoirist, Beth McDonough has spent her life uncovering, shaping, and sharing stories that matter. In this keynote, she reveals how storytelling can transform personal pain into purpose, inspire teams to align around a vision, and build authentic connections in a disconnected world. Drawing from decades in the newsroom and her own memoir "Standby," Beth illustrates how stories hold the power to dismantle shame, drive cultural change, and spark resilience. Audiences leave with practical tools for finding their voice, owning their narrative, and using story as a catalyst for healing and leadership. Whether in boardrooms, classrooms, or recovery communities, Beth shows that the right story at the right time doesn’t just inform—it transforms.
How do I book Beth McDonough to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Beth McDonough for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Beth McDonough, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Beth McDonough or any other speaker of your choice.
How much does it cost to book Beth McDonough for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Beth McDonough, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Beth McDonough are Below $10,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Beth McDonough, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
What topics does Beth McDonough speak about?
Beth McDonough is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Personal Growth, Non-Fiction Authors, Author, Inspirational, Journalist, Addiction & Recovery, Mental Health, Resilience, Overcoming Adversity and Storytelling.
Where does Beth McDonough travel from?
Beth McDonough generally travels from St. George, UT, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
Who is the agent for Beth McDonough?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Beth McDonough for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Beth McDonough for your next private or corporate function.
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Beth McDonough or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Beth McDonough is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Personal Growth, Non-Fiction Authors and Author. The estimated speaking fee range to book Beth McDonough for live events is Below $10,000, and for virtual events Below $10,000. Beth McDonough generally travels from St. George, UT, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Shannon Miller, George Worrell and Ashlee Boyson. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Beth McDonough for an upcoming event.
SPEAKING TOPICS
Beth McDonough Speaking Topics
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Addiction Recovery: Reclaiming Identity and Rewriting Your Story
Addiction doesn’t just take away habits—it strips away identity, relationships, and self-worth. In this keynote, Beth McDonough shares her own journey from a celebrated TV journalist to the devastation of two DUIs, public downfall, and the long road back to freedom. Drawing from her lived experience and the themes of her memoir "Standby," she offers a candid look at shame, resilience, and the power of second chances. Audiences will walk away with practical insights into navigating recovery, reframing setbacks as opportunities, and embracing vulnerability as a strength.
-
Reinvention
What do you do when your greatest mistakes play out in the public eye? Beth McDonough, once a high-profile TV journalist, faced that reality after two DUIs led to her firing, financial ruin, and a very public fall from grace. Instead of letting collapse define her, she chose reinvention—transforming shame into resilience and rediscovering her purpose beyond the newsroom. In this keynote, Beth explores what it means to rebuild when everyone has seen you break, and how to cultivate courage, authenticity, and strength in the aftermath. Her story offers both practical strategies and hard-won wisdom for anyone navigating failure, public or private. Audiences will learn how to shift from self-doubt to self-leadership, embrace vulnerability as a superpower, and harness crisis as a catalyst for profound change. Beth proves that even after the spotlight fades, you can rise again—stronger, clearer, and more grounded than ever before.
-
Accountabilty
True accountability isn’t about punishment—it’s about growth, responsibility, and the courage to face ourselves. Beth McDonough knows this firsthand. After a celebrated career in broadcast journalism, her life unraveled following two DUIs and the very public consequences that came with them. Instead of running from her mistakes, she chose to confront them, rebuild her integrity, and create a new path rooted in honesty and resilience. In this keynote, Beth unpacks the transformative power of accountability: how taking responsibility restores trust, strengthens leadership, and opens the door to authentic reinvention. With candor and compassion, she shares lessons that apply to individuals, teams, and organizations alike—showing that accountability isn’t an end point, but a starting point for growth. Audiences will leave with a deeper understanding of how to embrace responsibility, navigate setbacks, and create a culture where owning mistakes becomes a foundation for lasting success.
-
Storytelling
Stories are more than words—they are the lenses through which we see ourselves and the world. As a former investigative reporter and now memoirist, Beth McDonough has spent her life uncovering, shaping, and sharing stories that matter. In this keynote, she reveals how storytelling can transform personal pain into purpose, inspire teams to align around a vision, and build authentic connections in a disconnected world. Drawing from decades in the newsroom and her own memoir "Standby," Beth illustrates how stories hold the power to dismantle shame, drive cultural change, and spark resilience. Audiences leave with practical tools for finding their voice, owning their narrative, and using story as a catalyst for healing and leadership. Whether in boardrooms, classrooms, or recovery communities, Beth shows that the right story at the right time doesn’t just inform—it transforms.
FAQS
-
How do I book Beth McDonough to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Beth McDonough for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Beth McDonough, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Beth McDonough or any other speaker of your choice. -
How much does it cost to book Beth McDonough for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Beth McDonough, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Beth McDonough are Below $10,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Beth McDonough, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Beth McDonough speak about?
Beth McDonough is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Personal Growth, Non-Fiction Authors, Author, Inspirational, Journalist, Addiction & Recovery, Mental Health, Resilience, Overcoming Adversity and Storytelling. -
Where does Beth McDonough travel from?
Beth McDonough generally travels from St. George, UT, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. -
Who is the agent for Beth McDonough?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Beth McDonough for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Beth McDonough for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Beth McDonough or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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