AJ Daulerio, the former Gawker editor infamous for his role in the site's demise and controversial journalism, has undergone a radical transformation. Now 10 years sober and managing bipolar disorder, he's building 'The Small Bow,' a media company dedicated to addiction recovery, while grappling with the challenge of growing a business without resurrecting the ego that once led to his downfall.
AJ Daulerio, once a digital media visionary and later the disgraced editor of Gawker, has embarked on a profound journey of redemption. After a tumultuous decade marked by addiction, bipolar disorder, and the public scrutiny surrounding Gawker's collapse, Daulerio has achieved 10 years of sobriety. He now adheres to a rigorous daily recovery regimen that includes meditation, journaling, Brazilian jujitsu, multiple therapy sessions, recovery meetings, and a carefully managed cocktail of psychotropic medications. Daulerio's 'second act' is centered around 'The Small Bow,' a newsletter he launched in 2018. This platform serves as a 'living amends' for his past, where he chronicles his recovery from drug and alcohol addiction through unsparingly honest and vulnerable first-person essays. He has built a devout following and is now expanding 'The Small Bow' into a multiplatform media company aimed at providing wisdom and guidance to individuals struggling with various addictions and mental health issues. His past career at Deadspin and Gawker saw him break controversial stories, such as the Brett Favre penis photos and the Hulk Hogan sex tape, which garnered immense traffic but also led to ethical criticisms and, ultimately, Gawker's bankruptcy. Daulerio acknowledges his past ego-driven impulses and the 'lonesomeness' that fueled his self-destructive behavior. A central dilemma for him now is how to grow 'The Small Bow'—which relies heavily on his personal story—without falling back into the self-promoting, ego-inflating traps of his previous career. Key to his recovery has been making amends, including a poignant reconciliation with Jenn Sterger, the recipient of the Favre photos. 'The Small Bow' has also attracted celebrities like Jerry O'Connell and Alex Winter, who have shared their own sobriety journeys on its podcast, praising Daulerio's radical candor. He envisions 'The Small Bow' as a 'trade magazine for the recovery industry,' selling subscriptions to recovery facilities and broadening its scope beyond alcohol to include sex, shopping, gambling, weed, depression, and bipolar disorder. Daulerio views his past professional and personal downfall, including the Hulk Hogan trial, as essential to the creation of 'The Small Bow.' Personally, success now means quality time with his family, the spiritual opposite of his past avoidance of home. Professionally, it means rediscovering his love of writing, doing it consistently, and serving the recovery community he has cultivated, calling it 'the best work I've ever done.'
