For more than 25 years, Dominique Sachse has been one of Houston’s most familiar faces. The celebrated anchor for KPRC Channel 2 has been a steady force in the ever-changing mediascape, consistently delivering nightly news in a calm and measured demeanor.
Her work has earned her two Emmys, a host of local awards, and the status as arguably the Bayou City’s most-loved TV personality, one who hails from the Memorial area and has never left her hometown — despite offers to work elsewhere. She’s equally celebrated for her glamour and poise and steady presence in Houston’s society scene and as an in-demand host and presenter.
But it’s her more recent work on YouTube that’s generating serious buzz. “For the past 25 years, I’ve answered viewers’ hair, makeup, and style questions through email or social media,” she says, “but I knew there had to be a way to be more impactful and reach a greater number of women.”
In April 2014, Sachse launched her YouTube channel, where she shares beauty and style tips (often without wearing makeup) in a candid, down-home, and relatable manner from the perspective of a busy, working mother. The formula has paid off: women have swarmed to the channel and as of October 2019, she is celebrating her one millionth subscriber.
Now, the networks have taken notice and on Monday, October 7, Sachse will appear on the fourth hour of NBC’s Today show to discuss her social media stardom and her desire to empower women here and beyond. CultureMap caught up with the anchor as she prepares for her national TV moment.
CultureMap: Congratulations on your millionth Youtube subscriber and your Today show appearance. How did the Today show appearance come about?
Dominique Sachse: Thank you! I was contacted by one of the producers, and almost didn’t believe the email when I saw it. We went back and forth, and then I mentioned I would be in New York the weekend of October 5 for a wedding, and maybe we could schedule it around that. That’s how we set on the October 7 date.
CM: How does it feel to be recognized on Today for your accomplishments?
DS: Surreal, unbelievable, and truly a God moment. I will share this with you: It had always been my dream to be on the Today show. I prayed about it often when I was younger and in the beginning stages of my career.
Twenty-five years have passed, and here I am with this invitation to appear and talk about something so precious and important to me. I get to spread the word that there’s this middle-aged woman on YouTube [me] who wants to reach other women in her demographic to remind them they are beautiful, worthy and important.
CM: The cold reality in TV news is that some women are intimidated by female anchors. Yet women adore you. What do you think it is about you that makes the female public warm to you the way they do?
DS: I treat each viewer as if she’s my friend. I’m not afraid to be real and transparent. I will laugh at myself, show empathy when a story warrants, conduct myself professionally, and keep things classy in terms of appearance and language. But basically, I’m a humble person, and my job doesn’t make me any more special than anyone else.
CM: To that end, when in your career did you realize that you had become a role model to women?
DS: When students started reaching out to me for career advice and mentoring in the news business. Then, when I launched my YouTube channel, I started to see that the impact was so much greater than the physical changes women were making.
It accelerated my desire to expand the brand into more beauty and lifestyle — to share things along the way that have worked for me, including health and wellness, organization, creating a beautiful space, practicing self-care and faith, keeping it classy in terms of wardrobe and manner. It’s about the whole woman and believing she’s worthy of time and effort invested.
CM: Your Youtube channel is a bona fide smash, thanks in part to your candid approach. What’s it like to go makeup free for millions: terrifying — or liberating?
DS: Something funny happened to me when I turned 50, I just didn’t care anymore. When I was in my 20s, I wouldn’t set foot outside without makeup. But as I got older, maturity and wisdom set in.
It’s like an exhale in life, letting go and not worrying about what others think. What I have developed and cultivated within is far more important. It is liberating, and my self esteem is the same whether I’m makeup-free or with my full warpaint on.
CM: What is some of the feedback you’re getting on your YouTube page that especially sticks with you?
DS: When women write to me about how they initially changed their make-up, or maybe cut off all their hair and the compliments they've received. Then they take it further and change the way they eat, start exercising and update their wardrobe.
Then come the personal and deep changes, where they go after passions that have been lying dormant and have discovered true joy and purpose in their lives again. These notes, letters, and emails are precious to me and bring me to tears.
CM: What is your ultimate goal for the YouTube channel? It seems like it’s become a one-stop lifestyle hub, full of all kinds of life advice.
DS: Simple: to keep reaching and impacting women to live their best lives.
CM: How have you managed to balance all that you do and still manage to be present for your son, Styles, your husband, Nick, and your family?
DS: My family comes first, and they know how hard I work to pull it all together. They are my joy and foundation and rarely will I let something get in the way of family time. Now mind you, they’re all teenagers and older, so it’s more about them fitting me into their schedule these days! Nick and I also have our moms here, so they round out The Brady Bunch. We are truly blessed.
CM: If you could go back to the early stages of your career and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
DS: To be patient with the process. Every role in every job is an opportunity to grow. Sometimes we want to move things along quicker than we are ready. It’s in those prolonged and somewhat uncomfortable stages where we stretch and develop. They are necessary for building character, work ethic and skill.
As I reflect on my KPRC career, I worked practically every shift, for a good amount of time, to learn what I needed to be ready for the next. I am grateful to the station for this perfect pacing.
CM: You’re an inspiration to many. Any advice for the woman out there who wants to emulate your success in life, but is running into obstacles or challenges?
DS: I think people in general give up too easily on things. We are living in a society of instant gratification and are forgetting about the importance of patience. Expect obstacles and know they are there as a test.
It’s a weeding out process, and the person who has the most drive, hunger and willingness to push forward with a kind heart and a smile on her face will be the one, who, in my opinion, breaks through.
Dominique Sachse has been a trusted face in Houston TV for more than 25 years.
