Pictured: Paulina Porizkova, recipient of the 2023 SRQ Women Who Roar Trailblazer Award. Photo by Daniel Wagner/Wagner Visuals.

On Friday, October 27th, SRQ MEDIA hosted its 8th Annual Together We Roar Leadership & Awards Luncheon at Michael’s on East to recognize exceptional women in the region. The celebration featured a pop-up boutique salon with fabulous gifts from Camilyn Beth, PAINT Nail Bar, Saks Fifth Avenue, Discover Sarasota Tours Gift Shop, BookStore1, Driftwood Beach Home and Garden, Lilly Pulitzer and Salt of the Earth.

The ceremony opened with welcoming remarks from Lisl Liang, President, CEO/ Editor in Chief of SRQ Media Group who thanked event sponsors, Micheal’s on East, Saks Fifth Avenue, The Ritz Carlton, Diamond Vault, Sarasota Trophy, Dolphin Transportation Specialists, Brsh Salon and Tropical Interiors Florist. She introduced champion partner/sponsor, Steve Altier of United Community Bank, and then went on to recognize the current members of the Women Who Roar Leadership Circle from 2014-today who were in attendance at the event.

Ashley Grant, SRQ Media’s Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Engagement then took the stage to introduce Leisa Peterson, recipient of the 2023 SRQ Women Who Roar Illuminator Award. Peterson is a visionary dedicated to transforming millions of lives through heightened financial consciousness. As a facilitator, strategic advisor and author of The Mindful Millionaire, Peterson's journey is marked by an unwavering commitment to personal growth. In her speech, she reminisced about a time in her teenage years when she tried out for her school’s song leading team despite not feeling talented enough. She recalled with gratitude how her friends never gave up on her. “It was that group of girls who truly saved me by taking me in and helping me persist and improve,” she said. “Their power to uplift me even when it was tough really inspired me, and here I am today feeling that love and support once again. Those girls showed me the power we have to uplift each other and they ignited an inner fire that continues to burn inside of me.” She encouraged the audience to choose a path of light in the darkness and dedicated her award to all the women supporting other women.

The 2023 Trailblazer Award was presented to Paulina Porizkova, model and author of No Filter: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful, and an advocate for celebrating women of every age. “I have a goal in mind and that goal is for us to all be exactly who we are,” she said. “It’s not for us to change ourselves to please society, it is for society to see us for the beauty we have. In order to do that, we have to be the women who roar, get the attention and then hold hands and band together to let the world know that we are a different kind of beautiful and we ain’t going away.”

Following Porizkova’s speech, Blair Bloomston of Game on Nation led the audience in an interactive presentation bringing lots of cheers and camaraderie. The special afternoon came to a close with the presentation of the 2023 Leadership Circle awards.

Pictured: Paulina Porizkova, recipient of the 2023 SRQ Women Who Roar Trailblazer Award. Photo by Daniel Wagner/Wagner Visuals.