In a roomful of Women Who Rock, it's easy to find inspiration and motivation

Suzy Fleming Leonard
Updated ·3 min read

At some point in my 20s I became one of those women who decided to become one of the guys.

Female friendships were hard. Too much drama, too much competition, too much pressure. Hanging out with the fellows seemed so much easier and low-key.

Bless my naive little heart.

Suzy Fleming Leonard, Bobbi Whitmore and Akili Phillips show off their pink outfits at the Women Who Rock Awards Luncheon at the Hilton Rialto Place in Melbourne on March 19.
Suzy Fleming Leonard, Bobbi Whitmore and Akili Phillips show off their pink outfits at the Women Who Rock Awards Luncheon at the Hilton Rialto Place in Melbourne on March 19.

As much as I fancied myself a tomboy, it didn’t take long to realize I don’t like beer, football or camping. It was a relief to rediscover a tribe of people who understood the joy of finding a good mascara and a comfortable bra, who knew how to commiserate over the pain of a broken heart or a bad case of cramps, who appreciate a good brunch.

Of course female friendships go much deeper than that.

Women also understand the frustration of attending all the same meetings and writing the same reports as the guys in the office, but still being expected to answer the phone and make the coffee.

They get the absurdity of being the only woman in the room while brainstorming ideas for reaching female customers, and being told the research doesn’t support her thoughts and suggestions.

They share the outrage when hearing about a male colleague with a middle-age paunch pushing to include tips for exercise and losing weight with a story about a new boutique that sells plus-size fashions.

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These days, I make a point of surrounding myself with smart, accomplished women. That’s why I was excited and humbled to be included among the nominees for this year’s Women Who Rock Awards, hosted by weVENTURE Women’s Business Center at Florida Tech.

As a part of the event, I got to hang out with awesome women like Julie Shipley, owner of The Soup Shop, which will open its third location in a few weeks, and Jamara Wilson Marvin, owner of Progressive Cleaning.

I met Holly Tanner, president of L.H. Construction, and Kodey Bogart, a helicopter pilot, children’s book author and air safety expert who is also CEO of KB Solutions.

And I fought back tears as weVENTURE executive director Kathryn Rudloff and Tracy Stroderd of EverythingBrevard.com honored Sandy Michelson, president of the Zonta Club of Melbourne, and Betty Lou Steen-Clarke, a member of the weVENTURE advisory board with Legacy Leadership Awards.

When I walked into reception hall at the Hilton Rialto Hotel for the March 19 luncheon, the room vibrated with the energy of so many amazing, accomplished women. Doctors, attorneys, engineers, journalists, non-profit executives, college professors, school teachers, bankers, Realtors; women (and a few men) of all ages, professions and walks of life.

I was in awe of the day’s winners:

— Rebekah Coates, owner of Fit4Mom, Small Business Owner of the Year Award

— Janie McDermott, chief human resources officer, BRPH, Executive of the Year

— Kodey Bogart, CEO, KB Solutions, Excellence in Mentorship

— Kimberly Alike, chief information security officer, Health First, Women Trending in Tech

— Jennifer Barton, CEO, Seniors Helping Seniors, Excellence in Caregiving

— Juanita Jackson, president, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority’s Omega Omicron Zeta Chapter, Zonta Yellow Rose Award for Excellence in Community Service

I left the luncheon inspired and excited about the future of our community, thanks to all these fabulous women.

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I still love my guy friends. I’m lucky my husband doesn’t bat an eye when I tell him I’m having lunch with Scott, Chuck, Marcus, Brian, Rick, Rusty or Emre. They make me laugh, keep me grounded and don’t expect me to make NCAA basketball championship picks based on actual basketball knowledge.

But I cherish my female friendships more. The women in my life let me vent about transgressions, major and minor. They cheer me up on blue days and celebrate with me on the days that are bright pink.

Thank you for the reminder, weVENTURE.

Women rock!

Suzy Fleming Leonard spent more than four decades as a journalist before retiring from FLORIDA TODAY in February.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: What an honor to roll with fab females, better known as Women Who Rock