Bal Harbour, FL – February 18, 2016 – In celebration of Angella Nazarian’s new book, “Visionary Women,” Lara Shriftman and Sarah Harrelson hosted a lunch at The Grill at Bal Harbour on the second floor of Bal Harbour Shops. Guests were invited to join Nazarian for a seated lunch. After the lunch, Books & Books hosted a book signing on Bal Harbour Shops’ second level. Following the great success of “Pioneers of the Possible,” Angella Nazarian returns with “Visionary Women,” which honors twenty of the world’s most inspiring women, including Katherine Graham, Rosario Perez, Miuccia Prada, Shirin Neshat, Diana Nyad, Helen Keller, and Sandra Day O’ Connor. This inspiring volume will compel readers to reconnect with their own dreams and envision new goals to challenge themselves in any stage of life.

Visionary Women are courageous, trust their intuition, and know how to summon an inner reservoir of strength.

Angella Nazarian, Author of Visionary Women

WRE: Tell us about your latest book Visionary Women?

AN: Visionary Women is a collection of 20 intimate portraits of fearless women from across the globe whose vision of the future transformed the world.

WRE: What inspired you to write Visionary Women?

AN: After the success of my previous book, Pioneers of the Possible: Celebrating Visionary Women of the World, I knew I had struck a cord with women who were eager to be inspired and motivated by the stories of successful, trailblazing women who have carved their own pathways of leadership. I also had a desire to continue my research on women world changers. Writing Visionary Women was a natural next step in my process of highlighting these power women.

WRE: How did you go about choosing these specific 20 innovative women?

AN: I wanted to make sure that I covered women from all over the world and from different cultures — women who made a significant impact in their field. The women that I have showcased have truly led remarkable lives.

WRE: What attributes define a “visionary woman”?

AN: Visionary Women are courageous, trust their intuition, and know how to summon an inner reservoir of strength. As I have noted in my book: “Sight is the ability to see the physical world, while vision is the gift of seeing beyond it”, Visionary Women are out of the box thinkers and doers. Also, all these women had mentors in their lives that planted seeds of encouragement. This comes to show how important personal relationships are in one’s growth.

WRE: How does your background in psychology play into you writing this book?

AN: I’ve always been interested in uncovering those transformative moments in a person’s life as they expand their identities to be someone bigger and greater. I also ask the question, what does it take for a person to do something and wish for things beyond what they had imagined at first? To me, the art of storytelling from this perspective is always the most fascinating.

WRE: In your opinion, what is the best way for young women to succeed in today’s world?

AN: Research shows that you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with. So, it is important to be with people who are likeminded who support one another and to be in an environment that encourages growth.

WRE: Is there anything you learned along the way about yourself while writing Visionary Women?

AN: What I learned about myself is how much I gravitate towards being around women who make a difference in the world. As a young girl, I didn’t enjoy the relationships of role models, but I find that all the women I get to interview somehow join my circle of mentors. Because of this, I recently co-founded a women’s non-profit organization where we bring women leaders together from all around the world to share their stories and experiences. And, I have created a platform to mentor high-potential inner city schoolgirls to engage in these events in Los Angeles.

WRE: Why did you choose Miami to host your book launch?

AN: I think Miami is a real bridge to many cultures, and a great deal of diversity. I also feel that Miami has become one of the centers for creativity and there’s a special buzz every time I come for a visit.

WRE: What are your favorite things to do while visiting Miami?

AN: Since I am an art lover, I always like visiting galleries, museums and private art collections such as the Rubell Family Collection, the Margulies Collection, and the Cisneros Art Foundation. Of course, who doesn’t like to walk on the beach and take in the beautiful sunset?