Ladies Empowerment Dinner Recap

Sarah Centrella

May 29, 2018

2 min read

Updated: Apr 2, 2021

On Friday evening (May 25, 2018) sixty women gathered at Coopers Hall in Portland for my 2nd Annual Ladies Empowerment Dinner.

This year, my dream for this event was to create true connections and bring value for these ladies. I wanted it to feel electric and almost magical. I wanted the ladies to walk in the door and feel the LOVE! I wanted them to feel beautiful, accomplished, empowered and inspired to continue their own personal missions. I wanted them to leave feeling that ANYTHING was possible and that if they don't quit their dreams, one day they WILL LIVE them.

And that dream came to life!

I can't tell you how many women came up to me during and after the event who had come alone and were understandably unsure of what to expect. They wondered if it would be your typical event with a room full of judgy women. They came despite this uncertainty. They were so brave! And that courage was rewarded as I watched them joyfully network and meet other women just like them. It was the best feeling ever, to connect these women and see them having a great time.

Our speakers really blew me away. It takes a lot of courage to get in front of a room full of strangers and tell your struggles and personal story. It takes courage to be REAL and RAW and HONEST. And they brought all of that and more! Most are NOT professional speakers, and I do that intentionally. I want the women in attendance to learn lessons from REAL women, not professional motivators. So there are nerves, there are emotions, there's rawness because of this that cannot be faked, which is so beautiful to be apart of.

The night was kicked off by our special keynote speaker, BRAVO TV host, and Love Expert Diann Valentine. She talked about the origins of our dreams and what it takes to make them come to life. And after her talk, I sat down with her and did a very real, very raw chat/interview.

Sarah Centrella event with Diann Valentine

This was my favorite part of the night. Getting to ask these amazing women questions that drew on their real-world experience and connected us with them. It was my first time in the interview chair and it was a BLAST! It was my training wheels for one day hosting my own show because that is my BIG dream.

The food was amazing, the wine was incredible, the vibe was electric... it was everything I could dream of and more! I can't wait until next year!

Now its time to plan one in LA and NYC!