You know these women. The ones who are Truly Amazing.

They work smart and accomplish great things—big and small. They are making strides, changing lives, and are unabashedly proud of their achievements.

No, these aren’t the Superwomen of yesteryear, the ones who were on a mission to master motherhood; and be the ideal wife, daughter, and friend; and have a high-powered career; and look like a supermodel. (Makes you exhausted just thinking about it, right?)

These women are masters of their own destiny. Clear, confident, and comfortable in their own skin, they are role models for all of us (our daughters, especially) about harnessing our personal power.

In fact, you might be one of these Truly Amazing Women. If you are, odds are good that right now you are shaking your head thinking, “No, I’m not amazing, but my dear friend, fill-in-the-blank, is!”

We know this from experience. Since 2008, when we launched the Truly Amazing Women project, we’ve heard that response from nearly every amazing woman we’ve approached. Humility, it seems, is a hallmark of the Truly Amazing. Fortunately, more than 250 women have agreed to be profiled, many on our radio show on the Inkandescent Radio Network, and we thank each and every one of them.

And since March is International Women’s Month, we are taking the opportunity to unveil our newest Inkandescent initiative: The Truly Amazing Women TV Show.

With the help of videographers / photographers Charlie Archambault, John David Coppola, Steve Barrett and video editor Ed Reinsel, we launch the first of our three-part series. Click on the links below to watch our Q&A with each of these stellar women on InkandescentTV.com.

• Entrepreneur extraordinaire Gina Schaefer (pictured above, center), owner of nine ACE Hardware stores in DC and Baltimore.

• Government exec Reta Jo Lewis (pictured above, left), who is running for mayor of Washington, DC 2014.

• Miss DC 1997 Sonya Gavankar (pictured above, right), a DC broadcast journalist and since 1998 has been the Face of the Newseum

Because this issue is dedicated to all the Truly Amazing Women who have the drive and vision to see what needs to be done to improve the human condition—and then do something about it—we are honored to feature:

• Darrah Cloud, our March 2014 Entrepreneur of the Month, who is a nationally acclaimed playwright and screenwriter. The winner of numerous awards since graduating from film school, she launched her latest play, “Our Suburb,” at DC’s Theater J in December. What inspired her to write this show, and how did she get award-winning actress Judith Ivey to direct? Scroll down for our Q&A, and click here to listen to our podcast interview.

• Angela Peabody, a Liberian woman who survived a violent coup d’etat, and founded the Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation; Angela Maiers, who harnesses her passion for literacy through her Choose2Matter initiative; Sheila Berry who founded Living Vicky to mentor and prepare young women; and Sara Potler LaHayne, founder of Move This World.

• You’ll also meet fine artist Toby Heller, whose romantic sculptures adorn properties worldwide—including the Grove Isle Hotel & Spa, where we met her in February on a fantastic weekend getaway to Coconut Grove, FL.

• If fashion is your passion, you’ll want to learn more about fashionista Amy Barickman, whose love for color inspired her to found her own fabric company, Indygo Junction.

• You’ll be charmed by author Kelly Harman, whose determination to speak her mind inspired her to pen, Did I Say That Out Loud?

• Martha Washington shares some secrets courtesy of this month’s episode of David Bruce Smith’s The Grateful American™ Series Radio Show. On a mission to restore kids’ enthusiasm for American history, Smith takes us inside the world-famous library at Mount Vernon to interview executive director Doug Bradburn about Martha, George, and more.

Also in this issue, Certified Financial Planner Rita Cheng releases her new eBook this month, Wealth Management Rules: 12 Tips to Help You Harness Your Financial Know-How. Published by another new Inkandescent service, Inkandescent Publishing, this title is the first in the series we’ll be releasing under our imprint, Inkandescent Rulebooks: What You Need to Succeed in Small Business—without going insane. Click here to learn more and order your copy.

• And Eileen Hull, who has been called the “Queen of Crafts,” is launching her #PaperTrail Teaching Tour—proof that her crown is adorned with grit and gumption. This mom of four and grandmother of three—whose designs have been picked up by some of the country’s largest manufacturers—bought a vintage Scotty Serro trailer, spiffed it up, and will be driving it across America giving craft classes and inspiring others to create. We’ll be following her online, and invite you to do the same! Don’t miss our pre-trek interview.

Get ready to be inspired! To that end, our parting thought this month comes from the inspirational phenom SARK, whose poem “How to Be an Artist,” could also be guidelines for how to be a Truly Amazing Woman.

Sark writes: “Stay loose. Learn to watch snails. Plan impossible gardens. Invite someone dangerous to tea. Make little signs that say Yes! and post them all over your house. Make friends with freedom and uncertainty. Look forward to dreams. Believe in magic. Laugh. A lot.”

You are invited: If you are a Truly Amazing Woman, or know someone who is, please share your story with us.

Here’s to living with heart and imagination, to sticking to your guns and listening to your intuition—and to making every day a truly amazing adventure. — Hope Katz Gibbs, founder, The Inkandescent Group • Illustrations by Michael Gibbs