Valrico FishHawk Chamber of Commerce member Jennifer Stinson, Founder & Curator of Gathered Goods Co., is a featured author in Slaying St. Petersburg: Stories of Powerful Women Leaving Their Mark, the 15th book in the internationally best-selling Slay the USA series.

Stinson’s chapter, “What We Gather,” reflects on travel, entrepreneurship, connection and personal reinvention, and the realization that the most meaningful things we gather are often courage, faith, relationships and purpose.

Slaying St. Petersburg launches worldwide August 25, 2026, in paperback and Kindle.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Slaying St. Petersburg Launches as 15th Book in Internationally Best-Selling Slay the USA Series

New collection celebrates women shaping St. Petersburg and marks the final book release before Slay the USA expands into its new video series

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Aug. 25, 2026 — The internationally best-selling Slay the USA series returns to Florida with the release of its 15th city edition, Slaying St. Petersburg: Stories of Powerful Women Leaving Their Mark, curated by author, entrepreneur and media founder Leigh M. Clark.

The new release brings the series back to a region that has been part of the Slay the USA story from the beginning. The platform launched in 2023 with Slaying Southwest Florida, followed by Slaying Tampa Bay as its second city edition, an early chapter that helped lay the foundation for what would become a nationwide and internationally best-selling series.

For Clark, returning to St. Petersburg is deeply personal. In the book, she describes the city as a place defined by creativity, entrepreneurial energy, community and reinvention, and one that, after years of memories throughout Tampa Bay, feels increasingly like coming home.

Inside Slaying St. Petersburg

Clark opens the book with From the Curator’s Desk, reflecting on St. Petersburg’s role in the evolution of Slay the USA and on the city’s distinctive spirit of collaboration, reinvention and possibility. She writes that while every woman’s story is different, the chapters share one defining quality: courage.

Opening the featured stories is Dana McKay — She Picked Me. The longtime radio personality shares a candid reflection on imposter syndrome, grief, personal growth and realizing that even amid life’s imperfect and chaotic moments, she is living the career she dreamed about as a girl.

Anita Arredondo — Still Rising. After surviving cancer, a serious accident, fires and the devastating loss of her home and business during Hurricane Helene, Arredondo shares a story of resilience, faith and continually choosing to rise.

Karen Aucoin — I Found Home by Building It. Aucoin traces her journey from childhood instability, addiction and abusive relationships to creating a family, businesses and beautiful spaces centered around the peace she spent years searching for.

KT Bryden — Seeing the World Differently. The Emmy-winning cinematographer and conservation storyteller explores how wildlife, science and filmmaking shaped her belief that stories can help people see, and ultimately protect, the natural world.

Souad Dreyfus — Building Families, Finding Myself. From her childhood in Morocco to founding Open Arms Surrogacy & Egg Donation, Dreyfus shares how she built a career helping families around the world while discovering a deeper definition of success for herself.

Brittaney Dunigan — The One Thing No One Could Take From Me. Dunigan shares how her passion for beauty and entrepreneurship became an anchor through tremendous personal upheaval, eventually growing into a multi-location company rooted in confidence and community.

Amanda Hoelscher, APRN, AGNP — Surviving and Thriving. After losing her first husband to cancer, working in oncology and later facing her own health crisis, Hoelscher shares how those experiences transformed both the healthcare provider and woman she became.

Genesis Hey Krick, M.A., C.L.C. — The Life I Decided to Build. Krick explores the decision to stop pursuing a version of success that was costing her time with her son and instead intentionally build a life where motherhood, faith, purpose and ambition could coexist.

Kristina Madden — Who The F* Would I Be?. Madden reflects on ambition, gratitude, family and the responsibility she feels to make the most of the opportunities she has been given.

Courtney Petrin — From Adaptation to Authorship. The award-winning interior designer examines the intersection of psychology, creativity and home, and her evolution from adapting to the expectations around her to becoming the author of her own life and creative perspective.

Kristin Rancke — Getting Back Up. The longtime St. Petersburg Realtor shares how persistence, relationships and a willingness to keep showing up helped her build a life and career far from the small Illinois town where she began.

Jennifer Stinson — What We Gather. In the midst of a season of personal reinvention and launching a new venture, Stinson reflects on travel, entrepreneurship, connection and the realization that the most meaningful things we gather are often courage, faith, relationships and purpose.

Jordan Torelli — Our Visibility Is Our Victory. The brand photographer and creative director explores women’s ability to own their image, voice and legacy, and why being intentionally seen can itself be an act of empowerment for this generation of women.

Back again is Lauren Hitchen — The Insider’s Guide to St. Petersburg, FL. Hitchen, CEO of Jetset Travel Group and the leading travel advisor for Slay the USA, brings her own perspective to a city she has loved since childhood, sharing her take on the art, waterfront lifestyle, nightlife, culture and luxury experiences that make St. Petersburg stand apart.

Together, the chapters offer more than profiles of accomplished women. They tell a larger story about what St. Petersburg represents: a place where women build, rebuild, create, lead and reinvent themselves, and where community can become part of the story of who they ultimately become.

A New Chapter for Slay the USA

The release of Slaying St. Petersburg also marks an important turning point for the broader Slay the USA platform. It is the last of the books before the addition of the new Slay the USA video series, signaling the next evolution of the brand from page to screen. The series is also expanding into national brand partnerships to create meaningful storytelling opportunities in communities across the nation.

“The books have given us an incredible foundation for telling women’s stories with depth and intention,” said Clark. “Now we’re expanding that mission into video so audiences can experience these women, their communities and their stories in an even more dynamic way. There is so much more to come as we continue shaping the future of women’s media through intentional and authentic storytelling.”

The video series will build on the storytelling principles that have defined Slay the USA from the beginning while introducing a more visual, immersive way to spotlight women, cities and communities. Additional details about the series, featured women, locations and future programming will be announced as the platform enters its next chapter.

Slaying St. Petersburg joins previous editions including Slaying Southwest Florida, Slaying Tampa Bay, Slaying Atlanta, Slaying Nashville, Slaying Sarasota, Slaying Chicago, Slaying Boston, Slaying Vegas, Slaying Naples, Slaying Orlando, Slaying New York, Slaying Miami, Slaying San Francisco and Slaying Los Angeles.

Slaying St. Petersburg is available beginning August 25, 2026.

About Slay the USA

Founded by Leigh M. Clark in 2023, Slay the USA is a women’s storytelling and media platform created to elevate powerful voices, expand women’s visibility and preserve stories of impact and legacy. Through its internationally best-selling book series and expanding media platform, Slay the USA brings together accomplished women from communities across the country to tell the stories behind the titles, businesses and achievements, and the experiences that made them who they are.

With the forthcoming launch of its video series, Slay the USA is entering its next phase as a multi-platform media brand focused on shaping the future of women’s media through intentional, authentic storytelling.

About Leigh M. Clark

Leigh M. Clark is an international best-selling author, entrepreneur, multiple-time TEDx speaker and founder of Slay the USA. Her work sits at the intersection of storytelling, visibility, personal branding and modern media, helping women transform lived experience into connection, authority, opportunity and lasting legacy.

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