Variety Power of Women: Kacey Musgraves, Bethenny Frankel and more stars reveal when they feel most powerful

Variety held its annual Power of Women: New York presented by Lifetime event on Friday evening, where Gigi Hadid, Taraji P. Henson, Kacey Musgraves, Bette Midler and Christiane Amanpour were honored for their philanthropic work.

Also at the Audi-sponsored event, where guests sipped on JNSQ wine over lunch at Cipriani Midtown, were Bella Hadid, Carole Radziwill, Ashley Graham, Julianne Moore, Yara Shahidi, Jimmy Fallon and more.

SEE ALSO: See what all the stars wore to Variety Power of Women: New York

AOL's Gibson Johns was on-hand to chat with the star-studded event's A-list attendees on the red carpet, where we asked stars like Kacey Musgraves, Bethenny Frankel and Jennifer Nettles when they feel most powerful in their lives.

Check out their answers below:

Kacey Musgraves: Right when I’ve finished a workout! At the end of a workout, when I’m done. It’s not going into a workout, that’s when I feel like trash. But at the end, I’m like, “Yes! I can do anything!” That, and also, you know, when I get to be face-to-face with people who listen to the music and they tell me how much a song has gotten them through a hard year, a depressive period or coming out to their parents or whatever it is. I guess, more so than power, it makes me feel connected to humanity.

Bethenny Frankel: I feel most powerful when I’m with my daughter, and I’m having quality time with her, loving time, connective time when we are really connecting, not unlike when I’m connecting with other women, like in this room. But when I’m connecting with my daughter, I feel whole and centered. I feel that when I’m with her, and I feel most unsettled when I’m not with her.

Jennifer Nettles: I feel most powerful onstage, that is for sure. It has always been my power place, it’s always been my place of strong connection with other people and that connection becomes community, which helps us lift each other up in that way. I feel extremely empowered when I’m on a stage.

Gretchen Carlson: When I see my kids’ faces in the morning and know that the acts of courage I’ve made in my life are making a difference in their lives moving forward.

"Surviving R. Kelly" survivor Lisa Van Allen: I think when we’re all together, because it’s power in numbers. Together, we don’t have to convince each other of anything. Once you see and hear all of these stories, how can you not believe this? We’re all older, successful women who didn’t come out to share these stories just for kicks. Like, come on. People always say, "They just want some money." What money?! You don’t get paid for interviews, and we have our own businesses already.

Essence Communications CEO, Michelle Ebanks: I feel most powerful when I feel like I can make a difference. It’s good that I feel uneasy and uncomfortable encountering injustice, so I can see that everyone has value. That makes me feel powerful, because I don’t want to get comfortable.

Broadway star Beth Leavel: I have two answers to that: When I’m onstage, because when you’re doing something and it affects 1500 people so spectacularly … there’s nothing like that feeling. The other time I feel most powerful is when I’m at a holiday dinner with my family and my kids. It’s like, "Oh my gosh, look who we are."