Portrait of Leading with Heart, Integrity and Honor – Dallas Frisco Family Photographer – Me Ra Koh
We’re thrilled to introduce you to the lovely Laura, though you may recognize her if you’re local to North Texas! Laura is a fierce advocate in our community, serving on the Frisco City Council and using her passion and voice to make the world around us a better place.
A CALMING AND FOCUSED PRESENCE
We LOVED getting to spend time with Councilwoman, Laura Rummel, and her sweet pup, Chance. There are so many stigmas and challenges surrounding politics but we are always so grateful for the opportunity to get to know the ‘person behind the title’. Laura is genuine, intelligent, kind and compassionate, bold and hilarious. Her laugh fills the room and her presence is one that both calms and focuses everyone around her.
Laura’s journey into politics hasn’t been a ‘walk in the park’. She’s definitely discovered the ugly side of living a public life. “I can have intelligent conversation with someone who has an opposing view, but correcting perception is incredibly difficult.” How do you defend yourself against someone on social media that you’ve never met? Like all politicians, the ideals and good intentions behind why she chose to run for city council eventually come up against the ‘keyboard heroes’ with harsh, critical, very ‘loud’ views on not just her beliefs and stances, but her personally.
“I KNOW WHO I AM”
“There are a handful of people who hate me with a passion on social media. One escalated so much I had to get the police involved. Trying to change their perception of me isn’t going to happen, but the day I had to call the police, there was an internal switch that flipped. I said, ‘Nope, I’m done.’ Not with serving in my role, but in allowing others to have influence over my peace. I took control of the situation but also had to say to myself, ‘I know who I am and I am okay with who I am.'”
Not everyone can meet this type of adversity with as much grace and integrity as Laura. I think most would agree that signing up for a public, servant leadership role will have it’s challenges, especially with the amount of scrutiny you’re under, both personally and professionally. But having to ‘live under a microscope’ while maintaining compassion and strength of character is beyond admirable. We are so thankful to have leaders like Laura looking out for our community! She truly is the portrait of leading with heart, integrity and honor.
RISING WITHIN HER
In this season, Laura finds rising within her a growing boldness, strength and bravery she didn’t know she had. “This journey has shown me that I can do more than I imagined!” It’s incredibly rewarding work for many reasons, but finding strength you didn’t know you had is an unexpected blessing. “The first time I ran for office, I didn’t know how big of a decision it was. It would come with risking scrutiny, constantly managing perception (true and untrue) and conflicts every day.” These portraits will be a visual representation of the time in her life when she said, “I am enough.”
WHAT HAYDEN LOVES ABOUT HER
We asked Laura’s husband, Hayden, to share his top favorite qualities of Laura. First and foremost, he said she is a beautiful person – on the outside AND inside, as evident by her actions. Next, he wants people to know about her compassion. “She wants to help. People, dogs/animals.. she’s in it for the right reasons.”
Then, Hayden tells us Laura is an incredibly hard worker! Anyone who has met Laura knows she has an incredible energy about her and she’s the epitome of an achiever. She works hard for all that she has but also on behalf of everyone around her.
Hayden tells us of a Christmas a couple of years ago where they were celebrating in Bali. They had a dinner planned on the beach and ‘everything was perfect’. Then, things started going wrong. Flights were canceled, they flew to Hong Kong and were exhausted by the time they arrived. Hayden says they were ‘ready to be buried in Hong Kong’ and he passed out, claiming, “We’ll figure it out the next day.”
LIFE IS AN ADVENTURE WITH HER
“I went to sleep with the world ‘falling apart’ and woke up to Laura having solved everything. I thought, ‘You did it again, haven’t you?’ She was radiating and said, ‘It’s all taken care of.’ Seeing that kind of accomplishment and pride on her face is normal. She grinned like, ‘Yep, I did it again. I saved us. Pulled off another miracle, but we can’t rest yet.. we’re not on the plane yet.’ This life is an adventure with her.”
Last, but not least, Hayden shares that Laura is an amazing friend and devoted family member. Not just with her immediate family, but with Hayden’s family as well. And she has a huge heart for animals! Their dog, Chance, made it to the photo shoot with us – such a sweet dog! Hayden says that Laura saw Chance’s photo on a post saying he was to be euthanized and she just knew he deserved a chance to live. She has the biggest heart!
WHAT LAURA LOVES ABOUT CHANCE
Her sweet pup, Chance, just turned 13. He’s been bringing smiles to Laura and Hayden since the day they first saw him online and subsequently in the shelter upon first meeting. The shelter said he had behavioral issues and wasn’t potty trained, so Laura and Hayden weren’t sure what to expect. Laura managed to work her way into the shelter after hours to rescue sweet Chance. Within a very short period of time after bringing him home, Chance was fully potty trained and no signs of behavior issues had presented themselves. All he needed was a second chance and a family to love him for exactly who he is.
HE’S A REMINDER TO ALWAYS GIVE OTHERS A CHANCE
Chance is the reason why Laura dove headfirst into dog rescue and why it’s become a passion platform for her in life, personally and politically. She works hard to ensure there are sufficient support services for dogs without homes and that proper opportunities are given for adoption and second chances.
Chance has taught Laura so much over the years. He unknowingly led her down a path that gives her a platform from which to share her heart. “Chance is a great example of ‘you can be better than your circumstances’. It’s like he’s found contentment because he knows that things can always be worse. This is a season of contentment for me too. I love that we can share this.” He’s also her alarm clock every morning, waiting with his sweet kisses and excited ‘oinking’. So precious!
“Because I gave him a chance, he’s a reminder to always give others a chance.” Laura loves his happy puppy face and sparkling eyes that always seem to say, ‘I’m loving life right now.’ He’s also a reminder that there’s always something more she can do. Laura may not be able to stop ‘puppy mills’ unless she’s a State Representative, but by starting an animal advisory board and lobbying for a Frisco pet shelter, she’s doing what she can in this season. “Do what you can. Do what you’re capable of. Helping in some way is better than nothing. You CAN make a difference.” Thank you, Chance and Laura, for this reminder!
WHERE LAURA CHOSE TO SEE THESE TRUTHS
When Laura isn’t traveling for work, she’s working from her home office. She decided that when she looks up from her computer, she wanted to see the reminder “for me to be me”. Laura works on a lot of political issues at her desk, and it’s important that she continues to be the authentic leader she is despite the pressure and criticism. We were hoping it’d renew her strength every time she looked up. Read what she said below!
A few weeks after her wall art was installed, I asked her what it was like to see it every day. “It’s been good timing to have the smiles and signals of strength,” she answered. YES!!!! “Signals of Strength!” That is what we were aiming for! When Laura is facing unexpected and expected battles, she would see her beautiful resilient strength!
WHAT DAISY LOVES ABOUT HER
Laura’s friend, Daisy, LOVES how much she loves and values both Jesus and her family. She says Laura is a thoughtful friend who always seeks to understand and celebrate others. Laura is committed and confident and not afraid of challenges, which we all admire her for! Daisy says in her career, Laura knows what she wants and is not afraid to go for it, regardless of any opposition she may face. She’s committed to her career and progress and sets goals to accomplish what she wants, even if that means making necessary sacrifices.
Laura and Hayden actually moved to New York while Laura was getting her Masters degree, which required being away from family and friends for a couple of years. It’s impressive how she can envision her future and exactly what she wants and plans accordingly. It’s what makes her such a great leader. “Whatever bumps and challenges she’s had to overcome, she meets them head on. She doesn’t shy away or doubt the path she’s committed to.”
We asked Daisy what she thought Laura’s superpower is and she said HONOR. “She lives her life with honor and integrity, and seeks to honor others. She knows what she stands for and does it with honor. Hayden is so supportive of her and sticks by her side; they are committed to each other. It’s a beautiful thing!” Daisy hopes these portraits remind Laura that she is valued and has purpose.
WHAT HEATHER LOVES ABOUT HER
One of Heather’s favorite things about Laura is her loyalty – not just personally but also professionally to her city/community. She believes Laura to be unwavering in a good way – she’s constant/consistent. Laura is who she is with everyone, regardless of circumstances. Her believes and attitudes and how she carries herself is constant. Laura also has a beautiful ability to bring people together, which Heather believes is part of what makes Laura so successful. In politics, she’s able to cross party lines and bring people together. She’s strong and stands behind her beliefs but she never alienates others. Laura is the same in friendship, work environment, as a manager and a leader. She’s always willing to work with others, befriend them and draw people together.
Heather and Laura have known each other since they were in their mid-20’s and have seen each other through a lot. Heather believes Laura’s superpower is two-fold: her ability to influence for growth and being able to see the bigger picture. Even in friendships, she’s a sounding board and accepts and validates what you’re thinking, feeling and experiencing. She doesn’t focus on ‘right or wrong’ as much as helps bring ideas on how to cope and move forward. She’s always thinking, “how do we grow?”
Heather hopes when Laura sees these portraits she’s reminded of unwavering friendship. “Sometimes family is everything. Sometimes our closest friends are everything. And that’s who she is to me. I hope that through the chaos, the arguments at work, chaos of travel.. that she’s reminded of the Bible verse, ‘a friend sticks closer than a brother’. She’s an integral part in my life. Literally, she’s more like family than a friend to me.”
WHAT SARAH LOVES ABOUT HER
Sarah and Laura have been best friends since 7th grade! When we asked Sarah what Laura’s top 3 qualities are, she said the following: First, she lists her work ethic. “Whenever Laura puts her mind to something, it’s 1000% as long as it aligns with her morals and values. When she does something, she’s ALL IN.”
Next, Sarah lists her faith as one of her favorite qualities about Laura. It’s something they’ve connected on for years and pulled from each other at different times in their lives when needed. Last, Sarah echoes others in saying Laura’s loyalty is unparalleled. “She’s 100% loyal. We’ve experienced so many life challenges and successes and heartaches and celebrations and she’s never wavered.”
Sarah flew in from out of town for Laura’s Rising Phoenix Reveal Party! What a gift to have friendships like this!
LOYALTY AND PASSION
As an example of Laura’s loyalty, Sarah shared with us how she was diagnosed with a spinal cord tumor in 2005. When she had the tumor removed, it created a spinal cord injury that took three years to recover from. During that time, even through there was distance between them, Laura was there for her. Sarah was planning her wedding and Laura came in to help do all the fun things with her, yet instead, she ended up spending the whole time holding Sarah’s hair back as she threw up from rejecting medication. Laura never made her feel ashamed or like she was an inconvenience. “Of course, I apologized profusely but Laura was all-in with me.”
We asked Sarah what she thought Laura’s superpower is and she said PASSION. “When it comes to helping those she loves, she’s passionate about it. She has a Servant’s heart – serving in the capacity of city councilwoman and serving in the capacity of friend and aunt to my kids. Also, being a wife and serving to help the treatment of animals. She’s so full of passion for those she loves.” But Sarah gave us some advice for the photo shoot.. she told us not to schedule it too early in the morning. Lol Apparently Laura is not a morning person!
WHAT LAURA’S PARENTS LOVE ABOUT HER
Laura’s parents are precious and were a joy to talk to! They shared their top 3 (ok, 4) qualities of Laura that they love: She’s committed, a bundle of energy and thoughtful and caring. Her dad said, “She’s been doing her City Council job for over a year now and she was just re-elected not long ago. I’ve noticed, having been to some of the meetings and watching online, she’s been very honest and open in standing up for her principles. She just outvoted, exactly the way I would have, against everyone else. She stood up for what she believes in!”
ALWAYS THOUGHTFUL AND CARING
Both of her parents say that Laura is incredibly thoughtful and puts care into planning outings for special occasions. Even if it means taking them to lunch someplace that she knows won’t serve her dietary restrictions, she’ll do it gladly if it means her parents will have a good time. Her mom said, “For my birthday she planned for the family to go to the Arboretum and have their Christmas brunch. She’s just so thoughtful in knowing things that we like to do.”
When we asked what they thought her superpower was, they answered, “She NEVER gives up! If she thinks something is right, she is going to continue and never give up.” This seems to be the consensus between Laura’s family and friends. We wish we all had this kind of perseverance!
Laura’s parents hope that these portraits remind her that she is STRONG – she’s a strong person, a strong woman. And mom says, “And also that she is caring.”
Mom and dad laugh recalling a funny memory, “She’s an interesting chef! In junior high she was helping me (mom) make sauce and instead of adding 1/4 teaspoon, she added 1/4 cup of pepper!” Lol Ok, so maybe we won’t let her cook for us. But she can advocate all day long!
A RISING PHOENIX IN LAURA
Laura, we are so honored to have had the opportunity to get to know you more! Now that we do, we are extremely GRATEFUL to have you on our city council, knowing how wise, dedicated, compassionate and authentic you are. You are the very portrait of leading with heart, integrity and honor! We hope that when you look at your portraits, you truly see the Rising Phoenix that you are. You’ve been through a lot but you have risen to the occasion and beyond each and every time. Your tenacity is admirable and your kindness spreads through every room you enter. Remember how very loved and admired you are and that you are capable of anything and everything you put your mind to! Welcome to our Rising Phoenix family.
ARE YOU A RESILIENT WOMAN BUT STRUGGLE TO CELEBRATE YOU?
8 out of 10 Rising Phoenixes feel SELF-CONSCIOUS about APPEARING conceited or vain. They struggle with feeling worthy of an experience like this.
To have a big portrait of themselves in their home office, their bedroom, even their front entry, they don’t want people to get the wrong idea.
Cherie came from TN. We interviewed her friends and family. They all said she is STRONG! Every single one of them used that specific word to describe her resilience, what has risen from the ashes.
But she said, “I feel like if I put photos of myself on the wall, people will think I’m conceited.
I know people say I’m strong, I guess I just don’t see myself that way.”
YOU GIVE TO EVERYONE
You’ve most likely given to everyone else. The time has come to give something transformational and lasting to you. Just read the following stories.
Have you achieved a weight goal like Tannis or Jamie? Read Jamie’s inspiring story of never going back after significant weight loss.
Maybe you need deeper healing from childhood trauma. You’ve done the counseling but still struggle to see the truth about who you are. You may relate to Tiffany’s story.
Jajuan flew from Seattle for his Rising Phoenix Experience! He wanted his daughters to see not only who dad is but where he’s come from. Sony spotlighted Jajuan’s Rising Phoenix story as one of the Best Of portraits in 2022! See Jajuan’s powerful story.
Or maybe you’re turning 40, 50, 60 or 70+ and want to reflect and celebrate who you are and the possibilities of what this next season of life holds?
The first step is to fill out our Rising Phoenix inquiry; CLICK HERE.
MICHELLE FOUND COURAGE TO STEP BEYOND GRIEF
Meet Michelle. She is definitely someone who has known great courage. At one time, she was an interrogator for the US military in the Middle East. This 5’4 woman knows confidence. But the loss of her mom swallowed that confidence.
There are some seasons in life when we feel unshakeable courage and other seasons that leave us feeling lost. After great loss, it takes great courage to step forward. Maybe you relate to Michelle’s story.
MEET OUR OLDEST RISING PHOENIX
She was in her 80s and never had her makeup and hair done. I’ll never forget the giggles we had over watching Oma that day in the studio. This beautiful 4’9 woman came to the United States with Opa when she was only 23 yrs old and pregnant with her first baby. All they had was $50. Leaving behind family and all that was familiar in the Netherlands, they boarded a cargo boat and set out to make a new life.
Krista, Oma’s granddaughter, had a FIORIA family experience with us last year. When she saw us launch the Rising Phoenix Experience, she thought of her grandma. Oma is the heart of their family and lived eighty plus years as a rising phoenix.
Click Here to meet Oma, our oldest Rising Phoenix!
CRYSTAL DROVE TO US FROM LAS VEGAS.
A single woman who has always been known for being responsible and quiet, yet there is another side of her that wants to come out. A side that is brave and takes risks—that believes she is worthy of doing something special not just for others but for herself too. A year after her Rising Phoenix Experience, she sent us photos of her traveling solo in Europe! She told us how much her life has changed from seeing who she is every day when she looks at her Phoenix portraits!
What truth do you need to be reminded of daily to unleash your purpose and potential?
MEET OUR YOUNGEST RISING PHOENIX, A MIRACLE PHOTO SHOOT!
CLICK HERE to see the most miraculous Rising Phoenix portraits!
This is the first time Isabella has ever looked at the camera and smiled. This was a miracle photo shoot.
I’ll never forget my first Discovery Call with Isabella’s mom. She wasn’t sure this was a good idea because Isabella is very sensory sensitive. Photo shoots have never gone well in the past. She felt very hesitant to believe this photo shoot could be a success.
I felt her words on such a deep level. I didn’t want to set them up for disappointment either. But I just knew that there was something so special about this whole thing. I told her, “There are many doubts and fears I can struggle with, but this is something I am confident I can do.” She borrowed that confidence, and we witnessed a miracle photo shoot.
ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON, THEY WERE READY TO …
Rise above the ashes of what other people have said
Rising above their fear and doubts
Own their Rising Phoenix within.
Through our Rising Phoenix Experience, they not only did something special for themselves but also experienced transformation.
We invite you to experience the transformation too!
YOUR RISING PHOENIX EXPERIENCE INCLUDES:
- Signature Phone Calls with You and Loved Ones (collection of words that give you life)
- Professional Hair & Makeup
- Wardrobe Consultation & Vision
- Rising Phoenix Photo Shoot with Me Ra Koh (Sony Artisan, Disney Host, and Live with Kelly & Ryan Guest Expert—You’re in good hands. I will pose you, and Brian will drop shadows and light on you in the most flattering way that radiates your Rising Phoenix.)
- Same Day Cinematic Reveal & Custom Design Session with our In-House Design Specialist
- Beautiful Artwork of Your Rising Phoenix, Custom Designed for the Best Place where it will Speak Truth to You Every Day.
CLICK HERE to fill out the inquiry and begin your Rising Phoenix Experience!
I can’t wait to speak soon! Still we rise!
Me Ra
GEAR USED
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