Rescued Heart: When You Never Feel Good Enough – Dallas Frisco Portrait Photographer – Me Ra Koh

One of the most powerful, commonly used phrases of the last decade is “I’m enough.”

Women’s conferences make it their mantra. You can have it temporarily tattooed to your arm. The temporary tattoo feels appropriate because the feeling of believing “I’m enough” often fades as fast as the tattoo.

For every woman who secretly struggles with feeling like she’ll never feel good enough, Rising Phoenix, Jen Mango shares her story in her powerful, transparent book, Rescued Heart. Every chapter is a storm her heart needed to be rescued from; financial loss from poor decisions and living paycheck to paycheck, fragmented friendships, terminal illness, fears around her kids and their safety, testing in her marriage–primarily from covering things up or poor decision making. The transparency of this book is a gift to anyone who has ever felt alone in any of these arenas.

CLICK HERE to visit Jen’s website and sign up to be notified when her new book releases this February!

Who Did She Write it For?

I asked Jen to describe her ideal reader to me. In the early hours of the morning, who was she writing to?

“She is the friendly face who always shows up and people recognize her, but they don’t know her. There is an element of loyalty that people recognize her, and yet she goes home feeling alone,” Jen said.

I had to make those words above bold because they’re so powerful. How many women feel like no one really knows who they are or how they’re doing? Who are the ones in my local community or church with a friendly smile you can always count on, but have I taken them for granted? Do the women who come to mind feel known on a heart level? What women come to your mind? Are you this woman?

What This Women Wants

Jen said she wants to be unstuck. She wants to risk trusting someone with her heart and wake up with joy every day. Secretly, she wants others to see her pain and validate it.

What stands in her way of getting these beautiful things she wants?

Something or many things have broken her heart. She’s holding on to the hurt, pain, trauma, disappointment and unforgiveness. Even though she knows these things are not helping her, they are familiar and their familiarity feels safer than taking a risk.

You’re Not Alone

Jen knows on a deep, heart level what all these things feel like.

When she was 25 years old, Jen lost her brother. He had a degenerative disease his whole life and his death broke her heart. Other significant losses would follow her brother’s death adding layer upon layer of grief and unresolved pain.

Since Jen was young, she has also dealt with severe asthma. COVID is the straw that broke that camel’s back for her. Being a respiratory illness, she felt swallowed by fear. Her husband said it was like Jen had an elephant on her chest; her heart was swollen. The term “long COVID” became the diagnosis and for 18 months Jen woke up to fear and anxiety every morning. The lie she would never feel good enough or be good enough became giant-like until one day enough was enough.

Hope Dealer

Jen met with a specialist who gave her a specific regiment to follow and spoke hope over her. He told her that if she followed this regiment, she’d be better in 90 days. Phil, her husband, said they got in the car and it was like a 180 degree turn from hopelessness to hope restored. Jen took the doctor’s instructions and hope for her health and ran with it!

“Jen’s a Hope Dealer,” says Phil. “In true Jen-Fashion, she started passing on that spirit of hope to everyone she could. There is a book she’s been wanting to write for over ten years, and she started writing it! Instead of waking up with dread and worry, she was waking up refreshed with joy – even before having coffee. Never having written a book before, she still got up early to write for an hour. God would give her a word and meet her in that space.”

The Momentum Keeps Building

Phil said that for thirty years, Jen has always been able to laugh no matter how severe the storm in her heart was. “But now there’s so much more,” he said. “She gone back to being a “mover”. I can see it in her eyes, ‘I can breathe!’ The laughter and joy are significant.”

The Battle Still Waged War

I love how honest Jen and Phil are about the battle she can still struggle with.

It’s the battle of believing she’s worthy.

“She battles the worthiness of being on that stage and the opportunity to share her story, to speak. Jen has been behind the curtain helping others her whole life. But God is calling her out front.”

When Brian and I heard this, we started brainstorming ways to create something for Jen that would speak worthiness to her every morning! To keep her momentum going, to help her break through that glass ceiling so she can RISE as high as she is meant to fly!

So Awkward but so POWERFUL!

Towards the end of the photo shoot, we changed the lighting so it looked like Jen was on a stage under the spotlight speaking. We told her to pretend like she was speaking to a large audience, the audience she is WORTHY of sharing her story with. Oh my gosh, she felt so AWKWARD! We all laughed because we knew it! LOL! But there was something in this. There was something powerful and important we needed to create so she could SEE the truth of how beautiful she is when she is moving in her calling!

I’m not sure when it happened, but at some point the atmosphere shifted. The awkward giggles stopped and Jen went from thinking she would never feel good enough to believing she is MORE than enough with God by her side!

What Jen’s Best Friend Said…

I had the honor of speaking to Alicia, Jen’s best friend. When I ask her what she loves most of all about Jen, she says, “She is a sister more than a friend. Jen is always there and has the right thing to say, quick in comfort, and quick in knowing what to say.

Jen relies on the Lord and knows it will work out. She is a huge problem solver and a way finder. “Go this way instead, not God shut the door, just another path” is what she’ll always remind me of. Her superpower is making crazy situations calm, like a calm in the storm.

I asked Alicia what she hopes Jen’s Rising Phoenix portraits reminds her every time she sees them? Her answer is so beautiful. “Jen’s not forsaken or forgotten by God. He has her, holds her, and puts her in the right situations with the right people all the time.” What a wonderful truth to remember every day!

Jen Didn’t Want Artwork for the Wall. LOL

When I talked with Jen on the phone, she didn’t think she wanted a Rising Phoenix portrait on the wall of herself. The idea of it felt weird. Just a picture of her? Jen isn’t a center stage person, “I don’t need the spotlight,” she said. Our plan was to do an Author focused Branding Experience.

But something transformational and POWERFUL happened during her Rising Phoenix Experience that day! She saw her TRUE identity! And the idea of seeing these TRUTHS every morning in her bedroom, as a reminder of who she is, became so POWERFUL to her and her husband!

Her Words the Morning After We Installed It

“This artwork that now hangs in my bedroom is a reminder to myself (and the enemy) that I know who I am and more importantly, WHOSE I am. It captures the qualities of strength, perseverance, worship, prayer, encouragement and praise!! That girl in the red dress is who I’m called to be, even when I don’t feel like it or when it feels like the world is crashing in around me. She’s rescued and I can’t wait for you to see how God is and will rescue you too, my friend!!”

Jen Didn’t Want a Reveal Party. LOL

But Phil, her husband, reached out to over a dozen close friends who are part of Jen’s Book Launch Team. We had a full house! What a beautiful evening of celebrating all the healing and freedom in Jen’s life! (Sometimes our spouses know what we need more than we know. Good job, Phil!) Over a dozen close friends and family came to see Jen’s Rising Phoenix artwork and book cover revealed for the first time with her!

The season of her being in the background is over! God is going to use this woman in such a POWERFUL way! When we boldly step into our purpose, we inspire everyone who is watching to rise into their purpose too!

Thank you Jen!

I LOVE our history! How amazing is it that over ten years ago, you heard me speak on the 4 Minutes. You and your family started doing it together. And then not only did we move to Texas, but I gained a wonderful, beautiful new friend in you.

Thank you for the incredible honor of capturing your Rising Phoenix! Your true beauty and strength is “fierce”. I LOVE how your youngest daughter used that word as her first reaction to your artwork! I’m so proud of you, friend!

Get Jen’s New Book, Rescued Heart for Valentine’s Day

I will never forget how we felt God drop in the studio and give us the book cover. That moment felt like we were standing on holy ground. What an honor to create and experience it with you.

I know your book is going to bring hope to so many women. And we will do ALL we can to help spread the word!

CLICK HERE to visit Jen’s website and sign up to be notified when the book releases this February! Just in time for Valentine’s Day!

What is a Rising Phoenix Experience?

This is about you seeing the truth of who you are. When you see your resilience on the wall every day, it transforms you from the inside out. If you are overwhelmed with all the reasons why you shouldn’t invest time or money in yourself, I want you to pause and think of all the obstacles you have overcome in your life whether it’s a weight loss journey, depression, anxiety, cancer, seasons changing with kids leaving the nest, loss of a loved one.

Have you been promoted in your career or pivoted with resilience? The list of how we rise like a phoenix to overcome the odds goes on and on. But so many of us struggle with taking time to acknowledge it.

You Give to Everyone Around You

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? Read Jamie’s inspiring story of never going back after significant weight loss.

Maybe you need a 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.

Or maybe you’re turning 40, 50, 60 or 70+ and feel the need 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 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
Embracing their Rising Phoenix within.

Through our Portrait of a Phoenix Experience, they not only did something special for themselves but also received something transformational.

I invite you to experience it 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

(Amazon affiliate links included)

Camera: Sony Alpha1: https://amzn.to/3ncGe57
Lens: Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM: https://amzn.to/2VvyexL
Sony High Speed SD Card: https://amzn.to/2SV8Aky
One Light: Profoto B1X: https://amzn.to/2LSuAvL
Profoto Sony Air Remote TTL-C: https://amzn.to/2LUHWI2
Modifier: Profoto Octa 254712 RFi 5ft Softbox: https://amzn.to/331w38v
HP Spectre Laptop: https://amzn.to/2SSvtp0
Sandbags: https://amzn.to/326QjVl
Tether Cable: https://amzn.to/2GGcNUm