Stepping Into My Power at 50: Jamie’s Rising Phoenix Story
“I feel like I’ve been holding my breath for years,” Jamie told me softly. “So many years of carrying everyone else — as a daughter, a mother, a military wife — always being the one who held it all together. But now, I’m not afraid anymore.”
“These portraits aren’t just art for my wall,” Jamie said. “They’re medicine for my heart and my brain — reminders of how far my journey has taken me, and that I’m in a new era of joy, flow, forgiveness, kindness, and self-love.”
This August, Jamie flew in from Seattle to celebrate her 50th birthday — not with a party, but with a Rising Phoenix Experience. It was a gift to herself after decades of giving to everyone else.
“I’ve spent so much of my life waiting,” she said, “waiting for my husband to come home from deployments, waiting for the right time, waiting to be ready. But this… this was me choosing now.”
As the wife of a Navy submarine captain and mother of three, Jamie’s strength has always been quiet — the kind that holds others steady while the world moves unpredictably. However, for her 50th, she wanted to step into something different. “It’s my time now,” she smiled. “Center stage.”
Unapologetic and Unafraid
Growing up in an Asian household in Hawaii, Jamie was taught to minimize herself. “You’re supposed to be humble, quiet, respectful,” she said. “But I want my daughter to see it’s okay to be smart, successful, and unapologetic.”
That word — unapologetic — brought her to tears.
“I want her to see me walk into a room as a woman who knows her worth. After all, I worked hard to get here. I don’t need to shrink to make others comfortable.”
Her Rising Phoenix portraits captured that power. In fact, they radiate this deep calm, grounded energy that says: I’m not asking permission anymore.
A Life of Resilience and Flow
Jamie’s journey has never been linear. From her work with the Navy in Knowledge Management to raising three children often alone while her husband served at sea, she learned resilience the hard way.
“When I was younger, I thought strength meant doing it all. Now I know it means knowing when to ask for help.”
At 35, she joined a running club and finished 13 half-marathons — not to prove anything, but to find rhythm and peace. “That’s when I learned what flow really feels like,” she said. “It’s routine, grace, clarity. I finally feel like I’m flowing with life instead of fighting it.”
Her Children’s Words
When her portraits were revealed, her children’s words played in the background — reminders of how deeply she’s poured into them.
Her oldest, Bryan, said:
“My mom has this natural radiance that calms a room. She gives life when you least expect it.
She’s the person who can turn any dull day into the greatest day of your life with just one call.”
Her son Miles described her as “brave.”
“When Grandma passed away, it was so hard for everyone. But my mom stayed positive and kept people happy. She’s the bravest person I know.”
And her daughter Victoria said, “She understands people. Even when I’m having a hard day, she knows what to say to help me feel okay. Everyone loves her.”
What Her Best Friend Sees
Carlie, who’s known Jamie since childhood, said it best:
“She’s the sister I never had. Jamie is intentional, thoughtful, and determined to change the world. Her superpower is hope — the way she brings it into every room, every conversation.
Even so, in the hardest seasons, she never gives up on love or light.”
A Portrait that Breathes Strength
Jamie decided to display her Rising Phoenix portrait on the staircase landing — the first thing her family sees every morning. “It’s symbolic,” she said. “We rise and descend every day. Still, we keep moving forward. Like Pele — the fire that gives life. I want to start each day remembering that.”
When her husband installed it, she cried.
“I look at it and see everything I’ve survived, everything I’ve become. I’m not going backward — I’m leaning forward, with all my wisdom, my ancestors behind me. There’s no going back, only forward.”
A New Era of Joy
“I’m in a new era,” she said with a peaceful exhale. “Joy, flow, forgiveness, kindness, self-love. I know who I am. I know what I bring to the world. And I’m worth celebrating.”
As she spoke, I thought about how many women stand in that same hallway between two doors — waiting, breathing, unsure of what’s next. In the end, Jamie’s story is a reminder that transformation doesn’t ask for permission. It begins the moment you choose yourself.
If you’ve been feeling that same stirring — that quiet whisper that it’s your time — this is your moment.
Book your Rising Phoenix or Branding Experience before the end of the year and step into your own story.
These final sessions of 2025 are the perfect way to invest in yourself — and, yes, it’s also the perfect year-end write-off.
Book Your Rising Phoenix Experience
Still we rise,
Me Ra & Brian
P.S. The Rising Phoenix Experience has grown into something even bigger — the launch of our nonprofit, the FIORIA Institute, dedicated to studying how imagery rewires the brain after trauma and illness.
To celebrate, one of our generous donors has gifted a full spot on our 9-Day Portrait of Thailand Photography Workshop & Adventure Tour (valued at $6,500)!
Because of this launch, every $100 donation enters you to win this luxury sold-out trip — and every ticket fuels our first neuroscience-based case study on identity and healing.
Only 100 raffle tickets available.
DEADLINE: Entries close Thursday, October 23 at midnight.
Donate $100 — Enter the Thailand Raffle
