Christina Mangino [00:00:05]:
So our tagline is healing is our superpower. And so it’s really helping others in a way. And so it’s it’s, I mean, the the Lord just continues to be like, you know, you think you’re just kinda, you know, here and now I’m like, man, like, I know it’ll outgrow me very quickly, and I will have to bring somebody that’s, you know, there, but I will always be a champion, for it because it has touched so many parts of my life.
Introduction
Kim Moeller [00:00:32]:
We have a really inspirational conversation for you today with our special guest, Christina Mangino. You’re gonna hear about a career that she has been led into that she never planned on going into, but it totally captures her essence of what she loves to do, temperament tests and personality tests and people’s emotions and feelings, all of those things, how they relate to a family’s or a personal individual’s legacy. And it’s fascinating, and I love that this is her career. She’s been written about in books and articles and has her own company that you’re going to hear about. So stay tuned to this episode of the Generous Girl podcast. We’re so glad that you’re here. So I’d love to talk about this other facet of yours of starting a nonprofit. And I know you went through significant pain and suffering through a back injury, but yet how that led you to start this nonprofit that you probably would not have started.
Background
Kim Moeller [00:01:36]:
So can you share that story with us? Because we always talk about how we’ve overcome adversity and all of us have the different challenges and hard things in our lives. So I know that’s quite a story for you.
Christina Mangino [00:01:49]:
Yes. If you would have ever asked me, I would definitely said no. I’m definitely never not gonna start running nonprofit ever. But, so 2017, I got in a car accident and herniated, my l five s one in my back. And I was scheduled for a discotomy. And, randomly, I had talked to two really good friends of mine separately in that same week who I wasn’t normally talking to consistently. And they were both they, had started a alternative cancer hospital in t o one in Mexico. And so they said to me both are like, push your surgery off and come down.
Tijuana Cancer Clinic
Christina Mangino [00:02:23]:
I’m like, wait. What? You want me to tell my family I’m going to push surgery off, come to a cancer hospital in Tijuana, Mexico when I’ve been working in a lawn chair in my living room for 2 months?
Kim Moeller [00:02:34]:
And I was like, yes. You know?
Christina Mangino [00:02:37]:
And at that time, when we talk about adversity, I mean, I went from CrossFitting 5 days a week and which also for me after the downturn in 2,008 when a lot of that stress and I put on weight was how I actually really regained my health was from CrossFit. So I was I was a CrossFit junkie, loved it. I’m an extrovert, love variety. But also I was an adrenaline junkie, loved snowboarding, loved jumping off of, you know, all these things. So now all of a sudden I went from all of the things that in for me found joy to I couldn’t do any of those, to the point where I couldn’t even I mean, I’m literally working out of a lawn chair in my living room and only leaving the house when I had to meet with clients. So doing the bare minimum. So I also got my first glimpse of what it was like to really, you know, not be I mean, as an extrovert, that’s like the worst thing in the world to not be able to have any social time and do things with people. And so, yeah, so it was definitely a a a morning of the the how I was living life in the moment and having to redefine.
Christina Mangino [00:03:37]:
But at the same time so they talked me into coming down, and I went down for 2 weeks. And I spent, 2 weeks in the hospital with all the cancer patients and did everything but the cancer regimen. So I actually did the the Gibson diet for 2 weeks. I did hyperbaric chambers, PMF therapy. I did ozone injections, into the facet joints in my back. So within 48 hours of my first ozone injection, I had no sciatica pain whatsoever, and it’s never come back. So for me, to say grateful, and I had to go back down, and we we did, like, 5 rounds. So I kept going back down.
Christina Mangino [00:04:13]:
And every time I’d go down, I’m, you know, of course, cooking dinner for them, and we’re sitting around a table, and I’m so grateful. And I’m falling in love with the cancer patients who just I mean, it was such a place of healing when you’re watching somebody come in and just, you know, just you can physically see that their body is breaking down. And within 2 weeks, they have color back. They’re walking again, and you’re just watching this healing unfold there in your eyes. Mhmm.
Christina Mangino [00:04:37]:
And for me, it was the first really outside to the alternative medicine world at this point. Mhmm. So I fell in love with the hospital, and so I just kept going down just because you’re you’re listening to I mean, I I’ve specifically remember just patients thanking their cancer because it restored the relationships, because it restored it opened their eyes to what was important. And you’re like, okay. What do I have to complain about for 1? You know what I mean? So, 1, it was just a really special place. But as we sat around those dinners, at the time, 95% of the patients that would call wanting to go down there for treatment couldn’t afford to get there or couldn’t afford to take 3 weeks off of work to get there. So we would always just like they have I mean, they just have the biggest hearts. And so, you know, it was always just how do we help those who can’t get here get here? And so it was always this dream Mhmm.
Christina Mangino [00:05:25]:
To financially be able to support those get there. And at the time, it was like, oh, okay. Who’s gonna do it? You know, we’re all, you know, having our own businesses, and they’re they’re trying to cure cancer and doing that. And then fast forward a little bit later, they now started doing stem cells. They’re now one of the, you know, top stem cell clinics in the world. And now they’re on the orthopedic side, and so I was their 2nd disconjection patient. I call myself guinea pig number 2. So, you know, the owner actually tried to get me to the first one to go, and I was like, nope.
Christina Mangino [00:05:55]:
You can have that on her.
Kim Moeller [00:05:56]:
As soon as you do it, I’ll do it. Yeah. But,
Stem Cell Injection
Christina Mangino [00:06:00]:
so yeah. So I also got stem cells injected into my my desk. So, yeah, so for me, out of gratefulness, now they’re starting to do all this great, orthopedic injuries and and doing that. So fast forward to 2022 as my dad is now in the thick of his cancer journey. So after he had a lung transplant in 2020, he then, got cancer pancreatic cancer. And that fight was unique because here I am with these friends that have this renowned hospital, but my dad was immune compromised. And everything they did was immune building. He had to risk rejecting his lung.
Christina Mangino [00:06:34]:
So that had its own journey, in and of itself. And during this journey, they actually I thought I was just gonna help them from a consultant standpoint. So they’re like, hey. We now have patients who are funding each other. We’ve got, you know, cancer patients who are deemed terminal getting 5 extra years, and they wanna leave us money. And we don’t know, like, how to and so I
Kim Moeller [00:06:55]:
was like, could we use a donor advised fund?
Christina Mangino [00:06:58]:
You know, like and then I was like, no. We still need the 5 you know? And so long story short is I I was just like, okay. Let let me help you, get it there, and then we’ll hire a real person to actually run it. And during that journey, you know, by 2 months after we launched, my we we did I lost my dad to his journey. Mhmm. And, you know, in that it now realizing in the Lord just he couldn’t make it any more clearer because every time I was joking of, like, yeah. Yeah. You know, I’m just helping, you know, and then he, like, would bring somebody else.
Christina Mangino [00:07:29]:
And one of the very first instances of that is we had a 911 first responder who needed some financial support to get down and contacted us, and he had pulmonary fibrosis. So he had the disease my father had, and he came down, few months later, got stem cells, and now he’s a year over a year now, and his scan show no remnants. He has, like, a couple little dots on his scans, and he’s like, hey. One more round, and I’m pretty sure that I’m I’m curing this. And I’m like, wait a minute. Like, I get chills every time I still think of it of like, wait a minute. You’re gonna tell me that I could potentially help other families not go through the journey my family went through with my dad and watching him go on oxygen, watching him get a lung transplant. I mean, going through that journey.
Christina Mangino [00:08:15]:
And so that that was the first one where I was like, okay, Lord. And then just for me, it’s been such a beautiful healing journey because I get to talk about my daddy almost every day. I’m talking about his cancer journey, his pulmonary fibrosis. My grandma’s had stage 4 cancer. You know, my back, my you know, I your
Kim Moeller [00:08:33]:
own story. Right.
Christina Mangino [00:08:34]:
Partially tore an ACL and healed that in two and a half months without surgery and, you know, through it. And so I really realized and it so the Lord just continues to just really bring these amazing, partners, that are helping us on the journey, but also it was a healing journey in of itself. And so while I was usually on the the donor side, it’s been a really unique journey. I was actually just sharing with somebody recently that, you know, I used to be the one of, like, what are they spending their admin dollars on? What percentage is going to admin? And now I’m the one that’s having to do it. I’m like, how are they doing that? How are you running on 10%? Because the donors you’re going after, they’re not meeting at winners initials. Like, you know what I mean? Like, you’ve gotta actually have events to, you know, to to cultivate those donors and and do that. And so now I’m having this whole, like, new view, and you need people, and you need someone to run the social media. Exactly.
Christina Mangino [00:09:25]:
You know what? Hey. And then, yeah, in a normal business, I just hire for it. Now I have to actually think about, you know, the dollars and, you know, so it’s it’s been a really unique journey not just in me having a different perspective of what nonprofits truly take to run and build and grow. But also it’s been a unique journey of, like, now it’s no longer me just helping and saying, hey. Here’s some money to help. Now it’s where the Lord said, no. No. No.
Christina Mangino [00:09:49]:
You’re taking your time, treasure, and your talents. And but really this journey is like I don’t know. It’s just been so much more fruitful from a generosity perspective. Mhmm. Because for me, it’s like it culminates, like, all these journeys I’ve gone through with my dad. And so while, of course, yes, where I’d love to have my dad here and wish stem cells were there when he was starting his journey, yes. But if it wasn’t for my dad’s journey, I wouldn’t have this unique perspective to really, you know so our tagline is healing is our superpower. And so it’s really helping others in a way, and so it’s it’s I mean, the the Lord just continues to be like, you know, you think you’re just kinda, you know, here.
Christina Mangino [00:10:30]:
And now I’m like, man, like, I I’m just I’m in it. You know? I’m like, yes. Yes.
Christina Mangino [00:10:34]:
I know it’ll outgrow me very quickly, and I will have to bring somebody that’s, you know, there. But I will always be a champion, for it because it has touched so many parts of my life.
Kim Moeller [00:10:45]:
That’s so beautiful, Christina. And, you know, when I think of this podcast and the different pillars, for sure, the 2 that we’re emphasizing on this episode are faith and family. And I love how you’ve taken the highs and the lows and been flexible and open for the Lord’s leading, you know, to make you a more generous person, not only with your resources, but with your time, with your talent, and then how you all of that understanding and learning, you’re applying that to these families that you’re working with, and they’re becoming more generous families in in all those regards as well. So what would you say in kind of as we wrap up and we’ll get to your favorite book and bible verse and bargain? What would you say to the woman listening? You know, here we are in the early part of 2025, and she’s looking at her life. She’s looking at her journey. She’s looking maybe at her career, her calling, and, like, yours at this stage just feels like it’s so beautifully dovetailed. But what would you say if for her, it’s not that way and it’s kinda like, I don’t know which way I’m going, Lord, and this is happening and it won’t fit together. Any advice or encouragement you would give to that woman or or maybe even, like, because you love temperament test so much.
Kim Moeller [00:12:01]:
Is there a test you’d recommend to help her better understand herself? Any final parting words we’d love to hear.
Christina Mangino [00:12:08]:
Oh, wow. There’s a lot of layers in that. I mean and what I would say I mean, just to be fully transparent and vulnerable for myself, like, my life rate is not what I thought it would be. I went into financial planning to be able to stay at home with my children and raise a family. And I am still not married without children, and it’s been a desire of my heart that’s been a huge walk with the Lord in doing that. And so on one hand, it’s like, you know, I have, you know, also, like, there’s all these fun things that the Lord is utilizing me as a vessel to do that are amazing. And, also, it doesn’t mean it’s exactly what way I thought my life would look. You know? And so there is still a piece of that, you know, journey with the Lord that’s like, okay, Lord.
True Surrender
Christina Mangino [00:12:50]:
Like, you know, I’m having that. So one, I think it’s it’s it always goes back to surrender. I mean, it’s surrendering that, like, if we really are having faith that I just keep saying, okay, Lord. If this is your journey, it doesn’t mean I don’t still have the desire of my heart to, you know, have a family and be in love and and, you know, have that peace, but also it’s it’s an it’s an end. It’s not one or the other. But so I would say one, it’s like, yeah, the lord may not have us look exactly the way we planned out our life, but then there’s so many of these, you know, rich part of the journey that, like, I just it does light me up when I help a family and I see them just become more connected and thriving and they’re excited and and and wanna tackle conversations together and have it together, you know, or, you know, like, in doing that and, you know, for me, like, did I ever think that I would be a champion for veterans? I mean, like, you know, on the stem cell side, we’re helping veterans heal their pain from physical injury. No. But, man, like, wow.
Christina Mangino [00:13:49]:
Like, every time it’s the wife. It’s always the wife that I have the conversation with. She’s like, I don’t think you understand. I had to push him out of bed. Like, he couldn’t walk the dogs. Like, you know what I mean? And just like, I have my husband back. He’s able to play with the kids. He’s able to throw the kids in the air again.
Christina Mangino [00:14:05]:
Like and so you’re hearing all of these, and I’m like, wow. Like, thank you, Lord. Thank you for Lord for allowing me to say yes in doing that. So, one, I would just say the encouragement is while it might not look the way we expected, it’s like he’s gonna bring so many, you know, joys and blessings when we’re just faithful, but it’s never without hardship because there’s still a lot of things with my family and walking through and with my dad and, you know, like, there there’s it’s it’s like everything. It’s like we gotta find joy in the journey, which Right. From personality profiles, I like the destination. I wanna know where we going, what’s going on. You know? And so that’s, like, you know, always a part of the heart of, like, you know, finding joy in the journey regardless if it’s the destination we expected.
Christina Mangino [00:14:51]:
So one I would just say is, like, yeah, just encouraging to, like, surrender to the journey and what it looks like, versus being focused on the destination we think it needs to be. Mhmm. I would say for 1, from, like, a tool standpoint, I think the more that we know ourselves and we really know who we are, and so whether that’s an Enneagram, whether it’s a Myers Briggs, love languages, like, you know, I think so many of that of, like, when we know ourself, it really allows us to also know, like, maybe what is in the way from what we want because sometimes it’s just not having an awareness of a wound we haven’t healed, something we haven’t, you know, been willing to see and restore. And it’s, you know, it’s always a journey. Like, everybody thinks you, like, start, like, learning about yourself and you’re like, I’ve arrived. And it’s like, no. It’s it’s it’s a forever journey Sure. Because you get to a new layer.
Christina Mangino [00:15:43]:
And so yeah. So I would think the more that you get to know yourself and become aware, and I would also say having people in your life that you’re allowing to speak into your blind spots Mhmm. You know, I think is also very, very important because sometimes, yeah, it might not be something you can see, that other the Lord brings other people in your life to allow you see things that you can’t see.
Kim Moeller [00:16:06]:
Very, very well said. And I know before the episode started before we started the recording, you talked about a a group that you’re in and you found a gal that leads this group and she’s speaking into your life challenging you with books that you’re reading, other people that are in the group. And, you know, unfortunately, like those things don’t often just get dropped in our lap, but we have to intentionally seek those out. And when we know, like, there’s an area that I really wanna grow in in my life in 2025, then I just wanna encourage everybody, pray about that. And, honestly, you God will bring the people your way or the resources your way or the books your way so that you can continue growing on that journey that that he has for you. And I do think, Christina, when you were talking, you gave me the title of this podcast. I think it’ll be finding joy in the journey. I like that.
Kim Moeller [00:16:57]:
Yeah. No. You’re kidding. I know
Christina Mangino [00:16:58]:
you’re saying that.
Favorite Bible Verse, Book, and Bargain
Kim Moeller [00:16:59]:
You’re reading, favorite bible verse.
Christina Mangino [00:17:02]:
Well, yeah. I mean so well, favorite book versus current book. I would say my favorite book is definitely going to be
Kim Moeller [00:17:09]:
Okay. Either one. Hands down.
Christina Mangino [00:17:12]:
But currently, a surprising book that I’m reading that I didn’t choose to read, it’s actually from the fellowship group I mentioned, and it’s actually a book called codependent no more. When originally they assigned it, I’m like, everybody in my life says I am, like, over independent. I am not dependent. I should be you know what I mean? And so but it’s been really fascinating to realize, the the different like, because I really never studied codependency and what that was. And so really that book has actually been surprisingly fascinating, that even, like, in forms of caretaking as a codependency. And it’s like being, you know, expecting expectation on the outcome or for somebody to do something. So that’s actually been a really surprising book that when they originally assigned it, I was like, oh, this is gonna be boring. What per you know what I mean? And then, like
Kim Moeller [00:17:56]:
Someone else needs that book. I don’t need it. Yeah.
Christina Mangino [00:18:00]:
But then even learning, like, high functioning codependency, it’s really, really fascinating to really learn that. And it’s just another facet where I said, you know, the Lord just brings other ways for us to be more aware. And so while in what I felt like the traditional sense of codependencies there, there’s still other facets of that that I’m like, oh, oh, wait a minute. Oh, I do have some you know what I mean? And so there are these little nuances that the more you continue to know, it’s like, you know, it just continues to allow you to, you know, see the things maybe in life that’s bringing you some friction that you don’t know why.
Kim Moeller [00:18:34]:
Mhmm. Mhmm. Okay. And then your favorite Bible verse, I believe it was from the book of Matthew.
Christina Mangino [00:18:41]:
Yeah. Matthew 6 21. You know, where your heart is, your treasure is also. So for me, obviously, my company I started is heart of generosity. It seems like for me, everything goes back to the heart. You know? It’s like where our hearts at and, you know, when when when our hearts are flourishing and ignited, I think that that really allows it. And so for me, that is always just a reminder because when we start to put our treasures elsewhere, it’s usually where where our hearts start to wander. And so just being remembering of, like, you know, where are we true you know, where is our heart truly treasuring?
Kim Moeller [00:19:18]:
That’s a great website, heart of generosity.com and great name of a business. Okay. And the final question, the bargain.
Christina Mangino [00:19:26]:
Man, I mean, I I feel like I’m always in the bargain. Like, for me, it’s like the hunt. It’s like you know what I mean? It’s like, you know, probably Totally. That’s probably where I have to watch myself. We’re like,
Kim Moeller [00:19:36]:
oh, it’s on sale. I’m like, do
Christina Mangino [00:19:37]:
you need 12
Kim Moeller [00:19:38]:
per hour? Right.
Christina Mangino [00:19:39]:
You know? But, honestly, for me, I actually find great bargains on eBay. You know? Like, especially, like, there’s, like, this like, just recently, I have these really favorite pair of pink heels, but I’ve worn them out. And so I actually found a pair on eBay that, like, someone wore once.
Kim Moeller [00:19:56]:
So great. And I was like, yes. Right. You know? I was like Yes.
Christina Mangino [00:20:00]:
Yes. That’s awesome. Find some some great deals on eBay.
Kim Moeller [00:20:03]:
I read about this famous clothing designer, his daughter. She does all of her clothing shopping on eBay. And all she does is she puts in the high level designers she looks for, you know, and sets, like, the alerts and gets those. And she goes, that’s the only way I do my shopping. So it’s great.
Christina Mangino [00:20:21]:
It’s great because even, like, there was this favorite shirt that was like I actually found it at Costco. It was like a Banana Republic V neck shirt that was, like, my favorite shirt. And then I was like, but they’re not selling them anymore. You know? And then all of a sudden, I found another one brand new on Ebay. I was like, got 2. You know? So great. So fun.
Kim Moeller [00:20:40]:
Well, this has been such a treat. I I think you’re just a wealth of wisdom and so grateful for you taking the time to share with our guests and just God bless you and your practice and you know, your health journey as it continues and the nonprofit that you lead all the things. And also I should make a shout out, you mentioned, you know, gospel patrons and as one of your favorite books, but there is also the book, the 31 Gospel Patrons, and this is by John Reinhart and his organization, gospel patrons, that you all can look at. But Christina is one of those people featured in that book, one of the 31 special people. And they’re coming out with an audio version of the book where she actually reads her chapter about herself in her voice. So you might wanna get that as well in this year of 2025. So God bless you, and thanks again, Christina, so much. Really appreciate you.
Christina Mangino [00:21:35]:
Oh, thank you, Kim. It was an absolute honor and a pleasure. Thank you.
Kim Moeller [00:21:39]:
Absolutely. Thanks so much for joining us today on the Generous Grill podcast. We’re so glad that you’re here. And if you know of someone that you think needs to be a guest on this podcast, please reach out to us. New episodes are released every other week, and you can follow us on YouTube and on all platforms. Thanks for being here, and we’ll see you next time.
