Ep. 85 Bonus Episode - The Stern Truth: The Power to Slow Down in Order to Speed Up With Atrina Kouroshnia

If you’ve been grinding away and wondering why the hustle isn't producing results, you’ll love the advice you get from our guest in this episode.

Atrina Kouroshnia is a self-employed mortgage broker. She’s been in the mortgage business for around 14 years. But a few years ago, what started as a personal journey inward transformed into another part of her business: bioenergy healing and women's embodiment coaching.

We get into what bioenergy healing actually is (and yes, we talk about the "woo-woo" factor.) Atrina explains why self-regulation is the ultimate real growth strategy for entrepreneurs and what it looks like to slow down when the world tells you to go faster.

Atrina shares how years of operating at full speed took a toll on her, as she became short-tempered, dysregulated, and even developed hives. The way Atrina puts it is that her inner work didn't just help her personally; it changed the way she does business now.

We also dig into losing momentum and how it holds business owners back from achieving their goals. Atrina says if you lose momentum, you lose meaning. When things get hard, go back to your purpose, your real "why," or your anchor to turn setbacks into growth instead of failure.

Her golden nugget is to stop being the "chill" one. Set clear boundaries and expectations in your business relationships, and this can help attract people who are aligned with how you work. That’s smart business advice AND smart mindset advice.

Get in touch with Atrina here:

Energy Healing Website: www.atrinak.com
Energy Healing IG: @atrinak_

Real Estate Website: www.mortgagebyatrina.com
Real Estate IG: @mortgagebyatrina.com

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Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
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Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

Transcript

[00:00:00] Marshall Stern: All right, my friends, you're in for a treat. This is a bonus episode. If you've known me for any time, or any length of time I should say, you might know that I often say sometimes we have to slow down in order to speed up. Well, my friends, this sit-down today with this amazing guest, who I've known for a few years now, talks about just that, the power to slow down in order to speed up.

[00:00:26] And Atrina gives us some strategies, and she just doesn't talk the talk, she walks it. She walks the talk. So, like I always say, grab that pad of paper and pen and enjoy this special bonus episode.

[00:00:45] Hi, I'm Marshall Stern and I've spent over 35 years leading and growing multiple small businesses. I know firsthand the struggles of entrepreneurship, feeling isolated, lonely, overwhelmed, and feeling like you have to do it all by yourself. I've been through multiple recessions, and I have felt the highs and the lows.

[00:01:05] I've been there, and I get it. This podcast is here to change that. Every week I will bring you straight talking advice, real world strategies, and honest conversations about what it takes to succeed in business without the fluff, the gimmicks, or the sugar-coated. If you're ready to stop spinning your wheels and start making real progress, then you are in the right place.

[00:01:28] This is the Stern Truth. 

[00:01:33] Welcome back, everyone, to another episode of the Start Truth Business Unfiltered, and I'd love to introduce you to my special guest to my right or left, whichever way you're looking at this. Atrina, how are you? 

[00:01:43] Atrina Kouroshnia: I'm well, Marshall. Thanks for having me on. 

[00:01:46] Marshall Stern: Yes. It has been a while, and I've been trying to get you on here.

[00:01:50] We're here. I want to have everyone learn all about you. So why don't you tell us a little bit about, you know, who you are, what you do, all the things you do, and then we'll get into a little bit more detail as to the why. 

[00:02:03] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. So, for the longest time I was doing mortgages in Canada, and about 14 years now, so I've been self-employed as a mortgage broker.

[00:02:14] And now I have an alter ego that came in, and now I'm also doing healing with it. And that kind of was... I'm sure we'll go and we'll talk about this as well, but I felt like there was something that was missing in my daily life, and I needed to tap into my own spirituality and a different way of providing service.

[00:02:35] So that's where the healing world came in. So, in addition to mortgages, I do bioenergy healing, and I work with women, with women's embodiment, relationship, and coaching with them. So, it's been a really beautiful journey. And now I get to focus on clients that bring me joy to work with.

[00:03:00] And I'm not tied to just one thing, doing one thing for my profession. I can have multiple hats on and still be effective. 

[00:03:12] Marshall Stern: Yeah. No, for sure. I love that. So, what is bioenergy healing? 

[00:03:19] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. Beautiful. So, with bioenergy healing, we are ... There, there's so many different beautiful healing modalities in the world, and I really think that the world is tapping into those a little bit more, and they're exploring those other options, which makes me very happy.

[00:03:36] With bioenergy healing, you're working with the person's electromagnetic field, or when... The way that people, most people know it is their aura. So instead of really putting your hands on their body, you're working with their aura, and then you're working with the energetic centers in their body. So, you move stuck energy and the person feels more aligned, more healthy. 

[00:04:00] Because a lot of illnesses or diseases are essentially stuck energy or there is issues in... There's emotions, stuck emotions, stuck everything that's in your body. 

[00:04:13] Marshall Stern: Okay. So is it ... What's the difference between that? So, you said, like, it's... So, you're not actually touching the person, it's energy. So, how's that... I've heard of, like, rake, reiki or reiki or whatever.

[00:04:23] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. 

[00:04:24] Marshall Stern: So how is that... Is that similar? 

[00:04:26] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. I think it's similar. I am not a reiki practitioner, so I can't give you all the exact details. But I think from my understanding, there's so many different energetic healing modalities, and reiki seems to be similar. I believe reiki you're actually putting your hands maybe on their body, but you are working with the different chakras as well, with the different energetic centers.

[00:04:50] But with bioenergy healing, you're working – you're not channeling energy as well, so I think that's a big thing. With a lot of reiki practitioners, not all, but they are channeling energy, and with bioenergy you're just moving energy. You're not... Like, I'm not channeling my energy into someone else and vice versa.

[00:05:09] Marshall Stern: Okay. Interesting. Okay. So how did you get into obviously that, and also just self- the whole self-employed entrepreneurial world? Is it something you've always wanted to do, or did you, did you ever think like, "I'm going to work for a company for the rest of my life or, and nine to five?" Or how did you get into this working for yourself?

[00:05:28] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. You know, I think that was probably as, as wild as it sounds now, I think that was the dream before. I was like, "I just want to have a nine to five job." And then one thing led to another and I was self-employed, and I've been self-employed for so long that I don't even remember how it feels to have a nine to five job.

[00:05:45] When I became a mortgage broker, I was working nine to five. I was working in HR, I was working in recruitment. So really all of my previous experience has just been customer service focused, whether I've been working for myself or for another company. And I was getting my own home, so I was going through that process, and I was getting it on my own, so I was asking a lot of questions, doing a lot of research.

[00:06:12] And I remember multiple people at that time were like, "You should consider this field." Like, people that weren't related to each other. My sister, my realtor, and my mortgage broker, they all told me that I should consider it. I guess I just had a lot of curiosity, a lot of passion, and I did. And that was, you know, that was a long time ago.

[00:06:32] It was 14 years ago now. Of course, being self-employed has a lot of perks. You have, you can take time off, your work schedule's a little bit more flexible. But as someone who has been self-employed for a very long time, you also know that probably some of our downfall is that we don't know when to end, right?

[00:06:53] Like, there's always something else we could do. There's always another email that we can write. So definitely finding that balance has been, I would say, the most challenge. Yeah. 

[00:07:04] Marshall Stern: We talk about that a lot on the show. Do you, do you, do you believe in work-life balance? 

[00:07:08] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah, I think it's important. I think it’s, I don't think we are here on this earth just to be working, right?

[00:07:16] Like, I think working will give us fulfillment, it'll give us money, it'll give us a purpose, but I definitely don't think that life should be all work. I do believe in work-life balance. I think it'll come in phases, so especially if you're self-employed, like, there are times where you'll have a little bit more priority, and then, you know, depending on your life situations and life events, yours are going to be more personal.

[00:07:41] So I think the overall will be a balance. But I, I think it's hard to maintain a work-life balance on an ongoing basis, especially if you're self-employed. 

[00:07:52] Marshall Stern: Yeah. No, I love that. I agree. I, I agree 100%. I mean, it, it, and but I also think, tell me, like, if you agree with this, I, I think people struggle. They're trying to achieve.

[00:08:04] There's so much noise out there, you and I know, right? And our listeners know. There's so much noise, and I think people struggle with trying to achieve work-life balance on an ongoing basis. 

[00:08:14] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. 

[00:08:15] Marshall Stern: Especially if they have, let's say, if they're a parent, or they're in a relationship, or they're taking care of, let's say, aging parents or whatever it is.

[00:08:23] They're trying to do that, and they're trying to build a business or their career, and they're trying to balance this, this, this, this, this all at the same time, and it's just not... It's a lot of pressure. I, I really, like, I agree. I don't think it's... I don't really think it's possible. I think over a month, over a year, definitely over your lifetime, you want the balance.

[00:08:42] But in any given, yeah, any given day or week or probably, honestly, even month. Some days you're going to be grinding. Some days you're just going to be more focused on this path or more focused on that path and, or multiple. You have multiple. There you go, multiple businesses, right? 

[00:08:57] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah, yeah. 

[00:08:58] Marshall Stern: What have you found, what, what would be your Stern Truth for the, one of the most challenging areas, whether it be in your mortgage business or in the energy, like, just – being an entrepreneur, what, what's been the most challenging for you?

[00:09:14] Atrina Kouroshnia: Hmm, this is a good question, and I thought about this actually before, this podcast, but I think the Stern Truth for me is that most people think growth is scaling faster. And being a business owner, I would say that I've definitely fell within that bucket as well. But I, I do think, especially now that, you know, I've, I have this different aspect of my life where it's very different than mortgages, very spiritual, it's very grounding, it's very, like, self-regulating,  I really think that the real work is regulating yourself under stress.

[00:09:53] You know, when you can lead your inner world, when you can make your business decisions I think that's probably, in my opinion, the, the real growth versus just focusing on, how can I scale my business and make it grow faster? 

[00:10:12] Marshall Stern: I'm glad you, you mentioned that, so because our listeners are business owners, entrepreneurs.

[00:10:17] Some of them, many of them are probably solopreneurs trying to do it all themselves, and they're grinding away. They're pushing, they're pushing, and they're pushing, and there's the, all this stuff happening in the world, you know, with, with, you know, politically and with wars and, and hate and all this stuff, right?

[00:10:34] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. 

[00:10:35] Marshall Stern: And just then, then all the regular noise of marketing and 10X your business. 10, you know, I can help you. You know, give me $20,000. I've been there. I can help you. All this kind of stuff. How do we as entrepreneurs, how do we as business owners then slow it down? I always say, like to my clients, and even on the podcast, we need to slow down in order to speed up.

[00:10:56] But how do we really do that? How do we regulate, self-regulate? 

[00:11:01] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. I think one of the major things that I work with in the coaching or bioenergy, so in that, in that – I'll refer back-to-back and forth between mortgages and healing and bioenergy. But in the healing world, we are, or I encourage people, and I've done this as well, like I've done a deep journey myself to be able to offer that space for other people is really focusing on your sensations, and like your body is so wise, and listening to the messages that are coming up.

[00:11:34] And there's so much to, to, to listen to and to actually invite in, but we don't, we don't ever make time for that. So I think if we, if we avoid going too fast on tactics, and we slow down and instead just focus on self-reflection and self-understanding, that's going to be a big help with regulating ourself,  which will actually have a big impact in our business world as well.

[00:12:01] Like it's definitely had a big impact on me. Mortgages are so fast paced. They're so, like last minute. People come to you in a panic. You have deadlines. You have to get financing before a certain date. There's, there are different moving parts that are happening, and usually when I was in that...

[00:12:22] When I am in that field, it's, we take on that stress. Like, you know, especially when the no subject offers were a thing, like people were just going in and they're making all these offers, and it was like, okay, great, like you have to make sure we get financing because we don't have subjects. So, all this stress would fall on, and I didn't realize that I wasn't self-regulating at that time, so I would...

[00:12:45] Like a couple times I broke out in hives and, you know, I'd just be shorter tempered in my personal life. I definitely, definitely noticed that as well. And now that I'm focusing a little bit more of what's going on internally with me. I mean, the clients are still the same. They're all, they're – there are all kinds of different clients.

[00:13:05] The situation hasn't changed, but the way that I'm responding to it is a little bit different. And sure, that's not going to work with every client. Maybe they want a response right away. But I found that making those shifts, I've actually been attracting clients that are more respectful of my time, more organized with their documents, more aligned with how I'm presenting myself as well.

[00:13:28] So it's definitely made a shift in like the, you know, from the woo-woo world to the mortgage world or the business world. It's definitely, I definitely see the shift with that as well. 

[00:13:38] Marshall Stern: Okay. So you used the word woo-woo, so I, I'm going to go there for a moment because –

[00:13:42] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah.

[00:13:42] Marshall Stern: ... a lot of, a lot of people, a lot of business owners are going to watch this, and they're going to say, "Yeah, energy healing, healing, woo-woo."

[00:13:49] Like, how do we get over that? 

[00:13:52] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. And I think, I think that's so normal. Anything that you have, any, any certain thing, any one thing that you've done a certain way for a period of long time, that's going to be your norm, right? Anything new, it's going to dysregulate your nervous system. So, you're always going to have different opinions, different words for different things that may be just as effective, but your nervous system, your ego is like, "No, we're going to call this woo-woo and just shut it down."

[00:14:22] So I think, I think that's normal, just because it's... You're not used to it. Your body's not used to it. But I think just pausing before we are reacting, it just helps us become less overwhelmed. But then again, woo-woo has become a lot more acceptable in mainstream media, in businesses, in corporations.

[00:14:45] I work with corporations with bioenergy healing. So, it's, you know, it's something that is definitely expanding, and a lot of different departments of science are going and proving certain woo-woos all around. So, you know, if you're very scientific and you want to know facts and data, you can look for that as well, and a lot of things that have been around for thousands of years are being proven scientifically.

[00:15:09] So maybe that, maybe that's what your brain needs to kind of relax into it. But yeah, definitely pausing, before reacting to, to lessen the overwhelm. 

[00:15:21] Marshall Stern: So, I'm going to assume the corporate world doesn't call it woo-woo, woo-woo. They probably call it, like, wellness or something to do – they do call it wellness, 

[00:15:28] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. yeah.

[00:15:30] Marshall Stern: Because you're, "Okay, staff, we're going to introduce this new woo-woo package," and yeah. 

[00:15:35] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. 

[00:15:36] Marshall Stern: And we all know wellness, like, especially since the pandemic, right? Since 2020.

[00:15:40] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah.

[00:15:40] Marshall Stern: Probably even well before then, but definitely since the pandemic, wellness, mental health has become much more on the forefront.

[00:15:49] And... Okay.  And... So, okay, let's pretend for a second... I've never done this on the... I don't think I've ever done this on the podcast. Let's say, yeah, I'm one of my listeners, okay? I’m, I’m pushing hard, trying to get clients all the time. I could be a mortgage broker, could be a coach, could be digital marketer, bookkeeper, whatever, landscaper.

[00:16:10] Trying to get clients, and I'm just pushing. I'm pushing. I'm putting myself out there, and bills are racking up, and, and I'm just finding myself... I- I two... Let's say I have two young kids. I'm short-tempered with them because I'm not sleeping well. I'm stressed about money, so I'm not thinking clearly, and I'm not really taking the right action steps because – I don't realize that necessarily, okay?

[00:16:34] But because I'm so stressed out, okay? So, I'm coming from a place of scarcity and desperate and what have you. What would you suggest to me? 

[00:16:45] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah, that's a really good question. And I don't remember who said this, but it's someone in this field, and basically, they say, "Oh, I really need to meditate, but what if I don't have time?"

[00:16:57] And the answer is, "Well, then you need to meditate for double the amount of time," right? Like, you need to really make that space because it is affecting all areas of your life. It's affecting that scarcity. It's affecting your relationship with your kids, probably your spouse. And then the way that you're attracting new clients is very much like, you know, similar to what it would be if you were doing that in a relationship, but like, "Love me, love me, choose me," and people are like, "Ooh, no thank you," right?

[00:17:24] Like, they're kind of going away. So, I- it's really having an effect. But where, when you take the time to pause and you kind of just notice what is going on within you. Like, in, in the coaching world, for example, I would ask you what your actual goal is, what your desire is, and then we do a little bit of somatic, somatic healing, whereas I ask you to focus on the sensations in your body and the messages that are coming up for you.

[00:17:51] And a lot of times for a lot of people, those are, like, shame or not deserving of this success. So, you, like, once you actually get to the bottom of it, you'll see that a lot of times, maybe in your situation, the entrepreneur that's running around, maybe he doesn't feel like he deserves that new client.

[00:18:12] Or maybe, you know, there's something that needs to keep him small. Maybe by not having those clients, he can have, or she can have more empathy from other people, and this and that, because he's choosing to keep himself small. So really focusing on that and seeing, okay, like, what would be what would be something that I need at the moment, or what would be something that my inner child needs at this moment?

[00:18:38] Or, really, really in depth with that. But definitely, I would say focusing, like, especially if you don't have the time, like, make the time. And it doesn't have to be long. You could be sitting at your desk. Don't, don't do this if you're, like, lying down. I feel like that takes away from the powerful impact of the meditation, because sometimes your body just falls asleep.

[00:19:01] But, like, make the time, be intentional with it. Sit somewhere, sit on a cushion, sit on a couch, and just close your eyes and breath, breathe, and focus on the sensations with your body and just help your nervous system calm down a little bit before you, you know, rage respond to the email that came in that just triggered you as well.

[00:19:21] Yeah. 

[00:19:22] Marshall Stern: Okay, so I have to meditate differently now. So, I end up, I end up laying down. I know you're supposed to sit. I end up laying down, and then I end up falling asleep. You're right, 100%. 

[00:19:31] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. 

[00:19:31] Marshall Stern: Okay. What – I'm going to go here. It's 2026. It's hard to believe, like, we're well into 2026 now.

[00:19:41] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. 

[00:19:42] Marshall Stern: What do you see for yourself in the next couple of years for your businesses and for your, for yourself?

[00:19:48] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. I love these questions because I, like, I love to daydream, and daydreaming goes so much further than just daydreaming. You're creating new neural circuits in your brain, and you're letting your body know it's safe for you to feel and be in that experience. So, I really love these. But what do I see for myself in the next few years?

[00:20:10] I, I definitely see myself having both businesses. I do work with a team of underwriters, so they help me with packaging and working with clients. And I see myself growing my coaching business and energy healing. Everything is remote, so I can do that from anywhere, which is wonderful, and I get to just see myself working with clients that are more aligned, spending my time more efficiently with people that want to be working with me instead of –

[00:20:41] You know, like in your situations, being frantic and trying to get business from anywhere that, that is coming. Because not everybody's going to be aligned, and, and that's totally fine. But if they are, it just makes the process so much more enjoyable. I actually have a beautiful goal of working 20 hours a week.

[00:21:01] So, that's my goal, and I, I do, I do see myself getting there within the next two years. Just having the right systems and processes set up. And, yeah, I mean, I'd love to have a family. I'd love to feel more settled. So, all of those are beautiful manifestations that I'm bringing about, yeah. 

[00:21:27] Marshall Stern: Okay, so I want to talk about manifestations for a moment.

[00:21:30] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah

[00:21:31] Marshall Stern: Because it's nice to have the vision, the desire, the clarity over that, the manifestations. Then it comes to... And I know you're a person of action, so this is more really for our listeners. Because, you know, I don't know if you remember The Secret. When The Secret came out.

[00:21:45] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yes. Yeah. 

[00:21:45] Marshall Stern: And it was like, speaking of woo-woo, it, it was very woo-woo.

[00:21:51] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. 

[00:21:51] Marshall Stern: Right? And there was a lot of truth to it, a lot of attraction, and a lot about energy and what you put into the universe, all that. But a lot of people took it, because people are lazy generally,  they want the shortcut, the easy way, and they just thought, "Okay, I buy, I buy the CD," or, "I watch the, the program, sit at the edge of, you know, my curb, and I can just close my eyes.

[00:22:12] I can just manifest"- ... you know, big, big, big house, lots of kids, you know, Mercedes, and all this kind of stuff, and all this money coming in." And they don't do anything about it. 

[00:22:23] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah. 

[00:22:24] Marshall Stern: Why isn't it happening? Open their eyes and, you know, 10 years later it hasn't happened. Or a vision board, right? Same thing.

[00:22:30] This goes more to, I guess, what do you think, in your opinion, and I know that I'm putting you on the spot here, what do you think holds people back from... Maybe they manifest something or they have a vision. What do you think holds so many people back from actually achieving their dreams and what they want?

[00:22:46] Atrina Kouroshnia: I think like anything, it gets tough or they get an obstacle, and they, they lose momentum. And if they lose momentum, they think they've lost meaning. So, it's, you know, two different things. Just because you're losing momentum doesn't mean the anchor of why you started it is gone. So really going back to that original thing.

[00:23:08] Like, why do I want a 20-hour work week? Okay, I want a 20-work hour work week because I want to take care of myself, I want to take care of, like, my family, my loved ones, my body, have all these, like, hobbies that, like, fill me up with joy. Because when I am a joyful person, I'm a better person to be around, and all that stuff.

[00:23:27] Like, really having my anchor. Yeah, I think that having that purpose is, makes the ups and downs, they feel a little bit more like growth instead of failure because you have that deep purpose. And I mean, that's, that's similar to anything, like yoga or breathwork. Yoga without intention is just doing weird, wonky movements.

[00:23:51] But when you have an intention, when you have your breathwork, now it's yoga. Now it's meditative. Now it's good for your health. Breathwork, the same thing. Eating intentionally. So really just focusing on the purpose instead of the momentum would be my, my answer for that. 

[00:24:06] Marshall Stern: Okay. No, perfect. Speaking of, just a side note here, not a side note, Tai Chi.

[00:24:13] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah.

[00:24:13] Marshall Stern: Okay? So, I must have clicked on something once, so now all- throughout my, my Instagram especially, and Facebook too, I'm getting all these ads for like Tai – 

[00:24:22] Atrina Kouroshnia: I'll get it now too. 

[00:24:23] Marshall Stern: You're going to, you'll get it now because I said Tai Chi. All these guys, you know, "You're a 50 whatever old man," and, or "My father's 50 whatever old man and he doesn't work out.

[00:24:32] He hasn't worked out in the last six years, and he's got like the six-pack because of Tai Chi." Tai Chi's done the, transformed him from this like massively overweight guy doing Tai Chi for, what is it, like five minutes a day. I tried Tai Chi about 25 years ago, because it's a big thing in Vancouver, right?

[00:24:49] And I did it for like five minutes and I started laughing just because it was so... I understand the, the value of it, but it was – when you mentioned that it's like, okay, because it's, it's, it's so slow. And then, you know, you walk to any park in, in Vancouver, it's, you just see a whole bunch of like, you know, 50, 60, 70-year-old men and women just doing the slow movements, and it's like... But I know there's a meaning behind it and a purpose and the value of it. But it's hard- 

[00:25:17] Atrina Kouroshnia: Absolutely.

[00:24:17] Marshall Stern: ...it's hard to, it's hard to slow down. 

[00:25:19] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yes. And that's the thing. It's so hard to slow down because you could be doing Tai Chi, but then your mind's like, "Oh, Marshall, you should've just gone on the StepMaster and you would've burned more calories," and this and that.

[00:25:30] And again, that's like going into our fast-paced culture. But slowing down is so much harder than go, go, go. Like, if you do Tai Chi or yoga, if you've ever had to hold a pose for more than 10 seconds, you'll know. Like, you start shaking, and you have to focus on your breath and everything. But it's really anchoring you back.

[00:25:52] Yeah, that whole meditation and everything as well, it would definitely... Tai chi would be great for the entrepreneur you mentioned earlier. 

[00:25:59] Marshall Stern: I'll, I'll pass on that. But thank you. I tried yoga. I did yoga when I was younger a couple times, but then I tried, I did yoga like, probably was six...

[00:26:07] Like, it was around the pandemic, so maybe just before. And the problem was... So, this is just a piece of advice for anybody going, doing yoga, like in a yoga studio. Pick a yoga studio that actually has washrooms. So, I really had to go to the bathroom, but there was no washroom in that yoga studio. And when you're trying to hold your pose and you have to go to the bathroom, and you have like 45 minutes to go, not the most comfortable thing.

[00:26:30] Atrina Kouroshnia: No. No, that'd be awful. 

[00:26:33] Marshall Stern: Yeah. I know it's too much information, but you know. Like talking about my, when we were talking about my dog earlier. Also, also, don't feed your dog bran muffins, okay? Tip. 

[00:26:42] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yep. 

[00:26:42] Marshall Stern: That's the Stern, that's the Stern Truth, Atrina. Okay. Before we go, I want a couple things. Tell me the dark side of having this freedom, of being remote, of being in any city and any this, and you can do whatever.

[00:26:57] What's the dark side of that? 

[00:26:59] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah, that's such a good question because in the past couple years I've gone to meditation retreats where, like, they take your phone away or, like, you have no, no, like no contact with the world. And I thought to myself, "Wow, I haven't had this for so long." Like, I haven't not had my phone because even on vacation, you know, like I'll still check emails and stuff.

[00:27:23] So I think the dark side is that initial balance that we're talking about. Like the work-life balance, I think it becomes very, very challenging, especially if you're self-employed, especially if you're, you know, the person that either you're solo or you're responsible to feed your family and take care of them.

[00:27:41] I think there's a lot of pressure on that. And I think other dark side, and I'm uncertain if this applies to people that are working in their nine-to-five jobs and in their salary jobs, but I believe one of the dark side is that imposter syndrome. Like, it happened all the time. It happens with mortgages, with coaching.

[00:28:03] And I mean, coaching, it’s, fairly new for me. Bioenergy healing, it's been a few years. Mortgages, it's 14 now. Even if I have had success in it, I'll, I'll say, "Okay, well I just got lucky." You know? Like, I don't really know what I'm talking about, and that constant imposter syndrome. So again, like coming back to your purpose and realizing that, yes, there's so much information out there, that I don't need to know all of it, but the amount that I know is helping people and it's moving the wheel forward has been, has been powerful.

[00:28:37] But I would say, yeah, being self-employed, like not knowing when to stop, and the imposter syndrome would be the darkest sides for me, for sure. 

[00:28:45] Marshall Stern: Mm. Interesting. Okay. All right. Final question. 

[00:28:50] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yes. 

[00:28:51] Marshall Stern: My late father used to say, "Golden nuggets." If you, when you see a speaker back then listen to cassette tape or whatever.

[00:28:59] If you could just take one, read a book, one gold nugget, it's worth your time. Now, you've given a lot here. One more. What would be one, just one takeaway, one gold nugget for our listeners? 

[00:29:11] Atrina Kouroshnia: You know, there was something that I saw on Instagram lately, and she said it so perfectly. I think she meant it for more about relationships, but really it applies to all aspects of life.

[00:29:23] And I don't know if this is my golden nugget, but this is what's coming onto mind right now. And she said, "Be the, like, don't be the chill girl, be the clear girl, because when you're clear, you're setting your boundaries. And if people don't like it, they'll leave. But if you're chill, you're just kind of getting walked over."

[00:29:42] And I really feel like that can apply to any kind of situation. It can apply in your romantic life, it can apply in your working life. And now I feel since I've done the work with the spirituality and, and I mean, the work is, is not one and done. It's, it's ongoing for the rest of my life. But since I've started that journey, I can have more set boundaries and clear conversations with mortgage clients, especially, you know, people come to me, they're like, "Oh, can you just, like, help me shop the rate?"

[00:30:09] And I tell them, I say, "Well, what, like, do you want me to just waste my time or," you know, in a, in a nice way. But I set that expectation of, well, what would be the benefit for me? And people get it. People are like, "Oh, yeah, sorry. I didn't realize that's what I was asking." 

[00:30:26] Marshall Stern: Mm-hmm. 

[00:30:27] Atrina Kouroshnia: But I think that's so great in any business because I'm setting clarity and boundaries.

[00:30:32] And if they don't like it, they might not like it. It'll save us both time at the very beginning, because I don't have to work on their file or on their healing journeys, it's different because it's, it's like, clients will pay to have you as their bioenergy healer or coach. But with mortgages, you're doing the work upfront in hopes that you get their business.

[00:30:57] So I think that being the, you know, clear gal or guy, not being the chill one is great, especially because there's so much, there's so much people pleasing in our society, and there's so much trying to be nice, trying to be right person. But if you're clear with your boundaries and whatever you're aligned with, your, your North Star, I think that'll get you a lot further than people pleasing and just not having any boundaries at all.

[00:31:22] Marshall Stern: I think that's very powerful. I think it's, that's awesome. That's an awesome golden nugget for not just our listeners, for, for all of us, just for myself. Like, just because clarity, you know, they say that, you know, cliche, clarity is power. 

[00:31:36] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah 

[00:31:36] Marshall Stern: But it really is. Whether it's to do with the boundaries, what you want in life, whether it's personal relationship or for your business, just having that clarity is...

[00:31:46] It's power. Without clarity, it's, it's an uphill battle.And, and not only will other people... You talked about, like, people walking all over you. Not, not only will other people break those boundaries and walk all over you, but you will walk over, all over yourself. 

[00:32:02] Atrina Kouroshnia: Absolutely, yeah. 

[00:32:03] Marshall Stern: So that's perfect. 

[00:32:04] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah.

[00:32:05] Marshall Stern: Okay. So, if people want to get in touch with you and check out this woo-woo stuff- 

[00:32:10] Atrina Kouroshnia: Woo. 

[00:32:11] Marshall Stern: Yes ... woo-woo. We'll put, we'll put it, the stuff in the show notes, but what's the best way to, to reach out? 

[00:32:16] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah, absolutely. So, for all the spiritual, amazing, magical stuff, they can go to atrinak.com. So that's A-T-R-I-N-A K.com.

[00:32:27] They'll have all the information about both bioenergy healing and women's embodiment coaching there. And then for anything mortgage related, it's mortgagebyatrina.com. 

[00:32:39] Marshall Stern: So, Woo-Woo Atrina is the first one. Mortgage... Okay, perfect. 

[00:32:43] Atrina Kouroshnia: Yeah, you got it. That's awesome Exactly. 

[00:32:45] Marshall Stern: That's awesome.  thank you so much for taking your time to be with us today.

[00:32:50] Atrina Kouroshnia: My pleasure. This was fun. 

[00:32:52] Marshall Stern: No, this was amazing. Thank you so much. And for the rest of you, I, like I always say, I want to hear your... I want to hear your, your feedback, your comments. Do you think, like, do you think this is woo-woo? Do you think it's, like, a bunch of... you know? Or do you think it might have a place for yourself in, in your life?

[00:33:08] Whatever it might look like for you. I think the whole idea, Atrina, really, because it's going to be different for everyone, but just slow down in order to speed up. 

[00:33:17] Atrina Kouroshnia: Absolutely. Yeah. 

[00:33:18] Marshall Stern: How, how we do that, it's going to be different from person to person, but it's not – I can't remember how you put it earlier, but it's the, the, the fast life where it was, like, everything's go, go, go.

[00:33:30] It, it doesn't have to be that way. So, if we could just slow down, get the clarity and all that. And check, check out Woo-Woo Atrina. It's hard to say woo-woo. Woo-woo Atrina and Mortgage Atrina. And just, yeah, leave us a five-star Google review. Sorry, Google... You can do that too, actually. Five-star Google review.

[00:33:48] Five-star podcast review, because the more people who watch this podcast or listen to this podcast will see this episode, and they will get value out of it. So, thank you, Atrina, and thank you to all of you. We'll see you again next week on another episode of The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered.

[00:34:08] Thank you so much for tuning in to the Stern Truth. If you found today's episode helpful, we would love to hear from you. Please like, share, and leave us a review. Also, if you'd like to be a guest in an upcoming episode or join us in one of our momentum accountability group sessions, simply email me to marshall@marshallstern.net. 

[00:34:29] That's marshall@marshallstern.net. And don't forget to hit the subscribe button so you never miss an episode. Until next time, keep pushing forward and leading with confidence.