Corina Burton Shares Her Transformational Journey from Rock Bottom to Massive Success

Pamela Bardhi
Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of underdog. Today I have an incredible guest here with me, Corina, how are you?

Corina Burton
I am good. Thank you, Pamela, I’m very excited to be here or chatting with you.

Pamela Bardhi
You are incredible. I have read all about you. I’ve seen you on social media, your posts, like you’re just a rock star, and I love, love, love you just letting you know in advance. Some like just kick-ass women who are just out there just owning it. It is such an honour to see. So thank you so much for being here today. And I’m so excited to get into your journey. It’s gonna be a lot of fun and I’ll start you off with the most loaded question there is right?

Corina Burton
Yeah, shoot me. Shoot with that girl.

Pamela Bardhi
Right girl? So what inspired you on your journey to where you are today?

Corina Burton
That’s actually a really tricky question. And I say that, because my journey has literally been like a roller coaster. So everyone thinks maybe like a linear or maybe this way. You know, mine has been a roller coaster shift, I can say though when I was really, between eight to about 17. I always knew I wanted to do something that was really impactful in my life, I wanted to help other people. And I really never knew what that was, I really was drawn to giving love to people who felt like they didn’t have love. So I would spend time with kids who were in need, I would help collect donations and things like that.

But, my journey then took me a completely different direction. And now looking back, I’m like, wow, that was a really big pivoting moment in my life, and even in my entrepreneurial journey. Because now I’m becoming a business owner and even starting into this path of my life of breaking free of limiting beliefs. Breaking free of a lifestyle that was really keeping me so cluesive. And in this mundane path of this is what women do. This is how we do it. You know XY and Z and I broke free of that and going into my life journey over the last 10 years. I look back and I’m like, it really stemmed from when I was a kid of wanting to do good, and how do I do good.

And you think anybody can create a business. But when you create a business of impact. You can really change your community, your industry and you can do that with any type of business. It’s just the way that you then catapulted and ignited into your industry. So there’s a lot of curves along the way. But that’s kind of a generic a not a generic, but a summed up version of how I bought to this place of my path. And my journey and becoming an entrepreneur. For me, it’s really a vehicle for me to be able to do good in this world and give back. So that’s how I see entrepreneurial ship is really a vehicle to make a change and impact in society.

Pamela Bardhi
It’s really truly remarkable. Now, I always ask this question, because I love this one so much today. So what did you want to be when you grew up? Like as a kid, what was the dream?

Corina Burton
This is gonna sound so like generic, but as a kid, I really wanted to be famous. I really won I loved singing and dancing. And I was in theatre growing up, I was in musical theatre in high school and then I was accepted to a school called Cal State Fullerton. Which is just outside of Anaheim and I was accepted into their programme for musical theatre. And so I wanted to do theatre and of course I would envision myself like. I want to be famous one day and be an actor on Disney Channel. Like all those things.

And my life really didn’t end up that way. I really ended up choosing a life that I never really even saw myself having in the end. But you know, even though your life deters and has like had a 10 year gap, let’s say so to speak where I wasn’t able to work on my dreams. That doesn’t mean that you’re not meant for it. I’m not saying that, I’m going to be famous by any means. But I’m just saying that, like you know, those feelings that you have that really make you feel alive and that fire.

Those are the things that I really carry from my childhood into my young adult years is just that fire. That excitement of wanting to be someone of impact somebody that makes a difference. So it’s really exciting to be able to say. I had these dreams when I was just a young girl and here I am at 38. And I’m really getting to experience what that’s like. In being someone of impact and helping other people make a difference in their lives and giving them hope through my journey and my rollercoaster ride of life that I’ve had. So yeah, that was my dream. I wanted to be on Broadway Very much.

Pamela Bardhi
So funny is you and I are so parallel in that realm, I literally wanted to be like Britney Spears. I wanted to entertain, I wanted to make people laugh and just have fun and like that was my goal is to make people smile. That was my big thing as a kid like obsessed, I used to sing and dance at like family parties. I was like the lead singer of this, like weird girls group that like I put you know that myself and my best friends created we perform at like family parties. I’m still waiting to find that footage to this day, because there’s, it’s somewhere just online. It’s just,

Corina Burton
I would love to see that. I mean, I think about the stuff that I did. I’m like, Oh my gosh, we you know, when you’re saying that actually makes me think of like. I wonder if there’s something that’s similar where people who have that like burning fire inside of them. That they have this desire that they don’t even know how to express it. They don’t even know how to say so then you think automatically well, what’s the thing that you do? It’s entertainment. You are here to be this entertainment to let that fire that passion that drive that you have. And then as you get older, you start kind of going into that realm of like what you’re meant to do and you let that fire that passion go into that. So that’s kind of cool.

Pamela Bardhi
Fascinating and it’s incredible, because it’s what we wanted as kids always correlates to where our life trajectory takes us in a strange way. It’s like you’re famous. Like your posts, like you’re always posting amazing things like on LinkedIn, Instagram everywhere. And people are liking it and connecting with you and my perspective that’s considered being famous. Late with you and all of that and you’re only going to get bigger and bigger. You’re literally have just begun i would say like, you’re still at the early stages. And like taking things to a whole new level. Like I know, this is not it for you. So It’s super exciting this and I love seeing like just badass women going out there and getting it and just like crushing it in life.

So I adore that you mentioned like a 10 year period where you weren’t fulfilling your dreams. And I went through something pretty similar. I had a very, very, very toxic relationship that I was in from time, I was like 17 Until I was like 20 ish, roughly. And now like that to me, and it was like trying to balance my dreams. Then having this person who just like, literally drains your whole soul and your energy. So I think, you know, it’s fascinating to hear things like that, because some people were like, well. You’ve always been so ambitious and wonderful. Well, and then it’s like, um, I faced Satan a couple.

Corina Burton
I’m pretty sure I saw his face.

Pamela Bardhi
So walk me through what that experience was like, and you feel free to share as much as you want. But I know. For me, it was like, Oh, my God, and I even looked at photos of myself from back then. And I’m like, I don’t even look this. Like I look like my soul like I left my body or something like it’s crazy.

Corina Burton
It is crazy. That’s funny that you say that all. I’m going to touch on that in a minute, but I’ll start so when I had mentioned that, you know, I had these big dreams. I started going to college and was in the musical theatre program. You know, I grew up in a really conservative household and we had very conservative values. And my mom used to tease me and say that I was this bird. That she had to put in a cage because as soon as she left the door out. I was just going to fly the coop and just do my thing which is very, very true, I graduated when I was 17 years old. And I moved from my tiny small town to you know, five hours away which is in Orange County and went to school at 17.

I started going to college and I never saw my sister Self settling down. But it’s really interesting when you have a certain lifestyle surrounding you, and you grow up a certain way. It’s almost a natural thing for that evolvement to happen. And so at a very early age, I found somebody that have same ideals and principles and it was kind of like. You hurry up and you get married. But like we dated and then if you really like each other, then you get engaged. Like three to four months after you’re dating and then you get married within like three to four months. So I’ve really only knew this person for eight months total.

And with that, it really just stemmed my life, because I got pregnant very shortly after I’m 19 years old. I’m pregnant, I have no idea what I’m doing and I live far away from my family. Because I ended up moving to another state and that’s really where all of my focus went. But when you get married, it’s all about the husband, and this is what you do, and take care of them. And you have kids, and you take care of them and take care of the home. Corina was kind of out the window, it was like, wife and mother and that was really it. So I had to live through that for 10 years of watching other people around me develop their skills and their talents and start succeeding in life.

And I was just the supporter, like, that’s who I was, just people supporting system. I was just really going dormant and I really felt by this time, I started really having kind of like this realisation of like, something’s not right, I was about 26, I had my third daughter and I just knew that something wasn’t right. And, you know, when you make these types of decisions of like changing your life. Like you take them very, very seriously because your entire life, not just yours. But everyone around you is really deeply impacted and for me, I felt like that was the only way. I was going to be able to become myself and truly find. Who I was as a person as an individual without being judged.

And without being held back or making me feel guilty about the decisions that I wanted to make up to that point. I really was living my life based on what everyone thought I should be doing, I should be doing X, Y, and Z. So I’m going to follow this pattern and I lived in a world of feeling guilty a lot. And I made no mistakes because I was too scared that I was going to be judged. Or I wasn’t going to be loved and really as human beings we have to make mistakes. I’m not saying like go make stupid decisions. But you need to make these mistakes so that you know what’s right. And what’s wrong for you and through your mistakes you also grow.

Being held back from that and not experiencing life is really detrimental to your soul to your growth. And I had a really pivoting moment of and this was what really made me realize that I needed to make a change. I had my oldest daughter at the time. It was probably like she was four or maybe five and she was on the soccer team. And I was coaching her Soccer League and she was crying to me all the time saying, I don’t think I can do this. I don’t you know, like, obviously in her little five-year-old, I don’t want to do this. I’m not good at it. I’m terrible, I can’t do this, I can’t account and as her mother, I really saw this potential in her. Like, I could see that she was actually really talented.

And the thing that was holding her back was her self. She did not believe in herself and I remember and I specifically remember being in the living room. Sitting her down and being like, Vanessa, that’s my oldest daughter. You can do anything that you put your mind to anything that you want you can achieve and like for whatever reason. My words like boomerang back and like shot me right in the brain. And was like Corina, you’re such a hypocrite. This is literally what you should be doing. You should be telling yourself this instead, you’re not just this shadow of a person. You’re supporting everyone but who you are and when your daughters grow up when you tell them you can achieve anything you want.

They’re going to look at you and say, Well, what did you do mom? You didn’t achieve your goals like what you love doing, you gave up on everything. It’s a beautiful thing to be a mother, I love being a mother and I would not be the person I am today if I wasn’t a mother. But I’m still an individual, I’m still a human being that has the ability to achieve my own dreams. And I can do that alongside of being a mother and when I had that realisation. I felt like I couldn’t be my authentic self, I could not be an honest person. If I wasn’t living my life, the way that I was trying to teach my children.

So, I had to face some real truths and some real uglies and make a decision. I need to take myself out of this situation if it’s not going to embrace me. If it’s not going to help me if I’m not gonna be able to grow. And at that point, I had one year of my college education, right, like I had nothing. I was 19 when I dropped out of college, and I had no real work experience other than working part-time pushing carts at Albertsons. Like, I didn’t really have that much work experience. And I had worked when I was 15 years old, till the time I got married and got pregnant and had a kid.

But these are just small jobs, you’re working 20 hours a week, and I didn’t have any work experience. And I still did not allow these things to hold me back from being able to say. I’m going to do this, and I’m going to prove to myself, but I’m also going to be that example for my daughters. That I know that they deserve to see in their mother. So the other aspect of my journey was that I didn’t have any knowledge really about the real world. Like I didn’t understand the finances, I didn’t understand. You know this is how much people are worth and pay value. Because going from 10 years prior, right, you’re thinking how much inflation has changed, money has changed? How much is people’s value?

So when I start working in the real world, providing for a family of four, I don’t even know what is my worth. You know value with money and I was never taught growing up money. What does that look like and how much money are you earning? And what’s good? What’s not so good? How much do you want to gauge and I really had to be like, wow. I’ve got to learn this shit real fast because I don’t have a moment to lose. Or else I’m gonna lose everything from underneath me. I had no money, I had no savings, I had $500, I think in my savings account at that time. And I had moved my family to West Hollywood.

Because I had a dream, I wanted to do something really amazing and big. At that time, I had no idea what that was and where it was going to take me. But you know, it’s a crazy ride to think about. And if I was to think about having to do that today, I’m like, Man, Korea. You went into something that most people would be terrified of. Like to think about no money, having to put a roof over your head. Having to put food on the table for your children going to school working and not really knowing what you’re doing. It’s just really honestly, like a crazy scenario to think like that I actually did that, that I like. Took the plunge and was like, I’m doing it.

Pamela Bardhi
That’s crazy, awesome and beautiful in so many different ways because here’s the thing. There’s one thing so you went from people-pleasing, right? Because that’s really what it was. That you were everyone else’s shoulder lean on and all of that. But what about you? What about you? And how do you go from people-pleasing, like that, to change everything? To move to West Hollywood? How did that thought process work for you? Like, what was it, I know that your children were a major inspiration there? But like, say somebody who’s listening right now that’s like. They know they have to do something like they know they have that voice inside their head that’s like. This is not for you or like, this is not your place. How do you make that shift? Like to just be like, Alright, I got a thing.

Corina Burton
One major aspect of myself that I actually really had very strongly at that time was I was a really big dreamer. Like, if you think about 10, let’s say like, 17 20 years ago, there were no social media. And then even 10 years ago, really, it was predominantly Facebook, like Instagram maybe was just coming out. Do you have plenty of time to really dream about things like you sit down and quiet and I started to dream, I started to think about what it would be like when I first went out into the world with my children. And I was thinking, Okay, I wanted to do something that was going to be meaningful.

I was really into fashion, I love clothes. And so before that, I have some archived YouTube videos from literally like 12 years ago. This is when, like, YouTube, blogging was kind of really that big thing at that time and I would be like. This is how you put on your eyeliner and like. These are the clothes that I love and these are the boots and some of the fashion that I shared. It’s just, it’s really actually comical, but I was dreaming. I was just dreaming about what it would be like to be able to have a voice. That was heard to be seen as an individual as somebody who has success, and I allow those dreams to literally transpire into reality.

And I think about it, that was really a huge pivoting moment and a reminder. For me that manifestation is real, you can manifest, like manifest your reality by dreaming and not just by thinking the thoughts but actually feeling it right. You feel like I felt these amazing feelings of who I was becoming and what I was going to do and instead of focusing on the fear. Because I knew that I was going to have to figure out how I was going to provide for my family. How I was going to do these things, and I have no money and instead I allowed the feeling of the desire. And that I could see it visually, catapulting me into these positions and it wasn’t easy by any means.

Like I still had to experience what it was like to the first year of being a single parent. I had to live on welfare and be assistance for me. And that’s not something I am always like sharing so you get fun little tidbits. But I chose that was going to be something to help me in my journey. And that it was going to be one of those check marks when I was able to say thank you, I don’t need it anymore. It was going to be like my success story. Look at this helped you and I didn’t have so much pride where I was going to be. You know, we’re Oh, I can’t do that. My life before was a nice life.

So going from that to then having where I was someone who was receiving assistance from the government. Like that was a really big pivoting change of lifestyle. But I didn’t care because I knew that it was in place for me to be able to become the person that I wanted to be. So I think to answer your question, though, is allowing yourself to feel the feelings that you’re going. What you’re going to be where you’re going to go and not be derived from the feelings of fear. And then also all the things that have to go into place to get you where you want to go, have no shame, you know, like.

They’re, you’re an honorable person, you have honorable achievements that you want to make. Now, it does come with sacrifice, and it does come with difficulty. But, you know, you look back and you say these are check marks off my list of things. That I’ve had to accomplish, but look at me today. So focus on the positives and feel it like it’s real because you will manifest it. I believe that with all certainty, there is no other way that I would have been able to do what I’ve done. If I wouldn’t have had that mindset from the beginning of making that change.

Pamela Bardhi
It’s incredible. Thank you so much for sharing all of that. And it’s never easy, especially when you’re going through life transitions like that. Like I was sharing with you before the call my parents, for example, like I grew up on welfare. That’s because my parents came here with absolutely nothing. And that was the only thing that was gonna, like feed us, you know, just temporarily. Like, we all start somewhere even way back. When I tell people I’m like, Dude, I delivered pizzas, like, I’ve ever been nine figures in real estate. We all start from humble beginnings. The most successful people out there in the world will tell you like, Man, I had enough. You know like, there’s the jobs I’ve had, like, here’s my experience and you start to realize that we all come from somewhere.

Like we’ve all had our journey and it’s really, really remarkable. So I appreciate you sharing that so much, but it takes true guts like what you did to go from a comfortable lifestyle. To shift into this new world of complete uncertainty. But having that faith that everything’s gonna be fine. And that you’re going to manifest that life is just a matter of time. Away from you is so key and it speaks volumes to where you are today and where you’re going to continue to go which is so incredible. So when you arrived in West Hollywood, so what was that journey like? Like-kind of starting over and how did it get you to really where you are, at this very moment.

Corina Burton
For me, it was a huge realization that once again, it’s all about manifesting. It’s all about dreaming and being able to see your accomplishments. So I feel like life really needed me to see that when I put my mind to something. That I was going to be able to achieve it and I really felt like it set me up. Because I’ve had after that, my journey has been very like. Up and down roller coaster and so I always like draw back to those experiences. And I think that life really does give you those moments. So that when it decides to take you from that everything’s good and relaxed and things are working out to that. Where you have to learn, you have to grow.

And the only way to do those things is by going through hardships and so my journey to Hollywood was really fun. It was a really awesome experience for me because I really got to find out who I am as an individual. I got to make mistakes, I got to do the, you know, good things, I got to experience life. And I really needed that in my life to be able to kind of say. Okay, I have that out of my system and now I’m ready to kind of really dig deep into my career. So for about a year, it was really just growing like I went from. You know, being 1819 years old, jumping right into being an adult and having to do all the adult things. Buying a home, having babies, I was 23, when I had my second child.

I was never like an adolescent kid. And so I really got to have those moments. But also I was in college, and I was going to school and it was really important for me to have really good grades because that was my gauge. Like, if you can get a straight A’s this semester, which I had, like, 16 units my first semester and I’m like. If you can do this and then I decided to run a half marathon at that time. And I was training, I’m working I have the kids full time. I’m going to school and I’m doing this all alone, like my parents, nobody, nobody I know lives. You know, in West Hollywood I’m juggling the kids and doing all this stuff.

And I was able to really check that off of my check mark being like, I got straight A’s. I ran the fastest half marathon I’ve ever, you know, Ran I think it was like an eight-minute mile, you know, for 13 miles. Most of it’s like uphill, I was like, on fire. So it really set me up when I started my career. And I was really introduced into the real world of businesses and how people really can take advantage of other people. Especially when you are, I would say, a little naive.

Because I was learning but I’ve always been a very genuine authentic person. And so people try to take advantage of that and I’ve had to learn how to know when to say no. Or take myself out of situations and it was just like an interesting part in going into from that point on. Right. So and then going and shifting into this reality a year later of getting into my career and into my journey. But I’ll stop there because then I’ll just keep chatting and Yeah.

Pamela Bardhi
I love that. No, just your career trajectory, like how you catapulted into, into where you are. And I know that I mean, juggling all of that. That’s crazy that you did that all on your own. Like, if you can do that, yeah, I can honestly do anything. That is incredible, that is incredible. So from that job that you were just talking about how did you transition into entrepreneurship?

Corina Burton
So when I first started getting into my career from that moment, I really didn’t, I didn’t. I was in sales, I was in business development, I was helping grow a restoration company. And at first, I was not very good at it. Like people didn’t take me seriously, I looked really, really young and I would meet with people with clients and they’re just like. Oh, here’s this girl trying to sell us restoration services, and they just get blown off. And I remember being like this is for the birds, I don’t like it, I can’t do it. I remember just sitting in my car and I was literally hitting the steering wheel. Because I was so frustrated with how difficult it is to do sales and business development.

And I had a realization at that moment that I was not being my genuine authentic self at all. I was really selling a service and I was really just sharing the same mundane BS. I’m not gonna say every company but a lot of companies just have their sales people go and do and you don’t see a significant sales growth. And so I did, I just was like, alright, Corina, you really don’t have an option to fail at this, like. You’ve got to succeed and you have to kick ass because kids are depending on you. So I’m thinking, I need to have a different approach on how I’m doing this, so I started going into offices. I start really taking the time to have this energy exchange with other people.

Now I was getting to know them and learn about them. But it was really my observation of what I was seeing and how they were and what they have on their desk. And it was really teaching me to engage and connect with them on a very authentic level and once I started doing that more consistently. I was really seeing a huge increase in my sales to the point. Obviously, the person that I was working with was like, Oh, my gosh, like you’re killing it like this is amazing. You have this natural for sales, even though they had no idea what I was going through before. But you know, they then decided to, they’re like, let’s start our own restoration company.

And once again, like, I’m just learning all these. You know, these new things and I don’t know anything about business. Even though my dad is an entrepreneur, dad didn’t teach me, this guy. We’re good. Guys, I’m going through this process and I’m thinking, okay, yeah, I’m just going to, you know, focus on the sales and I’m going to grow this business. And that was really my first taste of what it was like to be an entrepreneur, there were four of us. So I was the only female and there were three other men involved in this business. There were way too many cooks in the kitchen. I also then learned how being a female. A lot of times men don’t want to take note of what you have to say or consider it or you know, take value in it.

And I’m not obviously saying that all men are like this. There’s many wonderful, wonderful men and have, you know, great mentors. But it was a realization for me that I had to really be a strong person in the industry. And I had to have very strong confidence and own who I was and own my worth. So after about a year, I started having these realizations and I’m like for one. I’m not getting paid enough, everything is being done behind my back and I’m really having no say and my worth is not valued in this team. So I decided to step out, because things were not properly done on a business aspect, though, for me and for my safety.

And it was, I had to walk away from any finances. Like investment that I had put into the company or anything that I had grown to that point. I had to walk away from everything. So that was really difficult to experience that financial loss. But I was able to get a job within the same industry and continue to grow my expertise and develop. This was really, really important for me because as an individual I needed to understand what I was cultivating. And it was helping me see a vision of what business means and how I wanted my foundation to look in the future. Because I knew then that I was like, I want to have my own business.

Like I don’t want to do this forever growing other people’s businesses. Being able to see that I had the ability to transform businesses and have them grow in such exponential ways. It really excited me to be able to say I’m going to do that for my business one day. But that experience of my entrepreneurship wasn’t my was not my last experience right before. I ended up starting CPR, construction cleaning. So years later, I ended up having an opportunity to partner with another business. And unfortunately, even though this time I’m like, Okay. I’m gonna make sure that all the T’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted and I’m smarter this time.

This is I’m going to be safe, everything’s gonna be fine and unfortunately, you realize that people. Who has the most power in a business is going to have the most power over you and over the success and over the finances and over the choices. And it was once again, where I had that realization where I’m like, damn it, this happened to me again, like this is bullshit. Yes, and I had to make that decision. Once again, where I’m like, I’m gonna have to walk away from everything. And of all the moments of my entire journey, if there was anything that literally made me feel like I was ready to give up and curl up in a ball and say, I’m done and I quit life right now.

It was literally that moment and you know, making that decision of walking away and losing out on this money. And suffered Major loss throughout my time with this business. Because things were not transpiring as our contract was stating. I really felt like somebody had punched me in the gut 20 times over and I was lost my dreaming, I had lost my ambitions. And I would probably safely say that I was going through depression. Like, I wouldn’t even say like, I’m guessing I would definitely say like. I was never going to the doctor and they said. Kenny, you’re clinically depressed.

But I’ve never experienced anything so difficult emotionally, where it was really hard for me to get out of. And you had brought up something where you said that when you look at pictures. You look back and you’re like, oh, my gosh, you can see such a major difference. Well, I was actually, this was last night, I was looking at pictures of when I started with this company. And then when I was in the middle, during the middle of the company, and when I was trying to get out. Then when I had gotten out of the company and I had just started CPR and then a picture of this year. So I saw these like different transitions.

And I’m like holy smokes you see these pictures. You see my face, I look at the sadness. I looked depressed, I looked sad and it was like eating me apart. It’s amazing how you can see that in someone. Then you look at a picture of me today. I look healthy and thriving and not by any means, as my journey of growing this business has been really amazing and it’s grown very quickly. But I’ve grown this business with my partner, organically, we’ve grown this on our own.

And we did it during a pandemic and I did it at the lowest point of my life and that still does not even touch. How I felt two years prior when I was in this toxic work environment was really devastating. It was devastating my soul, it was devastating. My mental, it was devastating, my financial it was really hurting me impactfully up in my home. And I’m just so shocked that you can actually physically see the difference between then and today and that it’s crazy.

Pamela Bardhi
100,000% and as you were speaking about, like your partnerships and things like that. Where you’ve been taken advantage of in business. I’ve also had the same thing with partners, like constantly. I don’t know when you’re partnered with men and then they just think a little bit differently. But litigations like, stuff like that, I mean, it’s not fun. It’s not fun to not take so much out of you.

So as you were speaking, I was like, Oh, I know that feeling. It’s not fun people that you once believed in. You just don’t think that anything would ever go that way. But unfortunately, it does sometimes. And that’s kind of like the bullets you buy in business and the risks that you take when you believe it will. So always think 10 times over before you get invested with anyone. Like that’s, that’s the big thing.

Corina Burton
Well, and you know that also, I mean, I hate it, I hated the experience. But it now pulls me back to thinking you’ve got to trust your instincts. Like, that was one thing that I have struggled with since I mean probably forever since I was a child into my 20s. And getting out of my relationship and starting work, I never really truly trusted my instincts. I always second guess it, I always thought I’m going to make a mistake or the mistakes that happen is my fault. Somehow I was always to blame and this one situation, my instincts were telling me. Don’t do it.

And I was like, No, Corina, you’re overreacting, and from that moment on, though. I literally if my instincts are telling me something, I stop, I listen and I honor it. There is nothing that you as an individual, like. You cannot go wrong by listening to your instincts. So I mean, I’m really grateful for that. Because I’m hoping not my life continues to evolve and to grow. And I am going to come across moments where my instincts are going to tell me like don’t do that Karina and you know, I’m really going to be that person. My gut feelings telling me no, I’m gonna listen and keep myself from making such mistakes that are really detrimental.

Pamela Bardhi
Oh, my God, I now have this thing called energy checks. Yeah. Does it feel right here in here? I don’t care how logical it sounds. Everyone’s like, I’m like if I have a bad feeling Listen, I have suffered this before. I’m not doing it

Corina Burton
Because You know what all those T’s can be crossed and those eyes can be dotted and everything can look perfect on paper. No, that does not mean that it is going to be perfect. And your instincts are there for a reason and it’s important that we honor them. I trust my instincts more now than I ever have and I’m so grateful for that. You know that I had that experience and that I was able to come out of it. Make the decisions of, you know, when I decided to leave this partnership. Everything in my body was screaming, get out, get out.

And at this time, I literally was so devastated financially, that I was like. If I don’t have a job, like, what am I going to do, I am going to lose my house, I’m going to lose everything. Like I was terrified, but something was just telling me, right, my instinct was like, get out. And so I honored it and then within two days I ended up getting a job that was able to kind of like, take it up from there. But if I wouldn’t have listened, right, I would have missed out because of this particular job already. Had two other people that they were interviewing and I was really fortunate that they ended up choosing me.

But I kind of came in the back door and was like. Hey, I’d love to interview and they had some good feedback about me and they’re like, sorry, other people are gonna choose Corina. And for me, you know, I really needed that. Because not that the other people didn’t need it. But I was really in a bad situation financially and I really needed help, but I’m grateful that I listened to my intuition. Get out when I did and then two months after I left. I had this epiphany about creating a specialized construction cleaning company.

It’s really unlike any other company out there and that’s what has made us so unique. And that’s what has made my business grow, you know, to the point where, you know. Under two years we’re in six states. We are, you know, on trajectory to grow from 2021 to 2020, to 200%, in growth. And it’s really just because, like listening to those key factors of your life when you need to jump, you may not know or see that step of where you’re going. But if you don’t listen, you’re gonna miss it.

So that to me was just like really pivoting and showing me like you learned. When your intuition was screaming the loudest saying, Get out now you listened. Even though I had no idea what I was gonna do. I had faith that things were gonna work out and sure shit they did. And then I have this company. So I’m very, very grateful. But obviously, I had to do the freakin work and I had to do those really super scary steps that, unfortunately. A lot of people, you know, get too afraid. And then they miss out on those big blessings.

What would Corina Older Self Tell Her Younger Self

Pamela Bardhi
Yes, oh, my god, I just I don’t know your story and your energy and just all of it’s just incredible. It’s incredible. Now, I’m curious to know this. This is one of my favorite questions, what would your older self tell your younger self based on what you know now.

Corina Burton
I would probably give her a big giant hug, actually, and tell her that she has so much worth and so much value and to not ever feel doubt about that. Because that’s something that I really struggled with. And I think that’s why I ended up going down the path that I did because deep down inside. I felt like maybe I didn’t really wasn’t going to achieve these things. Because I wasn’t as great as everybody else. Like I had this desire. So first and foremost, I would probably give myself a big giant hug.

And then I would tell myself to not second guess, to just do and you’re not going to see like I said. You’re not going to see every step on how you’re going to get there. But by taking every step, you’re going to get there and you’re going to achieve what you’re meant to achieve. You just have to put in the work and have the faith and not and really. These are the things I actually tell my daughters. I have four daughters and I want nothing more for them than to not just be successful in their careers and be successful financially.

Because obviously money isn’t happiness, but money is very helpful in life and helps you create what you want. Whether it’s you know, making a difference in your community and being impactful. But it’s a real driver and so it’s really needed in life, but I want my children to feel fulfilled. I want them to know that they have every tool that they possibly need to accomplish what they have. So what I tell myself is what I tell my girls today, honestly. Because maybe that’s my way of telling myself when I was okay, I’m making up for it through them.

Pamela Bardhi
Love it. I love it. And so Corina, what are you up to in the next six to 12 months, like, what’s new in your world? aside the 200 percent growth, which I’m so pumped to see for you.

Corina Burton
Ah, yes, so CPR construction cleaning is literally on trajectory for major major growth. We are going to be doing some expansions. And I would hope that by 2022, we are in even more states and going nationwide. But I wasn’t expecting this to happen when I started CPR, construction cleaning, but I’ve been able to help other people and through coaching and mentoring. So I now have coaching and mentoring programs for people, whether it’s, you know. Mindset or marketing business operations, really any type of entrepreneur. But everything really starts from the mindset for growth and for success. Like, if you don’t have the right mindset, you’re not gonna be able to achieve your goals. I really help those who are seeking that and having that real deep internal change and then seeing that successful.

So you know, I have a website, Corinaburton.com, where you can either. You know, have a one-on-one session with me, there are modules that you can do self-learning. I am launching a 21-day mindset reset challenge that’s going to be launching here soon for people. Who wants to kind of know what it’s like in the coaching programs. That might be able to kind of help you to see what that feels like and I’m really excited for that. So and then also, I do have something that is happening, I’m really excited. And we are launching a podcast called the authentic entrepreneur and it’s really being able to showcase other entrepreneurs and their journeys. Similar to what you’re doing.

I think it’s really important to share other people’s journeys and stories. Because too many times we see people who are just like, hey, look at all the money I made. Or like flashing themselves on yachts and jet planes and wearing all the flashy things and looking at the nines and beauty. And we forget all of the things that go in between that are really the biggest struggle and to help people realize that, like, if we can do it, you can do it. I’m not any better than anyone else. I’ve just been able to take these tools and implement it in my life to make a change. And other people, whoever has this same desire that are having struggles in their life. Or maybe these odds against them so that they can be able to achieve that too.

Pamela Bardhi
I’m so excited for you. Oh my God, everything that you’re working on your growth of the company, and just everything, everything. I’m so excited for you Corina. Susie, it’s been an honor to hear your story today. You are such a rockstar on somebody’s level. So thank you so much for being here.

Corina Burton
I appreciate you, I mean, you’re a great example of being able to have your success behind you. Your difficulties, your story and then even seeing you know what you’re doing with your podcasts. It’s very inspirational. So, you know, people like you, we appreciate you too. Like we’re going on this journey together. And I love it.

Pamela Bardhi
Man, thank you so much, Corina.