EPISODE 2 WITH GINNY BURTON: REBUILDING FROM THE GROUND UP
- defyingtheoddspodc
- Dec 14, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 27
Ginny Burton is a former addict, ex-offender, and now a business owner and prison reform advocate. Having spent nearly three decades battling addiction and cycling through the criminal justice system, Ginny made a radical transformation. Today, she runs O-UT (Overhaul Through Unrelenting Transfiguration), a reentry program that helps incarcerated individuals rebuild their lives from the inside out.
LinkedIn Profile | vginnyburton.com | o-ut.org
DEFYING THE ODDS: GINNY’S PERSPECTIVE
"I was in active addiction for almost 30 years. I had 17 felony convictions. I had served three separate prison terms and been jailed countless times. Today, I am a business owner, I work with the Department of Corrections, and I advocate for people just like me. That’s defying the odds."
Key Insight: Your past does not define your future. With the right mindset and support, transformation is possible.
FROM ADDICTION TO ENTREPRENEUR: BREAKING THE CYCLE
A LIFE OF STRUGGLE
Ginny’s journey began in a childhood shaped by drugs and crime. Her parents were both addicts, her father was incarcerated, and by seven years old, she had already been introduced to drugs.
By 15, she was fully addicted. By her early 20s, she had 17 felonies and multiple prison sentences behind her.
Her reality was homelessness, addiction, crime, and the expectation that she would never escape the cycle.
"I was completely engulfed in that life. I believed that was my destiny."
INCARCERATION & THE TURNING POINT
Ginny's final arrest was different.
"The moment the handcuffs were put on me, I knew I was done. I knew I had to change."
Instead of taking a plea deal, she fought for an opportunity to get clean.
She entered the King County Drug Court program.
She completed 18 months in treatment and stayed for another 18 months voluntarily.
She didn’t just get sober—she rebuilt herself from the inside out.
BUILDING A NEW FUTURE: THE O-UT PROGRAM
Ginny took everything she learned in her own recovery and built a prison reentry program called O-UT (Overhaul Through Unrelenting Transfiguration).
What O-UT Does:
Helps incarcerated individuals rebuild their lives through mindset transformation
Connects people with education, job opportunities, and stable housing
Provides mentorship, community, and support for reentry success
"You can’t just give someone a job or a house and expect them to succeed. You have to break down and rebuild their thought processes so they don’t return to the cycle."
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM EPISODE 2
1. YOUR NETWORK IS YOUR NET WORTH "No one changes alone. You need to build a strong community to succeed."
2. REENTRY STARTS INSIDE PRISON "If you don’t change your mindset while you’re still inside, the outside world won’t save you."
3. BREAKING THE CYCLE REQUIRES MORE THAN SOBRIETY "Getting clean was just the start. I had to rewire my entire way of thinking."
4. TURNING PAIN INTO PURPOSE "I use my past as fuel to help others. Your pain can be your greatest strength."
5. TRANSFORMATION TAKES TIME "Ten miles in, ten miles out. You can’t undo 30 years of damage overnight."
WORK WITH GINNY BURTON
Ginny is open to mentorship, networking, and speaking engagements on addiction recovery, reentry, and criminal justice reform.
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