Meet Ginny Priem

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ginny Priem. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ginny below.

Hi Ginny, really appreciate you joining us to talk about a really relevant, albeit unfortunate topic – layoffs and getting fired. Can you talk to us about your experience and how you overcame being let go?

I wasn’t technically laid off or fired, but I did experience something very similar when my entire corporate division was shut down. I had spent more than two decades in corporate leadership, leading teams, building strategy, and navigating complex organizational change. When the decision was announced, a lot of people around me took it incredibly hard, and understandably so. For many, it felt sudden and deeply personal.

For me, the experience landed differently.

I had seen the writing on the wall for a while, and somewhere deep in my gut, I knew this would be my last corporate role. That knowing wasn’t fear-based. It was quiet clarity. Because of that, I had already begun preparing for what was next. While I was still in that corporate role, I published my first book, “You’re My Favorite”, which went on to become a #1 bestseller. I had also launched my podcast, UNSUBSCRIBE with Ginny Priem, which now ranks globally in the top tier of personal growth shows. I wasn’t necessarily escaping corporate, but I was intentionally building something new.

When the division shut down, I realized how fortunate I was to be emotionally and professionally prepared. What felt like rejection to some felt like redirection to me. I didn’t see it as being pushed out. I saw it as being guided forward.

That moment gave me permission to fully step into the work I do today as a keynote speaker, bestselling author, master certified coach, and podcast host. My corporate background gave me credibility and structure. My personal healing journey, including rising from narcissistic abuse, gave me depth and empathy. Together, they shaped my voice and the messages I now bring to stages and audiences around the world.

Looking back, that so-called “ending” was actually the alignment I had been moving toward all along.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

At the core of what I do is helping people let go of what no longer serves them so they can create space for what actually matters. That philosophy became so powerful and personally transformative that it turned into a full rebrand, a body of work, and ultimately my signature framework: UNSUBSCRIBE™.

My journey started with my first book, “You’re My Favorite”, a project that opened the door for deeper conversations about attachment, self-worth, and the patterns we stay stuck in far longer than we should. From there, I created a guided journal to help people put that awareness into action. But as my coaching, podcast, and speaking work expanded, I began to see a much bigger pattern emerge.

People weren’t just looking for inspiration. They were looking for permission to evolve. Permission to UNSUBSCRIBE™ from toxic relationships, narcissistic abuse, dysfunctional workplaces, old identities, and expectations that were quietly draining them. That realization changed everything.

UNSUBSCRIBE™ was born from both my professional background in corporate leadership and my personal healing journey. The idea was so foundational that I renamed and rebranded my podcast to center around it. Today, it’s a globally top-ranked personal growth podcast, and the UNSUBSCRIBE™ framework is the foundation of my keynote speaking, coaching, and content across platforms.

As I followed my audience and tapped into what they wanted, I also expanded onto YouTube, where I talk openly about narcissistic abuse, emotional manipulation, boundaries, and recovery. That channel has now surpassed 3.1 million views, which tells me just how hungry people are for clear language, validation, and practical tools that actually help them move forward. You can find my long-form work there, along with daily conversations happening on Instagram as well.

Professionally, UNSUBSCRIBE™ has taken my keynote speaking to an entirely new level. I’m currently booked more than a year out, with engagements already scheduled into 2027. Organizations, associations and leadership events bring me in not just for inspiration, but for real-world application. How do leaders UNSUBSCRIBE™ from burnout? How do teams UNSUBSCRIBE™ from unnecessary complexity? How do people perform at a high level without staying emotionally invested in what’s costing them their energy?

What’s next is the culmination of all of this work, which I could not be more excited about! My forthcoming book, UNSUBSCRIBE™: Why Letting Go Is the Secret to Getting Ahead, will be available on February 6, 2026. It’s the most complete expression of this philosophy and framework to date, blending personal storytelling, corporate insight, and practical tools readers can immediately apply.

Ultimately, my brand isn’t about doing or becoming more. It’s about becoming clearer. UNSUBSCRIBE™ gives people the language, confidence, and strategy to choose differently—and that’s what makes this work so special to me.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, there are three skills and areas of knowledge that had the greatest impact on my journey, both personally and professionally.

First, deep self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
Learning to truly understand myself changed everything. That meant paying attention to my patterns, my triggers, and my intuition, especially after experiencing narcissistic abuse. Emotional intelligence isn’t about perfection or emotional control. It’s about honesty. Knowing what energizes you, what drains you, what your values are, and when something no longer fits. For anyone early in their journey, my advice is to get curious about yourself instead of being critical. Journal. Seek feedback from mentors you trust. Work with a coach or therapist if that’s accessible. The more self-aware you become, the harder it is to stay immersed in things that are misaligned.

Second, the decision to fully commit.
This part surprises people, but I never kept one foot in and one foot out. When I knew what I wanted, I committed to it completely. That didn’t mean things were easy or certain. It meant I stopped negotiating with myself. Having total belief doesn’t mean you don’t feel fear. It means you don’t let fear make the decision. For people at the beginning, I always say this: clarity comes from commitment, not the other way around. You don’t need to have every answer. You just need to decide that you’re willing to figure it out.

Third, a growth mindset and the willingness to try, fail, and learn.
Nothing meaningful I’ve built came from getting it right the first time. My keynote speaking, my books, my podcast, my YouTube channel, all of it evolved through trial, feedback, and mistakes. I’ve learned to see setbacks as data, not as personal failures. Especially in speaking and entrepreneurship, you have to be willing to show up before you feel ready. For anyone early on, give yourself permission to be a beginner. Try new things. Adjust. Learn. And don’t let one misstep convince you that you’re not cut out for it.

If there’s a thread that ties all three together, it’s this: I learned to UNSUBSCRIBE™ from fear-based decision-making. Self-awareness helped me trust myself. Commitment helped me move forward. And a growth mindset helped me stay in the game long enough to build something meaningful. That combination has shaped every chapter of my work and my life.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed, the first thing I do is get curious instead of reactive. Overwhelm is usually my cue that I’ve drifted out of awareness and into autopilot. So I pause long enough to ask myself what’s really going on. Am I tired? Am I overscheduled? Am I doing something misaligned?

That self-awareness matters, because how you respond depends on why you’re overwhelmed in the first place. Once I understand what’s underneath it, that’s when the tools come in.

Breathwork is one I return to often, especially box breathing. It’s something I teach from the stage because it’s simple, effective, and you can feel the shift in the room when everyone does it together. Inhale for four, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four. It brings you back into the present, grounds you, and creates just enough calm to think clearly again.

Journaling is another go-to for me. This is why I published a guided journal! You can learn more about that at my website, www.ginnypriem.com. Writing slows my thoughts down and helps separate what needs action from what just needs to be acknowledged and released. Things feel much heavier when they stay in your head. Getting your feelings out on paper can really lighten the load.

A big part of UNSUBSCRIBE™ is also learning not to attach your identity to temporary feelings. I’m intentional about saying “I feel overwhelmed” instead of “I am overwhelmed.” That language shift may seem small, but it changes how you relate to the moment. You’re no longer defining yourself by it. You’re recognizing it as something you’re moving through.

And sometimes the answer really is connection. Reaching out to a trusted friend, saying something out loud, and letting yourself be supported for a moment can be incredibly grounding.

Overwhelm, burnout, and decision fatigue are exactly why UNSUBSCRIBE™ exists. Most people aren’t doing anything wrong. They’re just carrying too much for too long. Learning when to pause, when to release, and when not to stay emotionally attached to everything around you is what creates clarity again.

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