Irreverent Ambition: Conversation with Ash Ambirge, Author of The Middle Finger Project
“The rules were made up by some guy named Ted who ate a quarter pounder for lunch and has a dog named Wedgie”
That’s the first chapter title in Ash Ambirge’s book The Middle Finger Project, which was hands down the best book I read in 2020. If you’re a friend of mine and you own a business, I’ve probably mailed you a copy.
Ash has been a friend and mentor of mine for years now, and quite frankly, without her support and guidance, Get the F*ck Off would not exist.
I scribbled down the idea for it mid-read of The Middle Finger Project, and nine months later, it came to fruition.
I’m so honored to have her as a guest on the Get the F*ck Off Podcast this week.
Ash has dedicated her life to helping empower people to quit jobs they hate and live their best, most unfuckwithable lives.
She’s a master when it comes to saying fuck off to imposter syndrome, and admits freely that everyone is just making it up as they go.
We talk about so much in this episode, including showing up imperfect, being bold, and authorizing yourself.
We discuss the concept of identity, as whenever anyone desires radical change, a big part of that is renegotiating your identity to align with who you see yourself becoming.
We also talk about the fact that not everyone is going to like you! In fact, as you move into the person you’re most suited to be, a lot of people probably won’t like you… and that’s a really good sign.
I believe and practice “micro-steps forward.
When I first asked Ash a few years ago “where do I start,” she told me to start by writing publicly. I thought it was the smallest, most insignificant thing, but it turned out to be the best advice I could receive.
As she talks about in this episode, you get to see what your opinions actually are about things when you start writing publicly. After a lifetime of rule-following, a lot of people lose that element of their own voice.
Writing publicly can be the first step to realigning your identity in a new way. When you take the personal agency to put your thoughts out there, people who benefit from your unique value and contributions can find you!
You don’t have to wait until some arbitrary person or organization says you’re “good enough.” You just have to start using your voice.
Ash is formally launching her new daily newsletter Meat & Hair which will be full of fun, irreverent samples of writing, witty commentary, and tips and ideas for finding your voice and writing in a bold, creative way that isn’t boxed into the whole idea of sounding passive and perfect.
You can find Ash @ themiddlefingerproject.org
Her book, The Middle Finger Project, is available everywhere, and I can’t stress enough how much you should read it. She’s a brilliant writer and you’ll love it from start to finish.
Ash’s new daily newsletter, Meat & Hair, will be launching soon! Look for it at meatandhair.com
