Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Juge.
Ashley, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Hello, everyone! My name is Ashley Juge and I am a Strongman competitor and co-owner of a new badass gym apparel line called Muscle Pirate. Being an athlete is a fairly recent development for me – I was never one growing up, never played any sports. I was actually the kid who was seriously overweight but had a “nice personality.” I started working out religiously during my freshman year in college in 2006 (I got a boyfriend named Josh and wanted to look hot!), but chasing that bikini body with hours of cardio and meals of plain, dry salad and not-so-tasty protein shakes was miserable, to say the least. I knew how to train like a bodybuilder but being deeply frustrated and hangry were the only real results I felt I was achieving.
It wasn’t until 2017 that I found out that Strongman, a sport I used to see on TV as a child, has a women’s division and that anyone can enter a contest. Having always been naturally strong, I told Josh I wanted to try it out and he was more than happy to help me train for it. In July of that year, the day of my 29th birthday, I competed in my very first Strongman competition… and I won! I did things that day that I never imagined I was capable of, my favorite of which was the truck pull. It was the very last of 5 different feats of strength that we had to compete in that day in the 104 degrees Texas heat: to pull a 9-ton semi-truck as far as possible in a little over one minute. They harnessed me to the front of the semi, gave me a rope to help pull myself along and said, “Athlete ready? Set, PULL!” I pulled as hard as I could on that rope and pushed off of my toes with every bit of energy I had… and the truck began to move! I pulled that big red truck a hair over 68 feet to secure my win that day. The blazing concrete burned my feet through my thin shoe soles, I couldn’t feel my hands, little tiny blood vessels had popped in my forearms and biceps from the immense strain of the pull and my lungs felt like I’d never be able to get enough air ever again. BUT I DID IT and it was one of the most insanely, intensely exciting moments I had ever experienced! And that, my friends, was the day my entire view of myself changed dramatically. I went from painfully insecure and self-conscious to Lagertha-level confidence. For those of you who don’t know about Lagertha, I highly recommend you do yourself a favor and Googler her after you read this interview. Thank me later.
Muscle Pirate was born from this confidence and the subsequent raging thirst to achieve more. H.L. Mencken wrote, “Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag and begin slitting throats.” Quite frankly, that is what it feels like when you’ve got a goliath goal in mind: all you want to do is raise that flag and come in hell-bent on making it happen! Hence, our main shirt design is referred to as the MP Black Flag – all black with the logo emblazoned across the chest – a nod to the infamous Jolly Roger.
And of course, because we do like to have a good time training, we also have the MP Novelty Designs, which play off some of our favorite pop culture/film concepts. Quadzilla, Heavy Squatter (we see you, Harry Potter fandom!), Fight Club inspired designs, etc. Being serious about training shouldn’t mean you can’t have a blast doing it. So raid the gym, take all the gains, and have a great time while you’re at it.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The most exciting roads are always the roughest, but that is a large part of what creates adventure. When you launch a company or brand, who knows if people will like it right away or even “get” it. Think of the last big idea you wanted to pursue. Did everyone agree with you? Did everyone say, “Oh wow, that’s 100% brilliant and I love everything you just said!” Most likely not. Not everybody was on board when I started competing in Strongman. I did it anyway because I love it. It makes me a better person, it makes me stronger mentally and physically, it’s changed my body into one that looks powerful and capable and has shown me that I can do far more than I ever imagined I could. In 2018, I became Houston’s Strongest Woman. Then, a month later, I gained the title of Texas’ Strongest Woman. That *never* would have happened if I had listened to everyone who told me I shouldn’t compete. I wouldn’t be the person I am right now if I hadn’t jumped in, which would be a travesty because I’ve never felt so damn proud and sure of myself before. The same goes for Muscle Pirate or any idea you have for yourself: you have to try. You have to commit and put your focus on it. What you stand to gain is SO much more important than what anyone will tell you that you can lose.
Fun fact: you can change courses in life at any moment you choose. You can take the easy road whenever you want. But forging your own path is what will truly force you to grow and evolve.
What should we know about Muscle Pirate? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As a brand, Muscle Pirate is completely owned, designed and created by my partner, Josh Crews and myself. What you see is what we make, what we enjoy and believe in. It’s so exciting to be able to create something that resonates with other people, that gets them fired up and excited about crushing their own goals! When you order something from our website, our hands are the ones that made the product that you receive in the mail. When you interact with us on social media, we are the ones who run our individual and business pages so you’re always speaking directly with us. It’s personal, genuine, and we hope you enjoy wearing MP as much as we love to create it.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
Honestly, we have never been fans of business “networking” events nor do we have mentors. Our best connections happen when we are out and about – at the gym, a night out at our favorite bar, going out to eat, etc. At 5’9″, I’m taller and more muscular than the average female and Josh is straight out of the 900s Viking culture – he’s 6’8″, over 300 lbs of muscle with long hair and a beard. It gets attention and we meet folks all the time who are just curious about who we are and what we do! And because these situations are not “business” related, people are much more open and we all get to connect and learn a lot more about one another than at any networking mixer. We also make it a point to attend fitness expos like the Olympia in Las Vegas, because those places are full of people who are as excited about our general field as we are! As a matter of fact, Josh was recruited by WWE to be a wrestler because the head of the Strongman Corporation spotted him in the crowd while we watched a competition at the Olympia Expo. She came right over and took him to meet the head of talent for the WWE right then and there.
So, if you ask me, the best way to network and make connections is to simply make yourself available in everyday life. Go to places that center around the field you want to be involved in and just engage with the folks around you. You’ll be AMAZED at who you’ll end up meeting.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.musclepirate.com
- Email: ryane@musclepirate.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muscle.pirate/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muscle.pirate.official/
Image Credit:
Muscle Pirate
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