Let's Make It Personal

Friends,

As our leadership continues to develop programs and strategies to kick off our organization on the right (primal) foot, I'd like to tell you about an exciting opportunity for you to participate:

We believe that one way to effectively share the benefits of going barefoot is to make it personal. Telling success stories about going barefoot can help dispel many negative stereotypes about going barefoot and humanize the cause by reminding others that we are people, too. If we can show the world through our words and images that we're not "poor, gross, rebellious hippies" -- but that we just like to let our feet be feet -- that could make a HUGE positive difference. We could encourage thousands to kick off their shoes, rediscover their feet and try out barefooting as a new way to live.

Courtesy: BarefootandGrounded.com & chellegia-offthetrail.blogspot.com (no endorsement implied)We want to share you with the world. We hope to make the positive experiences of barefooters like you an integral part of our site and our messages. Sprinkled throughout PrimalfootAlliance.org, our Twitter page and Facebook page following our hard launch will be images and stories of people who have decided that they want to let their feet be feet first.

Here's what we'd like for you to do. (Please read all the details):

• Write a short story of a few paragraphs. Make it personal. Tell us about yourself and what benefits you've found from going barefoot. Have you noticed improved health? Do you feel a greater connection with the earth? What concerns about health, safety or appropriateness did you have before but have now overcome? What would you tell someone who has these same concerns? What else would you tell those who are curious about going barefoot or businesses that reject barefooters?
• Send us creative pictures or even a short video of you. Let others see you barefoot and happy. Show us what you like to do without shoes, whether it's running, playing at the park or something else. Be active. NOTE: At least one of the pictures or videos must show your face in order to be used. No picture sets of just feet, okay? We can't make our message personal if we don't see the person attached to the feet.* A picture is NOT required, but stories that are accompanied by a picture are far more likely to be used. Accepted formats: .JPG, .PNG, .TIFF less than 10MB, please. Please send videos in the form of an embeddable YouTube, Blip.TV or Vimeo link.
• Give us your real first name. Submissions that do not have your legitimate name will not be used. Again, we can't make it personal if all of our bios have names like "Barefoot Prince" or "Lady Bare Sole."* If you're comfortable, let us know where you live. The U.S. state, Canadian province or country is specific enough. We respect your privacy, so that's why we're not asking for specifics like your last name, city, age, etc.
• Email all of that to us. Send your story, images, video links and name to Connect@PrimalfootAlliance.org with the subject "Make It Personal." Send a message to that same address with any questions or request for clarification.

A Few Other Things:

Under NO circumstances will photos or bios related to, showing or describing foot fetishes or sexual play be considered for use. That's not what this organization is about.

For now we only want submissions related to going barefoot. While primal footwear does have its place, our primary mission is to promote the benefits of bare feet. Please do not send us stories about wearing Vibram Fivefingers, VivoBarefoot or any other kind of footwear at this time.

* You may still be asking why we are asking for such specific content. Too often we've seen that barefooting has existed in the "shadows." Many times it's difficult for someone to go barefoot without feeling self-conscious and/or they want to hide their identity because going barefoot is often considered wrong by so many in society. We want to change that. One of The Primalfoot Alliance's goals is to show the world that going barefoot is okay and that no one needs to be ashamed of it. By asking for your name and a picture of you -- instead of just your feet -- we have a better chance of making it personal. People have faces and names, and we who go barefoot are people, too. It's important to show that to the world, but also to remember that ourselves.

We look forward to hearing from you and reading your stories. Thank you for your participation in this program. I truly feel like we are at a crucial "tipping point" in promoting the cause of going barefoot and letting feet be feet first. It is through our alliance and personal stories that we will remind so many of how wonderful our feet really can be.

Smiles,

"Barefoot" Michael Buttgen
Founder and President
The Primalfoot Alliance

Oh yeah, legal stuff:

The Primalfoot Alliance website, The Primalfoot Alliance organization, its Advisory Board and all partners do not want to receive confidential or proprietary information from you through The Primalfoot Alliance website, social media, email or any other means. Please note that any information or material sent to The Primalfoot Alliance organization through The Primalfoot Alliance website, social media outlets, email to Connect@PrimalfootAlliance.org or any other means will be deemed NOT to be confidential. By sending The Primalfoot Alliance organization any information or material, you grant The Primalfoot Alliance organization in perpetuity an unrestricted, irrevocable, world-wide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, display, perform, modify, transmit and distribute those materials or information, and you also agree that The Primalfoot Alliance website and The Primalfoot Alliance organization are free to use in perpituity any ideas, concepts, know-how or techniques that you send us for any purpose. You also agree that any such materials are subject to the terms of the Creative Commons license listed below. The Primalfoot Alliance organization and PrimalfootAlliance.org are not responsible for, and expressly disclaim all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of going barefoot or any acts directly or indirectly related to the act of going barefoot. You assume all risk and liability from your own actions.