SETTING THE STAGE

In the Spring of 2018, Mick Dodge, famous reality TV star from National Geographic’s “The Legend of Mick Dodge,” called to ask if we could build a website. Now, this does not happen every day!

We learned about Mick — he was born in the Hoh rainforest and is a native of the Olympic Peninsula. For decades, he lived off the land and trained in the wild (which is where National Geographic found him). He has an intensive martial arts background from spending time in Okinawa, Japan. And he was in the Marine Corps for six years (his father was a career Marine). He has a deep connection with the earth and is known as the Barefoot Sensei. His philosophy is that when you plant your bare feet on the ground, you connect back to the roots, to the earth, and to the truth.

In the Spring of 2021, he was ready. Mick wished to build a website that encompassed the essence of his own unique philosophy. And unique it is. Mick is THE MOST ORIGINAL human we have ever met! He’s true to his core, which he’ll tell you is part Hippy, part Marine, part Dodge.

He and his partner, Denise, are now growing soil and forest in the valley alongside Mt. Shasta in northern California. Their earthgym is called The Old Strength Farm, and it’s where they grow vegetables, listen to birdsong, and work to strengthen bodies — all barefoot, of course.

APPROACH

Wow! Brainstorming this site with Mick and Denise has been an incredible journey. Mick is a brilliant visionary, brimming with poetry, song, philosophy, and jokes. Denise is an artist whose strength, connection to the earth, and business savvy shine through in every interaction. They have great respect for each other, and a clear vision of the mission for The Old Strength Farm.

Our web designer Dená got to work. She created a visually immersive layout with elemental hues — colors of rich farm soil, pine needles, forest canopy, and river water. She ghosted background photos loaded with natural elements — tree bark, river stones, and wildflowers. Her designs gave Mick the framework so his poetry and photography could unfold.

Our graphic designer Ashley created the logo for The Old Strength Farm which is loaded with symbolism. Look for the Celtic influence, the figure eight, the barbell with barefeet, and pine tree. This Farm is about growing soil, connecting to earth with bare soles, and building strength. She also did a new version of Mick’s Figure 8 map showing the “Urban/City,” “Open Fenced Lands” and “Gated Wild Lands” — the design is a nod to Mick’s delight with Tolkien.

RESULTS

A completely original site! And one that belongs wholly to Mick and Denise. It tells their tale through poetry, artistry, and masterful photography.

On the website, we feature the Farm, which is their earthgym. What is an earthgym? Instead of going to an indoor gym to work out, you use the elements in and around your home. How do you do that? With Strength Tools. Mick and Denise’s tools and exercises get back to basics: lifting stones, balancing with sticks, carrying heavy sacks, swinging hammers.

The site introduces the Figure 8 Map which is Mick’s vision of traversing the three realms of the modern world: city, farm, and wilderness.

They tell the story of who they are — not by talking about themselves — but by highlighting the land, the creatures, and the habitat.

The heart of this site is the Barefeet Landing on Ground B.L.O.G., where Mick plans to contribute regularly — videos, poetry, philosophy. Check it out and sign up to be notified about new posts!

And for fans, there’s also the Connect page, where people can tune into the real-life Adventures of Mick, the Bare Sole Habbit.

GRATITUDE

We are honored that of all the web designers in this world, Mick and Denise chose Ruby Slipper! We have been so grateful to walk together — barefoot and slippered — on this journey of storytelling and connection. From all of us at Ruby Slipper: we thank you, Mick and Denise!

DENÁ: I loved working with Mick on his new website! I l learned so much from him during our weekly calls about the benefits of barefooting and the practice of following my feet. I’ve started to tune in to my feet when I’m unsure where to go and have been loving the results. I can’t wait to visit Mick and train with him!

RACHEL: I’m taking Mick’s advice on wrinkles to heart! “In my research on aging, one of the cures I have found for wrinkles is grinning.”

FIEW: Mick is down-to-earth, fun, and comfortable to be around. I’m so impressed with his age and when I look at his arms lifting those big barbells. Dang!! Those arms are hot and look like they are in their 30’s.

ASHLEY: Working with Mick and Denise was such an unforgettable and amazing experience! They are both fun and genuine people who made me feel instantly engaged and invested in their world with their wisdom, mini-history lessons, and light-hearted banter.  I felt inspired to dig deep creatively and sit with all that the Old Strength Farm embodies so that I could translate that richness into visuals that live on the website.

ERIN: Mick and Denise are true originals! Genuine, funny, and wise. I love how they care for the earth and keep their bodies strong. They walk their talk. Whenever I try Mick’s barefoot practices, my perspective shifts instantly into the here and now. On the day we launched this site, I went for a barefoot run and followed Mick’s advice by chanting R. U. N., R.U.N. He’s right! The phrase morphs into Are You In? And the answer is yes!