Robert Forto – Wild Business Growth Podcast #253: Dog Musher, Alaska Dog Works and First Paw Media

35 sled dogs in the wilderness of Alaska – and a podcast that’s built businesses. That’s the story of this week’s Wild Business Growth Podcast guest, Robert Forto. Robert is a Dog Musher and the Founder of Alaska Dog Works and First Paw Media. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast platforms.

• Episode Summary & Player
• Full Transcript
• Show Notes
• Wild Business Growth Podcast Summary

Episode 253: Robert Forto – Dog Musher, Alaska Dog Works and First Paw Media

Robert Forto, the Dog Musher and Founder of Alaska Dog Works and First Paw Media, joins the show to share his journey from starting a dog training business to training for the Iditarod. Hear how to conquer your fear of roller coasters, build your business with a podcast, structure your business so you can go on vacation, keep going when it’s 30 below zero, and the magic of margarita snow. This episode covers everything from Foo Fighters to Siberian Huskies. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• What is the Rock n’ Roller Tour
• How do you prepare for a big life move
• What got Robert interested in podcasting as a business-building tool
• How do you grow a podcast to millions of downloads
• Are the dogs or mushers more important in the Iditarod
• What’s the hardest part of being a musher
• Where can you see the Northern Lights in Alaska
• What chatroom did Robert & his wife Michele meet in

Connect with Robert on social media @RobertForto.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.

Show Notes

• Intro & Rock n’ Roller Tours
  • [0:30] Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:39] Connect with Robert on social media @RobertForto
  • [2:58] What is the Rock n’ Roller Tour
  • [3:40] Ford F-150
  • [3:58] Enterprise Rent-A-Car
  • [4:42] Metallica, Foo Fighters, Godsmack, TOOL
  • [5:15] “Lateralus” by TOOL
  • [5:47] The Beast in Kings Island
  • [6:16] Shoutout, Ohio!
  • [6:28] Montgomery Inn
  • [6:30] Has Robert been to Cedar Point
  • [7:06] Adrenaline
  • [7:12] Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point, Valravn at Cedar Point
  • [7:40] How do you conquer a fear of roller coasters
  • [8:16] Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion
  • [8:47] Scuba Diving

• The Alaska Dog Works & First Paw Media Story
  • [9:28] What brought Robert to Alaska
  • [11:01] How do you prepare for a big life move
  • [12:28] Down Payment
  • [13:27] Did the sled dogs take Robert to Alaska
  • [14:14] How much of his time is divided between his dog training and dog mushing
  • [15:08] Body Language
  • [15:24] Livin’ with a pack of sled dogs
  • [15:35] How has Robert grown Alaska Dog Works
  • [16:28] Avatar
  • [16:56] Podcast Movement
  • [17:08] First Paw Media, Dog Works Radio
  • [17:14] What got Robert interested in podcasting as a business-building tool
  • [17:25] Yellow Pages Ads
  • [18:32] TikTok, Instagram
  • [19:24] How do you grow a podcast to millions of downloads
  • [20:14] Marketing
  • [20:33] Field of Dreams
  • [20:46] Always Be Alliterating
  • [21:02] How do you stay consistent with your podcast
  • [22:01] That’s hungry!
  • [23:27] How do you add more podcasts to your mix
  • [24:20] Mentors
  • [25:21] It’s true
  • [25:30] Spit it out, Max
  • [25:38] How do you make time for podcasting
  • [26:34] Advertising
  • [26:44] Netflix
  • [28:22] How do you structure your business so you can go on vacation
  • [28:42] Shoutout, Nicole!
  • [29:40] Write-Off
  • [30:05] Shoutout, Jeff & Emma!
  • [30:39] Such an honor speaking at Podcast Movement ’23 in Denver! Sign up to grab the slides from my session at MaxPodcasting.com/PM23
  • [30:41] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
• Training for the Iditarod
  • [31:53] Laser, Blazer
  • [32:14] When does Robert want to compete in the Iditarod
  • [32:47] Jr. Iditarod
  • [32:58] University of Alaska (UA), Alaska Pacific University
  • [33:56] IRONMAN, Ultramarathon
  • [34:37] How do you train for the Iditarod
  • [36:09] Are the dogs or mushers more important in the Iditarod
  • [36:43] Ford Escort, Formula 1 Car (F1)
  • [37:15] How do you decide when a dog is ready to run in the Iditarod
  • [37:32] HR (Human Resources)
  • [37:43] Tom Brady
  • [38:08] Monday Night Football (MNF), Aaron Rodgers
  • [38:37] Golden Retriever, Nome, AK
  • [39:12] What’s the hardest part of being a musher
  • [39:18] Sleep Deprivation
  • [39:51] CEO (Chief Executive Officer)
  • [40:34] How do you keep going when facing adversity
  • [41:50] Hungry Like The Husky

• The Unusual: Pet Peeves, Quirks, and Weird Talents
  • [42:15] What’s a quirk Robert has
  • [42:56] IMDb, Wikipedia
  • [43:02] Shoutout, Dana! IMDb App, Google
  • [43:46] What’s Robert’s biggest pet peeve
  • [44:05] No idea
  • [44:37] What’s a Weird Talent Robert has
  • [44:41] Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice in Chains
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [45:12] Jam the radar from Spaceballs
  • [45:28] Northern Lights
  • [45:38] Edgar Allan Poe
  • [46:13] Whittier, AK
  • [46:37] Kurt Vonnegut
  • [46:51] What makes huskies great sled dogs
  • [47:17] “Breed” by Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, Bleach
  • [47:38] Kurt Cobain, Content Creation, “Drain You” by Nirvana
  • [48:37] Layne Staley
  • [48:43] How do you stay warm when it’s 30 below
  • [49:37] What chatroom did Robert & his wife Michele meet in
  • [50:11] AOL, Yahoo!
  • [51:11] Manti Te’o
  • [51:43] Connect with Robert on social media @RobertForto
  • [52:08] Balto
  • [52:50] What are Robert’s Final Thoughts
  • [53:19] Follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And show love (or roast me) by leaving 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify
  • [53:35] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [53:37] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter (aka X), and LinkedIn @MaxBranstetter
  • [53:40] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [53:45] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, NFL RedZone, Big Mouth Billy Bass, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more Wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Robert Forto on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about it. And start training for the Iditarod together. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!