• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Robert Forto

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Rants & Reviews
  • Team Ineka
  • Dog Training
  • Seminars
  • Contact

peak performance coaching

The Future Home of Iditarod Dreams: Cheese Pizza in Paradise

August 13, 2010 by robertforto Leave a Comment

The Future of Iditarod Dreams: Cheese Pizza in Paradise

There is a famous Jimmy Buffet song: Cheeseburger in Paradise. One of the lines says: Heaven on Earth with an Onion Slice. I am living my own version of Cheeseburger in Paradise, except I fancy cheese pizza instead of a burger.

I was sitting on the deck of the house last night enjoying a slice of cheese pizza and looked out among the trees and into the valley/meadow/swap area behind the house. That is the area that leads to the trails that encircle us to the north. There was a light mist in the air and I contemplated all that it took to get me to this moment. The years of running dogs in 1990’s, the move to Denver to follow Michele’s career that she hated and later quit to join me at Denver Dog Works, the thousands of dogs that we have trained at our training school, the raising of our kids right so they understand business ethic and family values and what it means to work for what you need and you don’t always get what you want. And then I thought about the lyric again: Heaven on Earth with an Onion Slice and it made me think; that even with all of this it is still bittersweet (kinda like a red onion). I miss my family terribly. I know some of that will pass as I work my way through this year before Michele and the kids move up after the school year but I value my family more than anything in this world. They are my slice of heaven.

Yesterday I drove into Wasilla to pick up some things and buy a pair of Carhart overalls because I am ruining all of my pants (all six pair of them) in all of this muck and gunk. I have never owned a pair of overalls in my life and I can’t help but think they make me look like one of my favorite DIY’ers on TV, Mike Holmes on the show Holmes on Homes. If I only had his skill and craftsmanship!

As I drove down the Parks Highway toward town there is a spot that overlooks the valley and you can see the mountains in the distance and the low hanging clouds that make it look like you are on top of the world and I thought; this is what draws people here. This serene beauty and un-abashed wilderness that surrounds us.

Today I am taking the day off and heading to one of the local campgrounds and see if I can find a hiking trail to wander on for a bit. I love hiking. It clears the mind and rejuvenates the soul. I want to see what the trails have to offer here only sixty five miles from a major metropolitan area (Anchorage). It will be a nice day and maybe Ill stop off and have a cheeseburger too!

I welcome your comments and suggestions. Please comment below.

Robert Forto | Team Ineka | Alaska Dog Works | Mushing Radio | Dog Doctor Radio | Denver Dog Works

___________________

Dr. Robert Forto is a musher training for his first Iditarod under the Team Ineka banner and the host of the popular radio shows, Mush! You Huskies and The Dog Doctor Radio Show

Filed Under: Robert Forto, The Future Home of Iditarod Dreams Tagged With: alaska dog works, canine training, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Denver Dog Works, dog doctor radio, dog training alaska, dog training denver, Dreamchaser Leadership, Iditarod, peak performance coaching, robert forto, Team Ineka, the future of Home of Iditarod Dreams

The Future Home of Iditarod Dreams: When a Plan Comes Together

August 11, 2010 by robertforto Leave a Comment

The Future Home of Iditarod Dreams: When a Plan Comes Together

I love it when a plan comes together. That was a famous line said by Hannibal in the 1980s TV series the A-Team. Yesterday was just that; plans coming together. I never thought I would get so excited to get a box of tools from the post office but I was. In the box that Michele sent was my trusty Dewalt drill, an extension cord, bits, gloves and a hammer. It is amazing what you can get done with just two simple tools! I was up till midnight (yes, it was still light out almost till then) banging and prying away. I took down some god-awful fencing around the deck and a hung a couple of mini-blinds. Not huge progress but progress none-the-less.

Another part of the plan was getting the 6‘x12’ U-haul trailer packed and ready to go. Michele and my son Kyle are driving up to Alaska starting at the end of the week with all of my tools and things that will make life a little more comfortable including my radio equipment for the Dog Doctor Radio Show and Mush! You Huskies but also my computers so I can get some work done. It will take them the better part of a week to drive up and I am anxious for them to get here. It will only be about three weeks since I have seen my wife but I already miss her terribly.

We also finalized plans to have our first team member of Team Ineka flown from California to Anchorage from Jaraw Siberians. Reagan is about 11-weeks now and will fly up on Monday leaving San Jose at 5: 30 am and not arriving in Anchorage until 11:30 pm. I wont be able to pick her up until 1:30 am. That is a heck of a long time in a crate for a pup but at least she will be here soon. If you listen to my Mush! You Huskies Radio Show, you may remember that I was in Clovis, California in June finalizing the purchase of the pup, running sled dogs with April and John Wood and checking out property in the area. As you can see I choose a different place to hang my hat and I am glad that I did.

Yesterday I managed to clean out the wood shed and stacked all of the logs. It took about three hours and I realized there is a lot less wood than I thought there was. It looks like I will have to get some more. I have no idea how much wood I will need for the winter but as they always say, more is better.

Today I start to tackle one of the many huge piles of debris and wood that is on the property. It looks like the previous occupants saved every scrap of wood they ever had and just threw it in a pile. I may look into burning most of it. Here in the Mat-Su Valley you can order a burn permit online for free, I think and burn every day.

I welcome your comments. Please leave a message below.

Robert Forto | Team Ineka | Alaska Dog Works | Mushing Radio | Dog Doctor Radio | Denver Dog Works

____________________

Dr. Robert Forto is a musher training for his first Iditarod under the Team Ineka banner and the host of the popular radio shows, Mush! You Huskies and The Dog Doctor Radio Show

Filed Under: Robert Forto Tagged With: alaska dog works, canine training, Denver Dog Works, dog doctor radio, dog training denver, Dreamchaser Leadership, Iditarod, jaraw siberians, Michele Forto, mush you huskies, NLP, peak performance coaching, robert forto, Team Ineka

The Future Home of Iditarod Dreams: August 8, 2010

August 9, 2010 by robertforto 2 Comments

The Future Home of Iditarod Dreams: Team Ineka in Alaska August 8, 2010

I have been in Alaska for seven days. As I sit here in my new home I can only conger images of DIY Network’s Renovation Reality show. It is a show that follows the exploits of homeowners as they “try”, yes the operative word is TRY to renovate their home often with disastrous results! I am living it every single day. Nobody told me it doesn’t get completely dark until midnight in Alaska and then light again at I think 4 am!

I am here, 3400 miles from my family in, what at best would be called a ‘Musher’s Cabin’, if not torn down completely and start from the ground up, and I am amiss at all that I have to do. You see, I have no home improvement skills what-so-ever, not to mention no construction experience at all. My idea up to this point on home repairs: WHERE IS THE PHONE BOOK! Does that make me less of a man? No, way! I just chose to take a different path and skipped the shop-type classes in high school.

I am making a wee bit of progress. I had a six yard dumpster delivered (realizing that I should have ordered the biggest size they have) and I have filled it to the rim with junk. The people that lived here before lived like they didn’t have a care in the world. There is at least ten or fifteen dumpster loads to go and that does not include any of the debris from the home improvements. There are piles upon piles of old wood and windows and kids toys and old beds and a moldy couch in the kennel building and things buried in chest high grass that I have yet to see.

I have been told that I think big and jump into things with two feet without stepping back to see the big picture. This is one of them.

My plan is to take the next 12 months, well, at least until the snow hits and I cant work outside in the blistery cold, making this place livable. It can be done and I know I can do it. I will learn as I go. This is my dream home actually. Something my wife and I have thought about every day for at least a decade. Now we have it and it is up to me to make it happen. No problem right?

Not to mention I travelled here on the plane, thinking if I fly up I could get a head start while my stuff is delivered and my truck is driven up. I packed what would fit into six suitcases. Two of them held a 27” flat screen that UPS was going to charge me 350 dollars to ship (I paid twenty five bucks as a checked bag) and the other suitcase held my Direct TV receiver. Hey, a have to have DIY Network right?

I don’t have a nary tool. Not even a hammer or a screwdriver. I had those shipped in a flat rate Priority Mail box just the other day. I couldn’t wait for it to arrive with my truck at the end of the month. I have too much to do!

I plan to update this blog every day and chronicle my exploits, adventures and (hopefully) progress. Have you seen the movie: Julie and Julia? A bit like that. I hope you will follow along and I welcome any advice that you can give! I look forward to hearing from you!

Time to paint the front doors. A deep shade of red to match the roof.

Robert Forto | Team Ineka | Alaska Dog Works | Mushing Radio | Dog Doctor Radio | Denver Dog Works

____________________

Dr. Robert Forto is a musher training for his first Iditarod under the Team Ineka banner and the host of the popular radio shows, Mush! You Huskies and The Dog Doctor Radio Show

Filed Under: Robert Forto Tagged With: alaska dog works, canine training, Denver Dog Works, DIY, dog doctor radio, Dreamchaser Leadership, home repairs, Iditarod, mush you huskies, NLP, peak performance coaching, renovation reality, robert forto, Team Ineka

New Successes, Creative Ideas and our Culture

July 22, 2010 by robertforto Leave a Comment

By Robert Forto

This article was originally posted on our old blog (http://www.fortoblog.com) I will continue the series here.

This is a new day of a new week of a new month of a new decade in a new century. It is special isn’t it? Last year was a tough year for all of us in this recessed economy where everybody was worried about the future of the world as we knew it. At Alaska Dog Works, it was tough on us too. We are thankful for all of our clients, new and old, that helped make our business special. We also took advantage of the down time to receive training for our business, our leaders, our trainers and our staff. This training was expensive, but worth every penny. We learned so many new things about our business, our goals, our values, and our desires. We learned what we need to do to set us apart from the crowd. We learned that we are not just a small fish in a big pond, but a fish that has a considerable influence over the pond that we swim.

In January 2009, we started our Internet radio program, Dog Works Radio,  that has gotten great reviews and has had on some tremendous guests. We spoke about everything dogs and everything that we love about our furry friends and what makes that relationship special to so many people. We spoke about the Michael Vick controversy, many authors including the most heart-warming story I have every heart about Baxter, the therapy dog that touched so many lives until he last days, and so much more.

We trained several students to become exceptional canine obedience trainers in 2009 and have done so against the wishes of our most vocal competition in our industry. I can not count how many times I have heard from my peers that own dog training schools here in Denver say, “Why are you teaching people how to become dog trainers? Don’t you think the business is saturated?” My response is, “It do it because I can, and no, I don’t think it is saturated.” We change people’s lives at Denver Dog Works. Whether it be by training people for a new career or providing a service dog for a young child in need. That’s what we do.

In March 2009, I announced my intentions on running the Iditarod in 2013. This is a promise I must keep. My family and I thought about this for a long while and realized that the time is now to begin training for the last great race, as they call it. I am taking this year to get into shape and next year I will run my first qualifying races in Minnesota and Oregon. The monumental feat of running the race is not the race itself but the raising of ten’s of thousands of dollars to train and run the race. We are starting our quest to find corporate sponsors during the second quarter of 2010.

We met many new friends in 2009 that taught us so much. We attended a seminar on social media and it has changed how we do business forever and what an impact it has had! As many of you know I routinely update twitter and Facebook with news, notes, nuggets of information, and stories that have absolutely nothing to do about dogs, but do you know what? Social media works! I have received so many business leads, new contacts and friends, often while I update driving down the highway at 70 miles per hour going from class to class.

In May 2009, I attended a training program in Neuro-Linguistics from my good friend and “personal trainer for the mind”, Traci Brown. This revolutionary training taught me to think outside the box and harness the potential of my unconscious mind. While many may think this is some New-Age quackery I will be the first to tell you that you are furthest from the truth. This innate communication will change your life!

In July, we moved to our new location and we regret that we haven’t had the time to have a grand opening celebration yet. Our new place is only about 70% remodeled due to the fact that through blood, sweat and tears we are doing the re-model ourselves and it is typically only on our days off.

In 2010 we are stepping outside the box completely and offering Dog Works Training Company training centers  in select cities throughout the country. While there are many dog training franchises out there, ours is different. We teach new business owners how not only to be great dog trainers but effective and successful business owners as well. Our Dog Works Training Centers business opportunity will change the dog training industry forever.

The 10 Elements of Culture as defined by Alaska Dog Works

Much can be said about what makes us the best dog training school in the country. A lot of that lies on our core values and principles of doing business. A lot lies in the education and training we received over the years, moreover this year with the work of some of the bet business branding experts in the country. Not only did this work allow use to identify our vision but, more importantly it allowed us to develop a culture for Denver Dog Works and soon to be a nationwide business network under the Dog Works Training Center brand. Each Thursday I will post an article about our culture and what sets us apart in a very competitive industry.

The 10 Elements of Culture as defined by Alaska Dog Works are:

  1. Integrity
  2. Professionalism
  3. Development
  4. Service Availability and Belief
  5. Character
  6. Self Development
  7. A Event Culture
  8. Structured Activity
  9. Leadership
  10. Fun

I ask that you follow us along in the coming year. As one fast food restaurant chain’s tagline says: We’re going to be big. At Denver Dog Works, we don’t just train dogs, we changes lives and I can bet you that we do have the best and train the rest!

I encourage any comments or questions you have about anything at all.

Next Week: Element of Our Culture: Integrity

________________________

Robert Forto is the host of The Dog Works Radio Show and is the training director of Alaska Dog Works. Robert Forto can be reached through his website at www.alaskadogworks.com

Filed Under: Robert Forto Tagged With: canine training, culture of denver dog works, Denver Dog Works, dog doctor radio, dog training denver, Dreamchaser Leadership, Iditarod, mush you huskies, NLP, peak performance coaching, robert forto, Team Ineka

Coaching for Peak Performance

July 21, 2010 by robertforto Leave a Comment

By Robert Forto

Lead Dog RevengeIf you are a small business owner and you want to have a leading edge in your industry consider coaching for peak performance. If you want any of the following give Dr. Robert Forto, a call at 303-578-9881 or contact him anytime through this website.

Would you like to:

Recruit the best

Make effective change

Achieve goals

Enhance performance

Enhance creativity and innovation

Motivate and energize people

Decrease response times

Keep your talented people

Communicate effectively

Improve teamwork

Robert Forto is a practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming, commonly called NLP and he can show you quick results in a minimal amount of time.

A common theme we always hear when consulting with a business or organization is that people are always trying to do more with less. Expectations of employees are rising, while resources are limited. The fight to stay competitive drives this need to innovate continually, to improve products, services and processes.

In some businesses or organizations this pressure leads to tightly managed. Process-led approaches that focus on minimizing errors and maintaining control. These management models have their roots in the days of heavy industry and manufacturing and the drive to control quality. Nowadays, however, these approaches tend to create workforces that lack motivation, intuitive and drive-and are often very stressed.

More and more forward thinking businesses and organizations realize that supporting and developing people is as important as getting the job done, and in fact the job can’t get done unless people develop and grown their skills. These businesses and organizations are on the forefront of their industry and put in place performance reviews, feedback tools and training, and increasingly offer individual coaching between manager and employee on an ongoing basis.

Through a consultation with Robert Forto, you can discover how you can use NLP knowledge and techniques through individual coaching sessions to improve your employee’s effectiveness.

The most progressive employers in the nation are using Forto’s and his techniques of NLP by integrating coaching into their every day company culture. Rather than formal training sessions where you may have to send one or two employees to an out of state conference, Forto’s coaching program and techniques of NLP can create solutions to problems and attain goals very quickly.

Coaching can be a really worthwhile investment and does not always need to take a huge amount of time. In fact just after a few sessions you can use these techniques anywhere, anytime and in any type of business and as a result improve other peoples thinking and results.

So if you would like to find out more about Robert Forto’s Coaching for Peak Performance program give him a call anytime at 907-841-1686 or contact him through this website.

_________________________

Robert Forto is a business coach, author, radio show host, professional musher, public speaker and canine behaviorist. Forto can be reached through his website at https://robertforto.com/

Filed Under: Dreamchaser Leadership, NLP, Peak Performance Coaching Tagged With: canine training, Denver Dog Works, dog doctor radio, dog training denver, Dreamchaser Leadership, mush you huskies, NLP, peak performance coaching, robert forto, sports psychology, Team Ineka

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS Feed
  • LinkedIn

Listen to Dog Works Radio

Copyright © 2021 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in