We had the good fortune of connecting with Rob Gutro and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Rob, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’m an author (self-published) and medium in my after-hours career, and I didn’t set out to make that a business, but it worked into it by following my instincts and heart, and wanting to share my experiences and bring healing and understanding to others. I’m a scientist by trade, so I use the science of energy to explain the afterlife. Since I was 13, I had the gift of communicating with people and pets on the other side, and I journaled my experiences to help teach others what I learned. In 2005, when my 7-month-old puppy was tragically killed by a car and became the world’s best canine spirit communicator – he re-awakened my abilities that went unused for decades. I journaled all of those messages and they became the inspiration for my first book. I coupled those with experiences I had in haunted places (with earthbound ghosts), and my dad’s appearance at his own funeral where he helped me prove to my mother and brothers he was there!
As I continued having experiences, I wrote them down and they became books. I also began tuning into pets who passed and have become known as a pet medium. I have 3 books in the Pets and the Afterlife series, teaching people how pets communicate from spirit -and using my readings (and confirmations from pet parents) in the books. They help work through grief. That further expanded my business as people wanted pet spirit readings, so I book them for weekends for a small fee.
I also give fundraising lectures for animal rescues on How pets communicate from the afterlife. so my business has grown to include authoring 9 (so far) books (2 hit #1 on Amazon, 1 won an international book award), doing pet readings, and giving lectures. As with any business, you have to go where the need takes you.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My books are all true paranormal books, based on my experiences as a medium. One thing that sets me apart from most others is my sense of purpose to bring healing and to educate people on how I have learned what happens after people and pets pass. One niche is as a pet medium (and my pets and the afterlife series), where I communicate with pets who passed. It brings so much healing and closure to grieving pet parents. Another niche is ghosts (earthbound) that I have met on vacations, so I share a lot of history and my paranormal encounters and get explanations from ghosts why they stayed behind – that series is something fun to travel with. My Ghosts and Spirits series is about encounters with earth bound ghosts in a fixed location of their choosing (hauntings) and spirits of loved ones who crossed over. This series teaches you about the paranormal, how to look for signs, why ghosts stay and what they want, and how your loved ones are still around you. I got to where I am today by never giving up. I didn’t focus on book sales. I focused on educating people and healing them.
Sure, there were a few awful people along the way, but they shouldn’t be a focus. One woman who bought a book for her sister left a 1 star review on Amazon and said she DIDN’T even read the book!! She thought the topic was ridiculous. That hurt, and didn’t make sense because she didn’t read it! But countless others have provided positive reactions. Focus on those!
Marketing a book is almost harder than writing it! Fortunately, I’m creative and I knew how to put together a marketing package of a release, bio, head shot, book cover, and I even created post cards. I developed a website, and write a weekly blog. I never would have thought of those things. I reach out to paranormal radio, youtube and internet shows, television, radio, newspapers. meetup groups and more. Marketing takes a lot of time!
I want the world to know that I’m an average guy that happens to have what I call a “superpower” to communicate with people and pets who have passed, and through my books, lectures and readings I try to bring understanding and healing.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I tour friends around the three cities near me. Baltimore, Washington, DC and Annapolis. There are the Smithsonian museums and monuments in Washington, DC that would take more than a week to see alone! Annapolis is an historic city and capital of Maryland, rich in views of the Chesapeake Bay and full of hauntings and history. Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, Little Italy, and other areas are places to enjoy. There is the B and O railroad museum, Hampton Mansion and many other historic sites and museums. A must in Baltimore is the Italian pastry at Vaccaro’s Italian Bakery/cafe.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout goes to many people and one special pet who have all passed on now, and to my partner. To my dad (in spirit) who encouraged me to read and write stories. Every weekend he took me and my younger brother to buy comic books and I became so fascinated with stories of superheroes I created my own characters and wrote and illustrated my own comics. To my mom (also now in spirit) who had the same medium abilities I had, but was afraid to use them, but wanted to hear about the dead people and pets I spoke with (she also taught me how to draw, like her).
To my dog Buzz (in spirit), who inspired my first book, and helps me bring healing to pet parents around the world every week. To my husband, Tom, who believes in my abilities, helps edit, participates in paranormal investigations, and has a special connection to a spirit named Ed who has helped us out many times from the other side (topic of my book Kindred Spirits), and finally to Ed in spirit for that very reason.
Website: www.robgutro.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robgutro_author/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-gutro-531a311b5/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobGutroAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ghostsandspirits.insightsfromamedium
Youtube: http://tinyurl.com/gtnnkak
Other: Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/robgutro Blog: www.robgutro.com