Photo by Bethany Goodrich
Sea Fur Sewing is a Sitka-based business rooted in cultural knowledge, subsistence practices, and craftsmanship. Owner Robert Miller offers heirloom-quality products from sustainably harvested materials like seal and sea otter, while also teaching workshops that pass down knowledge of harvesting, processing, and sewing to the next generation.
In 2025, Robert was selected as a winner of Spruce Root’s Path to Prosperity Business Competition. The competition is an annual business development competition for businesses with a positive economic, environmental, and community impact on Southeast Alaska. Businesses are judged based on their feasibility and their contributions to community development.
The competition awards $20,000 each to two winning businesses annually. Program awards can be used for consulting, technical assistance, and long-term capital expenditures.
This Fall, we got on the phone with Robert to hear how he has spent his award money and the impact this investment has had on his business so far, and to learn more about his experience in the P2P competition.
Interview by Erin O’Farrell, edited for clarity
Congratulations on being selected as a Path to Prosperity winner last year! How have you used your award money?
I used the award to rebuild my website. I’ve been wanting to update the site for 10 years, but never prioritized the funds to do it. Winning the Path to Prosperity (P2P) competition enabled me to create exactly what I wanted.
Can you tell us about the changes you’ve made to your website?
I’ve updated my online presence with new search engine optimization (SEO) and AI technologies. The new website also makes it easier for people to purchase from my online store, which is important. How I look at it, my website is a 24/7 employee that I don’t have to pay.
I’ve also made it more story-driven. My story is what sells my product. And my old website didn’t really have what I wanted in this regard.
When you navigate to the “About” page of my website, the first thing you see is a video I produced about a seal hunt.
The video follows my friend Rick and me as we harvest seals in Sitka’s waters, carrying forward a tradition that our Tlingit people have done for thousands of years to feed our families and elders.
It was important for me to create this video and feature it on the website because I want people to understand that I am not killing seals for their fur. [Harvesting seals is about] respect for the animal, respect for our ancestors, and continuing the way of life that still feeds our communities today.
How do you envision this investment supporting your business moving forward?
I’ve had this vision for the new website in my head for a long time. Two years ago, I retired from my day job and went from sewing part-time to full-time. As I enter this next chapter for my business – anticipating that this will be my full-time work for the next decade – the P2P competition was an opportunity for me to revamp my business plan. The website is a big part of this plan.
Photos courtesy of Robert Miller
Reflecting on your experience in the P2P competition, what has stuck with you the most?
Another big motivation for my participation in P2P was a desire to understand how to make my business go year-round. Usually, November, December, and January are my prime sale months. I wanted to better understand the numbers and how I can keep my business steady all year to pay my bills.
I’d highly recommend the P2P competition, especially for someone who doesn’t have a business plan.
From my perspective, my business plan is a map. When prices go up on items, I still go into my document and reprogram the numbers, which helps me update my pricing structure and other changes I need to make to match external shifts that impact my business.”
What gets you excited about the future of Sea Fur Sewing?
I’ve been doing this work for 15 years. Arriving at a place financially where I can afford to hire hunters in different communities throughout Southeast Alaska has been incredible.
Hunting sea otters is a full-time job. When I can pay hunters well and still make a profit off of my items, I feel good. It allows me to share the wealth with families and other communities throughout the region. It’s mutually beneficial for us all.
Curious to learn more about Sea Fur Sewing and the Path to Prosperity Business Competition? You can check out Robert’s new website here and find more info about P2P here.