Let me tell you something I didn’t expect when I launched this podcast:
That a fisherman I’d never met would make me think differently—not just about seafood, but about stewardship, integrity, and what it really means to feed our families well.

In Episode 16 of The SmarterWellth Podcast, I got to talk with Tony Wood, a commercial fisherman and founder of Wild Alaska Salmon & Seafood. And while yes, we talk salmon (and a lot about why frozen can be fresher than “fresh”)—what we’re really talking about is this:

How do we live and eat with integrity in a world obsessed with shortcuts?

From Pilot to Fisherman: A Story of Passion and Purpose

Tony didn’t come from a commercial fishing legacy. He started out as a pilot. But after 9/11 reshaped his career plans, he found himself drawn back to Alaska—the place he fell in love with as a teenager.

What started as a career pivot became a calling. Today, he runs one of the only vertically integrated, small-batch wild seafood companies in the U.S., catching, processing, and shipping the fish himself.

Let me say that again: he catches the fish, processes it the same day, and ships it to your door.

That level of integrity? Almost unheard of in the seafood industry.

The Truth About “Fresh” Fish

If you’ve ever stood at the seafood counter and felt completely lost (farm-raised vs. wild-caught? previously frozen? why is this one neon orange?!), this episode is for you.

Tony breaks it down in plain language:

• Why “fresh” often means “a week old”
• How flash-freezing on day one preserves quality better than shipping “fresh” across the country
• What you should always look for on a label (spoiler: country of origin matters!)
• How farmed fish is often artificially dyed—and why that should matter to you
  

The bottom line? You deserve to know what you’re feeding your family. And who you’re buying it from.

A Lesson in Stewardship (and Legacy)

One of the most powerful parts of our conversation was hearing Tony talk about sustainability—not as a trendy buzzword, but as a deeply personal responsibility.

In Alaska, sustainability is literally written into the state constitution. Fisheries are actively managed to protect future generations. Tony doesn’t just follow those guidelines—he embodies them. He knows that what we take from nature must be balanced by what we protect.

And now? He’s teaching that same lesson to his son, who’s already helping him on the boat and learning what it means to feed a family with his own hands.

That, to me, is wellness. That is SmarterWellth.

If You Care About What You Eat, This Episode Is a Must-Listen

This isn’t a conversation about diets. It’s about dignity. About knowing your food’s story. About choosing quality, even if it means stepping outside the convenience culture we’ve all been sold.

And it might just change the way you shop, cook, and think about what’s on your plate.

🎧 [Listen to Episode 16: What You Eat Matters: A Fisherman’s Guide to Food Integrity & Health]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpuPhvMvKPw

Ready to Try It for Yourself?

If you want to taste the difference real integrity makes, Tony’s offering SmarterWellth listeners an exclusive discount on your first order from Wild Alaska Salmon & Seafood.

Use code [Wellth10] at checkout for [10% off/free shipping/insert offer details].
[Update with actual code and offer once confirmed.]

You’ll be feeding your family wild-caught salmon that’s traceable back to the very boat it was caught on.

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