What determines success long before anyone notices the results?

In this episode of The Journey: Leadership Through Partnership: The Danny and Gunner Story, Michele and Robert Forto explore the foundational stage of Danny and Gunner's service dog journey. While many people focus on outcomes, real success is built through daily habits, trust, consistency, and disciplined action.

Danny entered the Alaska Dog Works service dog program looking for greater independence and confidence. What he discovered was that building a successful partnership required more than training a dog. It required developing leadership skills, communication habits, and a commitment to showing up every day.

This episode examines how strong foundations create lasting results in service dog training, leadership, business, and life.

If you've ever wondered why some teams thrive under pressure while others struggle, the answer often lies in the work that happened long before the challenge appeared.

· Leadership Under Pressure: What Happens When the Plan Falls Apart

· Why Most Teams Struggle With Trust

· Adventure as a Leadership Classroom

This episode was recorded on the Shure SM7B and Rodecaster Pro II.

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Love this episode? Say thanks by leaving a review and helping more listeners discover the show.

Ready for real growth, not just motivation? Explore coaching, workshops, and experiential leadership programs through Dreamchaser Leadership.

Download our free leadership resources and practical tools designed for business owners and teams.

Book Dr. Robert Forto for speaking, leadership development, or strategic coaching for your organization.

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©2022-2026 Peak Experience Podcast by Dreamchaser Leadership. All Rights Reserved.

Most doctoral students think graduation is the finish line. It is not.

In this episode of the Peak Experience Podcast, Michele Forto explores why publishing your dissertation or doctoral project through ProQuest may be one of the most important leadership decisions graduate students can make.

This conversation covers:

1. Why research deserves to be seen and cited
2. How ProQuest expands the reach of your work
3. The connection between leadership and academic contribution
4. Why so many graduate students struggle with burnout and isolation
5. How doctoral research can become books, speaking opportunities, consulting, coaching, and curriculum development

Whether your work focuses on leadership, organizational development, experiential learning, succession planning, or another field entirely, this episode is a reminder that your research matters long after the defense is over.

· Leadership Under Pressure: What Happens When the Plan Falls Apart

· Why Most Teams Struggle With Trust

· Adventure as a Leadership Classroom

This episode was recorded on the Shure SM7B and Rodecaster Pro II.

Like this episode? Share it with a leader, founder, or teammate who would benefit from it.

Love this episode? Say thanks by leaving a review and helping more listeners discover the show.

Ready for real growth, not just motivation? Explore coaching, workshops, and experiential leadership programs through Dreamchaser Leadership.

Download our free leadership resources and practical tools designed for business owners and teams.

Book Dr. Robert Forto for speaking, leadership development, or strategic coaching for your organization.

Join our mailing list for new episodes, leadership insights, and upcoming program announcements.

Follow Peak Experience for more leadership strategies and real-world lessons: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

©2022-2026 Peak Experience Podcast by Dreamchaser Leadership. All Rights Reserved.

Most training failures are not caused by lack of effort. They happen because the structure breaks down under pressure.

In this episode of the Peak Experience Podcast, Michele Forto continues The Journey: Leadership Through Partnership, The Danny and Gunner Story by exploring why training systems fail, whether you are working with a service dog, leading a team, or building an organization.

This episode breaks down the three biggest reasons performance becomes unreliable:

1. Lack of clarity
2. Inconsistency
3. Reactive leadership

Using real-world lessons from service dog training at Alaska Dog Works and leadership development through Peak Experience, this conversation explores how stable systems create trust, confidence, and long-term reliability under pressure.

If you lead people, train dogs, manage teams, or build organizations, this episode will challenge the way you think about accountability, communication, and performance.

· Leadership Under Pressure: What Happens When the Plan Falls Apart

· Why Most Teams Struggle With Trust

· Adventure as a Leadership Classroom

This episode was recorded on the Shure SM7B and Rodecaster Pro II.

Like this episode? Share it with a leader, founder, or teammate who would benefit from it.

Love this episode? Say thanks by leaving a review and helping more listeners discover the show.

Ready for real growth, not just motivation? Explore coaching, workshops, and experiential leadership programs through Dreamchaser Leadership.

Download our free leadership resources and practical tools designed for business owners and teams.

Book Dr. Robert Forto for speaking, leadership development, or strategic coaching for your organization.

Join our mailing list for new episodes, leadership insights, and upcoming program announcements.

Follow Peak Experience for more leadership strategies and real-world lessons: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

©2022-2026 Peak Experience Podcast by Dreamchaser Leadership. All Rights Reserved.

What happens when the systems you depend on stop working, and failure is not an option? In this powerful first episode of The Journey: Leadership Through Partnership, Michele Forto introduces Danny, a combat veteran living with PTSD, and Gunner, the service dog who helped rebuild trust, structure, and independence.

This episode explores how leadership principles, consistency, and real-world reliability apply far beyond dog training. It is a story about pressure, partnership, and creating systems that hold up when the stakes are real.

· Leadership Under Pressure: What Happens When the Plan Falls Apart

· Why Most Teams Struggle With Trust

· Adventure as a Leadership Classroom

This episode was recorded on the Shure SM7B and Rodecaster Pro II.

Like this episode? Share it with a leader, founder, or teammate who would benefit from it.

Love this episode? Say thanks by leaving a review and helping more listeners discover the show.

Ready for real growth, not just motivation? Explore coaching, workshops, and experiential leadership programs through Dreamchaser Leadership.

Download our free leadership resources and practical tools designed for business owners and teams.

Book Dr. Robert Forto for speaking, leadership development, or strategic coaching for your organization.

Join our mailing list for new episodes, leadership insights, and upcoming program announcements.

Follow Peak Experience for more leadership strategies and real-world lessons: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

©2022-2026 Peak Experience Podcast by Dreamchaser Leadership. All Rights Reserved.

What if the leadership advice most people need today did not come from a CEO or bestselling author, but from Mister Rogers?

In this episode of the Peak Experience Podcast, Robert and Michele Forto explore the timeless leadership lessons found in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Sesame Street. These iconic shows modeled values that many organizations need now more than ever: calm leadership, empathy, kindness, clear communication, storytelling, and patience.

You will learn why strong leaders do not need to be loud, how kindness builds psychological safety, why stories move teams more than spreadsheets, and how slowing down can often move your organization forward faster.

If you lead a team, run a business, or want to become a more effective communicator, this episode offers practical wisdom you can apply immediately.

· Leadership Under Pressure: What Happens When the Plan Falls Apart

· Why Most Teams Struggle With Trust

· Adventure as a Leadership Classroom

This episode was recorded on the Shure SM7B and Rodecaster Pro II.

Like this episode? Share it with a leader, founder, or teammate who would benefit from it.

Love this episode? Say thanks by leaving a review and helping more listeners discover the show.

Ready for real growth, not just motivation? Explore coaching, workshops, and experiential leadership programs through Dreamchaser Leadership.

Download our free leadership resources and practical tools designed for business owners and teams.

Book Dr. Robert Forto for speaking, leadership development, or strategic coaching for your organization.

Join our mailing list for new episodes, leadership insights, and upcoming program announcements.

Follow Peak Experience for more leadership strategies and real-world lessons: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

©2022-2026 Peak Experience Podcast by Dreamchaser Leadership. All Rights Reserved.

In this special relaunch episode of Peak Experience, Dr. Robert Forto shares why he is bringing years of business ownership, education, and leadership experience into sharper focus through Dreamchaser Leadership.

Robert discusses experiential learning, coaching small family businesses, delegation, leadership lessons from sled dog teams, and what success looks like in this next chapter. If you lead a team, run a business, or want practical leadership advice, this episode is for you.

· Leadership Under Pressure: What Happens When the Plan Falls Apart

· Why Most Teams Struggle With Trust

· Adventure as a Leadership Classroom

This episode was recorded on the Shure SM7B and Rodecaster Pro II.

Like this episode? Share it with a leader, founder, or teammate who would benefit from it.

Love this episode? Say thanks by leaving a review and helping more listeners discover the show.

Ready for real growth, not just motivation? Explore coaching, workshops, and experiential leadership programs through Dreamchaser Leadership.

Download our free leadership resources and practical tools designed for business owners and teams.

Book Dr. Robert Forto for speaking, leadership development, or strategic coaching for your organization.

Join our mailing list for new episodes, leadership insights, and upcoming program announcements.

Follow Peak Experience for more leadership strategies and real-world lessons: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

©2022-2026 Peak Experience Podcast by Dreamchaser Leadership. All Rights Reserved.

Join hosts Robert Forto and TJ Miller as they delve into the controversial topic of participation trophies. Are they fostering a generation of entitled individuals, or are they essential for building self-esteem and teamwork? This episode explores the pros and cons, drawing from personal experiences, academic insights, and listener feedback.

Key Discussion Points:

The evolution of participation trophies and their impact on different generations. Personal anecdotes from Robert and TJ about their experiences with awards and recognition. Insights from recent studies on the psychological effects of participation trophies. The role of feedback in personal and professional development. Future implications for leadership and team dynamics.

Resources Mentioned: Research studies from 2018 and 2020 on generational shifts in praise and critique.

We would love to hear your thoughts on participation trophies! Share your experiences and opinions with us on social media.

Don't forget to subscribe to the Peak Experience Podcast on your favorite platform and leave us a five-star review.

Hashtags: #Leadership #TeamBuilding #ParticipationTrophies

In this episode of the Peak Experience Podcast, hosts Robert Forto and Dr. Latoya Skinner discuss their academic journeys culminating in their professional doctorates. They explore their research topics, the application of their findings in real-world settings, and the implementation strategies they developed.

The conversation also delves into personal and professional growth experienced throughout their doctoral journeys, as well as future directions for research and practice. The episode concludes with reflections on what lies ahead for both hosts as they transition into their new roles as doctors.