Forward Together

Forward Together Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Forward Together, Digital creator, New York, NY.

Melissa and Jake, a couple who are blind, and our two guide dogs, are embarking on a personal journey to create authentic, action-oriented content utilizing our positive outlook, combined lived experience, and professional knowledge.

04/30/2026

Today is International Guide Dog Day. We've heard a lot of wonderful sentiments from the humans, but what about the guide dogs? We interviewed the 3 in our pack to hear their thoughts.
Fianna: "Omg I just love being a guide dog! I mean, I look so adorable in my harness, don't I? It's so fun going to new places and people watching all the time. Oh and my handler and I get to play when I'm not in harness. It's a party! I wonder if I tire him out? Oh well! I got this, whether strutting down the sidewalk runway or tugging on my rope toy like there's no tomorrow! Speaking of tomorrow, when is breakfast? I'm hungry!"
Aron: "Dude! Being a guide dog is the best. I used to love timing myself to see how fast I could get my handler to class when she was running late. I sure was speedy! I earned that cap and gown on graduation day too. Now that I'm older, I still like walking to the train station with my handler when she commutes to work, and she's understanding when I need to slow down. Even though I act embarrassed, I love when she says I'm doing a good job. Besides, what guy wouldn't say yes to extra treats and snuggles?"
Forli: "Why did you wake me up from my nap again? I'm retired. I thought I was done with the interviews. That's Fianna's job now. Well, I can tell you that I'm the best frequent flyer around. I loved traveling and seeing where we would go next. I saw big hills, big buildings, and everything in between. Now I get to sit back and watch Fianna attempt to fill my pawprints. She's even trying to sneak into the kitchen like I do. There's only room for one crumb searcher in this house! I also get to warm up the couch for my humans and see if I can wake up the neighbors with my snoring. Shhhh, don't tell. That racket is the humans, I assure you."

04/19/2026

Head to Head Challenge: The candid cane or gregarious guide dog... which will it be?

04/01/2026

Sauce Unseen: The Blind American Italian Cooking Lesson. If you're wondering why this video's title is so cheesy, blame the parmesan. Who doesn't love a big plate of saucy pasta covered in cheese? This carb-filled masterpiece is a staple in our household, and half the reason we exercise to justify its existence. Come along to learn how we make a delicious batch of spaghetti sauce as a couple who are blind. Grab a fork and a spoon and dig in with your questions about nonvisual cooking, the recipe, or whatever else your curiosity cooks up. While the recipe has been made many times and is officially stored in our heads, here is our attempt at putting it in writing: 1 pound ground mild or hot Italian sausage, 1 large yellow onion, diced, 2-3 celery stalks, thinly sliced (optional), 1-2 tablespoons minced or chopped garlic, 1 28-ounce can Cento San Marzano tomatoes, 1-2 6-ounce cans tomato paste, Seasonings to taste, about a teaspoon each: salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, thyme, parsley, basil, oregano, etc., 12-16 ounces dry pasta, whichever shape you choose. Remember, you are the boss of your sauce.

03/18/2026

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Forward Together! Tonight we cooked an Irish feast: homemade soda bread, corn beef and cabbage, and potatoes, and topped it off with a glass of Jameson. The chefs in green are feeling very full, and the Labradors are wondering why they couldn't help with cleanup. The short answer is that they can't hold their lickers very well. ☘️🐾🍻
What are everyone else's meals of choice?

03/10/2026

We like to go out in style, and figure our dogs do too. In this video, Jake walks us through how to properly condition a traditional leather guide dog harness, the various components that make up a guide dog harness, and some powerful life advice on how to always strive to look your best. Harness up and follow us for more content.

Meet the four-legged members of our pack!Forli: Don't let the grey fur fool you. Forli is Jake's retired guide dog, and...
03/06/2026

Meet the four-legged members of our pack!
Forli: Don't let the grey fur fool you. Forli is Jake's retired guide dog, and this distinguished lady has thousands of foot and air miles under her paws at almost 12 years old and after 10 years of service. Forli is a quintessential black lab who loves the water, paddleboarding, and licking everything in sight. You can find her warming up the couch cushions, snoring as loud as possible, or sneaking into the kitchen to salvage crumbs when she thinks no one is watching. Like her owner, she is a drum enthusiast and jams out every morning with her tail against a variety of objects, trying to inspire the beat that will make her food bowl fill faster.
Aron: Affectionately known as the cream in this canine Oreo, this yellow lab is the fluffiest in the bunch. He is 11 and a half years old but often denies his age. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, Aron will find you, and he will aggressively snuggle into you without mercy for whichever body parts he may land on in the process. Aron was a speed demon in his prime and has kept his handler, Melissa, in shape for almost 10 years of service as a guide dog. Aron's favorite activities include grumbling for attention, lap surfing, targeting locations and therefore giving away all of our guilty pleasure eating spots, and playing with his friends.
Fianna: This little 2-year-old dog is the newest member of our pack. She is a travel-sized black Labrador full of curiosity, energy, and eagerness to learn. Fianna tackles each new walking route and location with enthusiasm, and always strives to do the right thing. She needs to have a toy in her mouth whenever possible, sometimes multiple, and some twice the size of her head. Despite her small stature, she's determined to win every tug-of-war match. Fianna enjoys sunbathing, snuffling the ears of unsuspecting sleeping humans in the morning, and making a game out of just about anything.

03/04/2026

The burning job interview question you may want to ask, but feel like you can't: how does somebody who's blind or visually impaired adequately perform in this role alongside their sighted colleagues?
Watch the reel to gain a firsthand answer.

02/27/2026

We are walking forward together, this time after a classic Northeast blizzard blasted us with a couple feet of snow. Snowy boots and paws are a regular occurrence in our household this winter. Join us as we wander through winter wonderland, scope out some impressive snowbanks, and welcome Jake's new guide dog, Fianna, to our professional sled team.

02/18/2026

Doing business travel and conquering conferences as a couple who are blind and our two Guide dogs. 

02/03/2026

A true Northeast storm, from a guide dog handler's perspective:
We got about 2 feet of snow last Sunday where we live. For some, that means skipping the gym in favor of a shovel, rescuing the car from certain doom, dumping salt everywhere like it's going out of style, or making an extra cup of hot chocolate with some special winter spirit mixed in. For our pack, things look a bit different, and we're not just talking about the eyesight and obvious white fluff covering the ground. Our suroundings are now completely different.
The day of the storm, our landmarks disappeared, like edges of sidewalks and street curbs. The guide dogs were wondering what happened to their relieving area, and why they now have to be athletes while going to the bathroom and hopping onto snow banks. The dogs got goofy and then just wanted to play in the snow, while the handlers were trying to stay both warm and composed while digging around for p**p. We were juggling leashes, harnesses, gloves, oh my!
Two days after the storm, the sidewalks were somewhat shoveled so we ventured out. There were places we could not walk next to our guide dogs because the snow tunnels were so narrow. Talk about the ultimate snow fort under different circumstances! There were a few snowbanks climbed over and conquered where the sidewalks were completely blocked. The snowbanks were taller than the dogs in some places. There were a couple Labradors working very hard to find the opening on the curb cut that allowed us to cross the street, and sometimes there wasn't one.
We had to backtrack in a couple places, problem-solve, and help direct the dogs where needed. The four of us had to constantly communicate. That is what true teamwork looks like.
Even with colder temperatures in the single digits and negatives, and snow that won't melt anytime soon, the commuting to work and errands doesn't stop.
A week after the storm, our pack has settled into a nice wintery routine and kept each other safe. Everyone has adapted well. Don't let the weather keep you from having a good time and living your life. If we can do it, you can too.
Unfortunately, we don't have a picture to share because it was too cold to take our gloves off most of the time. 🤳🏙️☃️❄️

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