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The Disney vacation. The elaborate birthday party. The perfect Christmas. The Instagram-worthy “core memory.”

What if your kids don’t remember any of it?

This week on Wrong Way Forward, Katy and Justin ask a surprisingly emotional question: What do we actually remember from childhood—and are parents trying way too hard to manufacture memories for their kids?

The conversation starts with an unforgettable clip from Oprah. An 11-year-old girl was losing her mother to cancer. Her mom had taken her on trips and deliberately tried to create special experiences before she died. But when Oprah asked the girl for her favorite memory of her mother, it wasn't Disney World.

It was eating Cheerios together at 2:00 in the morning. 

That sends Katy and Justin down memory lane. Justin remembers hot Mississippi summers, burning his legs on his mother's Buick seats and singing with his family in the car. Katy remembers sleeping in sleeping bags over the air-conditioning vents with her siblings. And one of their favorite memories from an incredible trip to Asia wasn't the luxury villa or expensive restaurant—it was their friends doing a ridiculous synchronized swimming routine in the pool.  

So have social media and the obsession with creating “core memories” convinced parents that childhood has to be bigger, more expensive and more perfect than it actually does?

The conversation gets much more personal as Katy talks about losing her parents without warning and what she wishes she'd had more time to experience with them. Justin shares the childhood memory of discovering his mother secretly making powdered milk because his parents couldn't afford regular milk—and what that moment means to him decades later. 

Then, because this is Wrong Way Forward, things take a turn as Katy climbs onto her soapbox about what today's pop songs are teaching young women about relationships and self-respect. 

But it all comes back to one simple idea:

Stop trying so hard to manufacture the perfect memory. Be present. Create a safe, loving place for the moments to happen on their own.

Because money doesn't make memories. Moments do. 

New episodes of Wrong Way Forward every Thursday.

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You know their favorite food. You know how they take their coffee. You probably know what side of the bed they sleep on.

But do you know how much debt they have? Whether they want kids? How they handle anger? What makes them jealous? How important sex is to them? Or what happens when you can’t stand their mother?

This week on Wrong Way Forward, Katy and Justin tackle the questions couples should be asking BEFORE they get married—and some of them get uncomfortable fast.

They start with a big one: What is the most traumatic experience of your life, and how does the residue of that experience show up in your relationship today? Is your partner supposed to help you work through that baggage—or is expecting your spouse to become your therapist the wrong way forward? 

Then they work through the questions that can make or break a relationship:

Kids. Religion. Exes. Debt. Money. In-laws. Sex. Porn. Jealousy. Independence. Love languages. And the habits your partner has that make you absolutely insane. 

And Katy raises another question: Should you only have these conversations before marriage—or should couples ask them again every five or ten years? Because the person you married at 25 may have very different answers at 40, 50 or 60. 

But after all those questions, they land on one that may matter more than everything else:

Does this person make you a better person? 

Before you walk down the aisle—or if you've already been married for 20 years—this might be a conversation worth having.

🎧 New episodes of Wrong Way Forward every Thursday.

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Your kid comes home and tells you another kid is mean, bossy, cruel, or making their life miserable. Your instinct? Step in and fix it.

But should you?

This week on Wrong Way Forward, Katy and Justin tackle the world of Mean Girls—and whether parents are getting way too involved in their kids’ relationships. When should you call another parent? When should you intervene? And when does stepping in actually rob your child of the chance to develop resilience and learn how to navigate conflict?

Katy introduces the “Friday Rule”: before jumping into your kid’s drama, wait until Friday. Because the friendship crisis that feels catastrophic on Wednesday may be completely forgotten two days later—while the fight you start with another parent could last a whole lot longer. 

Plus: Do Mean Boys exist? Justin remembers an insult from fifth grade that somehow stuck with him for decades, Katy confesses her enduring love of gossip, and the conversation eventually takes a sharp turn into celebrity gossip. 

It’s parenting, bullying, resilience, gossip, and plenty of unsolicited advice on this week’s Wrong Way Forward.

🎧 New episodes every Thursday.
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Maybe the best life advice didn’t come from a therapist, a self-help book, or some TikTok guru.

Maybe it came from The Golden Girls.

This week on Wrong Way Forward, Katy and Justin revisit one of the most iconic shows of their generation—and discover that underneath all those one-liners was some surprisingly great advice about getting older, friendship, loneliness, anger, loss, and actually enjoying the life you have.

First up: You’re getting older. Get over it. Instead of obsessing over wrinkles, aches, weight, or whether anyone is still looking at you, what if getting older means finally knowing who you are—and realizing you don’t have nearly as much to prove? 

Then there’s friendship. Could a real-life Golden Girls living arrangement actually be the answer to loneliness as we age? Katy and Justin talk about chosen family, decades-long friendships, and why having people around you may become even more important later in life. 

And then Sophia delivers perhaps the best analogy ever for holding onto anger: it’s like shredded wheat stuck under your dentures. Let it sit there long enough and eventually it’s going to hurt you more than anyone else. That leads to a surprisingly serious conversation about resentment, emotional baggage, and learning to deal with anger before it takes over your life. 

Finally, one of The Golden Girls’ most emotional moments leads to a simple lesson about friendship: don’t just show up for someone’s worst moments. Show up for their life. 

Funny, nostalgic, occasionally inappropriate—and somehow still relevant decades later.

Maybe The Golden Girls really did have life figured out.

New episodes of Wrong Way Forward every Thursday.

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You swore you’d NEVER go back.

Then you realized… you actually really like the place. 😬

This week on Wrong Way Forward, Katy and Justin ask: When you boycott a business, do you actually have to stick with it?

It starts with a dog groomer, a disastrous haircut and a bad Google review. Then there’s a man willing to give up his favorite Thai restaurant over $6 worth of spilled soup. And eventually, Justin confesses what happened at the grocery store when an elderly customer slowed down the self-checkout line.

Katy’s verdict?

🏆 Ahole of the Year.**

But underneath the ridiculousness is a real question: Are you actually standing up for your values—or are you just holding a grudge?

We talk boycotts, bad reviews, Chick-fil-A, Amazon, self-checkout rage, empathy, and why sometimes being right isn’t nearly as important as we think it is.

🎙️ Wrong Way Forward — where bad advice goes to die.

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What if your obituary became the blueprint for how you live today?

This week on Wrong Way Forward, we sit down with Mary McGreevy, creator of the wildly popular Tips From Dead People (450,000+ followers), to explore one of the most unexpected sources of life advice: obituaries.

After reading thousands of obituaries, Mary has discovered that the people remembered most fondly aren't necessarily the richest, smartest, or most accomplished—they're the ones who made people feel something.

In this fascinating conversation, we discuss:

•  Why most obituaries get it completely wrong 
•  What people actually remember after you're gone 
•  The biggest regrets people leave behind 
•  Why your obituary shouldn't read like a résumé 
•  How thinking about death can help you live a fuller, happier life today 

It's funny, surprisingly uplifting, deeply moving, and guaranteed to make you think differently about what really matters.

🎙️ Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow Mary McGreevy:
📱 @TipsFromDeadPeople (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube & Substack)

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👽 Are we alone in the universe... or are we just too arrogant to think otherwise?

This week on Wrong Way Forward, Justin and Katy tackle one of their strangest—and surprisingly deepest—conversations yet.

After surviving a disappointing alien blockbuster, the discussion turns into something much bigger:

🛸 Do you believe extraterrestrial life exists?
 🛸 What would you ask an alien?
 🛸 Could the discovery of intelligent life change religion?
 🛸 Are curiosity and open-mindedness the real "right way forward?"
 🛸 Why do humans assume aliens would look—or think—anything like us?

Along the way, they roast Hollywood, debate UFO disclosures, question humanity's place in the universe, and ask whether we're simply too small-minded to imagine what's really out there.

Whether you're a skeptic, a believer, or somewhere in between, this episode will definitely get you thinking.

🎙️ Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

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🚁 Are we raising resilient kids... or just making life too easy?

This week on Wrong Way Forward, we tackle one of our most controversial topics yet:

👉 Should parents be their child's friend?
 👉 Is hustle disappearing?
 👉 Should you really tell your kids they can be anything?

We may not be parents—but we definitely have opinions. 😂

Watch the full episode wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube.

💬 What's your take? We know this one will be divisive.

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#WrongWayForward #Parenting #ParentingDebate #GenX #HelicopterParenting #Hustle #SelfReliance #Podcast #LifeAdvice #FranLebowitz

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What happens when someone who's been sober for a year wants to host a dinner party... but doesn't want a stocked bar?

This week on Wrong Way Forward, Katy and Justin dive into a New York Times advice column that says recovering alcoholics simply shouldn't serve alcohol. Is that really the only option?

From BYOB dinner parties and mocktail bars to "beverage captains," dry weddings, and one unforgettable U-Haul-turned-open-bar story, they explore whether there's a better, more realistic approach to balancing sobriety with hospitality.

They also share stories about college drinking culture, why Gen Z is drinking less, the challenge of being the only sober person at a party, and why communication—not shame—is probably the best way forward.

As always, they roast bad advice... and try to find a better answer.

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New episodes every Thursday. Because the only thing worse than taking bad advice... is giving it.

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Should you hire a matchmaker? Is it worth the investment—or are dating apps still the best way to find love?

This week on Wrong Way Forward, Justin and Katy sit down with R. Tony Smith, founder of Denver's Cupid, to uncover the truth about modern matchmaking. We discuss who benefits most from hiring a matchmaker, the biggest mistakes singles make, why the "spark" on a first date may be overrated, and how doing the work on yourself is often the key to finding a lasting relationship.

Whether you're single, divorced, frustrated with dating apps, or simply curious about professional matchmaking, this conversation offers practical advice and plenty of laughs.

Connect with R. Tony Smith & Denver's Cupid:
🌐 https://www.denverscupid.com
📸 Instagram: @denverscupid

We'd love to hear from you!
💬 Would you ever hire a matchmaker? How did you meet your partner? Tell us in the comments!

📩 Have a topic or bad advice you'd like us to roast?
Email: [email protected]

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