Our Parents Made Us This Way

Grab the tissues. Hosts Danielle and Julie dress up in "9 to 5" office attire as a tribute to the late Dolly Parton, then spend the whole episode giving their parents their flowers — the love stories, the sacrifices, and two surprise letters that catch each host completely off guard. They start at the very beginning: how each set of parents met, including a 12-year age gap that started with tears and turned into 43 years of marriage. Julie shares the story of her dad Wally — his humor, his final road trip to Charlotte to see her studio, and the letter he left in his nightstand that she now wears as a tattoo in his handwriting. Danielle opens up about her own tattoo, her dad's health journey, and the full-circle moment in New York that ultimately led Julie to move to Charlotte. Then the ambush: both hosts secretly collected letters from each other's moms — and read them out loud on camera. In this episode: A "9 to 5" tribute to Dolly Parton How their parents met — two very different love stories Julie's dad Wally and the letter he left behind The tattoos that carry their stories Back-to-school season and mom camp Two surprise letters from mom, read on air Why "I'm proud of you" hits different from a parent Heartfelt, funny, and a little teary — this one's special. 🎥 Subscribe for new episodes of High Kicks and Hard Truths.