Épisodes

  • Episode 54: Goodbyes, Transitions, and "Making Sense of the Chaos"
    Jan 13 2026

    Welcome to the Carousel of Happiness Podcast.

    On today's episode, host Allie Wagner says goodbye. We talk about honoring the past while looking to the future, how our filters shape our stories and our lives, and how we can look to art to help us make sense and order out of the chaos of life. All while using this special little carousel as our guide one last time together.

    The podcast will be going silent until we find another host. Be sure to subscribe to to make sure you're the first to know when we're back up and running.

    If you'd like to keep in touch with Allie on her new journey, you can follow her on Substack, Instagram, or TikTok.

    Do you have a story to share? Leave us a message!

    The Carousel of Happiness is a nonprofit arts & culture organization dedicated to inspiring happiness, well-being, and service to others through stories and experiences.

    Check out the carousel on the CBS national news! https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carousel-daydream-helped-marine-get-through-vietnam-war-he-then-made-that-carousel-a-reality/

    If you enjoy the podcast, please consider visiting the Carousel of Happiness online (https://carouselofhappiness.org/), on social media (https://www.facebook.com/carouselofhappiness), or in real life. Or consider donating (https://carouselofhappiness.org/once-donate/) to keep the carousel and its message alive and spinning 'round and 'round.

    If you have a story to share, please reach out to Allie Wagner at outreach@carouselofhappiness.org

    Special thanks to songwriter, performer, and friend of the carousel, Darryl Purpose (https://darrylpurpose.com/), for sharing his song, "Next Time Around," as ou...

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    22 min
  • Episode 53: Celebrating the Carousel of Happiness Podcast's 1 Year Anniversary!
    Jan 6 2026

    Welcome to the Carousel of Happiness Podcast.

    On today’s episode, we’re going to celebrate the podcast’s one-year anniversary with a little bit of gratitude. That’s right, exactly one year ago this week we started this journey together and it’s perfect timing to reflect on how far we’ve come and talk a little bit about where we’re going.

    On today’s episode, I’m going to share how being at the carousel, specifically hosting the podcast, has changed my life for the better and how the carousel’s magic has wriggled its way into my heart and propelled me into a life I couldn’t have previously imagined.

    This episode is my carousel story. How my evolution as a human being has changed trajectory as a result of being pulled into the carousel’s orbit. How steeping myself in the energy of this place has changed my own energy, and in turn, my life.


    Do you have a story to share? Leave us a message!

    The Carousel of Happiness is a nonprofit arts & culture organization dedicated to inspiring happiness, well-being, and service to others through stories and experiences.

    Check out the carousel on the CBS national news! https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carousel-daydream-helped-marine-get-through-vietnam-war-he-then-made-that-carousel-a-reality/

    If you enjoy the podcast, please consider visiting the Carousel of Happiness online (https://carouselofhappiness.org/), on social media (https://www.facebook.com/carouselofhappiness), or in real life. Or consider donating (https://carouselofhappiness.org/once-donate/) to keep the carousel and its message alive and spinning 'round and 'round.

    If you have a story to share, please reach out to Allie Wagner at outreach@carouselofhappiness.org

    Special thanks to songwriter, performer, and friend of the carousel, Darryl Purpose (https://darrylpurpose.com/), for sharing his song, "Next Time Around," as ou...

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    23 min
  • Episode 52: Why You Shouldn't Delay Joy, But Why You Might Delay it Anyway
    Dec 30 2025

    Welcome to the Carousel of Happiness Podcast.

    On today’s episode, we’re going to talk about joy. Specifically why you shouldn’t delay it, and why, despite your best efforts, you might delay it anyway. We’ll learn about what joy does to our bodies physiologically, why a Harvard researcher thinks joy is the deepest reason for us to exist at all, and what research shows about why human beings protect themselves from joy, despite it being good for us. Plus, I’ll share some simple practices you can start to incorporate now into your daily life as a way to cultivate more joy.


    Do you have a story to share? Leave us a message!

    The Carousel of Happiness is a nonprofit arts & culture organization dedicated to inspiring happiness, well-being, and service to others through stories and experiences.

    Check out the carousel on the CBS national news! https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carousel-daydream-helped-marine-get-through-vietnam-war-he-then-made-that-carousel-a-reality/

    If you enjoy the podcast, please consider visiting the Carousel of Happiness online (https://carouselofhappiness.org/), on social media (https://www.facebook.com/carouselofhappiness), or in real life. Or consider donating (https://carouselofhappiness.org/once-donate/) to keep the carousel and its message alive and spinning 'round and 'round.

    If you have a story to share, please reach out to Allie Wagner at outreach@carouselofhappiness.org

    Special thanks to songwriter, performer, and friend of the carousel, Darryl Purpose (https://darrylpurpose.com/), for sharing his song, "Next Time Around," as ou...

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    19 min
  • Episode 51: The Simplicity of Power Outages and Accepting What Is
    Dec 23 2025

    Welcome to the Carousel of Happiness Podcast.

    Today is the last day to enjoy a donation match to celebrate the wedding anniversary of friends of the carousel, Larry and Jane McGrath. Go to our website here and make a donation "In Honor of..." or "In Memory of..." in order to get the match. You and your honoree will even receive a personalized thank you from Lady Mayor herself.

    Happy 56th Wedding Anniversary, Larry and Jane!!

    After unplanned and planned power outages left over 100,000 homes in Colorado without power, we are doing our best to pick up the pieces on today's podcast. There isn't much of a story or a message today, just a reluctant acceptance of what is.

    We'll be back at it next week, but in the meantime, we hope you have a joyful time celebrating with the ones you love this "cozy season."

    Do you have a story to share? Leave us a message!

    The Carousel of Happiness is a nonprofit arts & culture organization dedicated to inspiring happiness, well-being, and service to others through stories and experiences.

    Check out the carousel on the CBS national news! https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carousel-daydream-helped-marine-get-through-vietnam-war-he-then-made-that-carousel-a-reality/

    If you enjoy the podcast, please consider visiting the Carousel of Happiness online (https://carouselofhappiness.org/), on social media (https://www.facebook.com/carouselofhappiness), or in real life. Or consider donating (https://carouselofhappiness.org/once-donate/) to keep the carousel and its message alive and spinning 'round and 'round.

    If you have a story to share, please reach out to Allie Wagner at outreach@carouselofhappiness.org

    Special thanks to songwriter, performer, and friend of the carousel, Darryl Purpose (https://darrylpurpose.com/), for sharing his song, "Next Time Around," as ou...

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    6 min
  • Episode 50: The Secret Party at the Carousel No One Ever Told You About...
    Dec 15 2025

    Welcome to the Carousel of Happiness Podcast.

    There’s a holiday tradition at the carousel that very few people know about. It's a party so exclusive that it's been hidden from the general public until now. But, for the first time in carousel history, we've been given permission to share the story of this tradition with all of you, and invite you to participate this year.

    ****

    Want to participate in this year's Theme of Giving? Make a donation anytime between now and December 22nd in honor of someone else and your donation will be MATCHED, dollar for dollar, by friends of the carousel, Larry and Jane McGrath. Go to our website here and make a donation "In Honor of..." or "In Memory of..." in order to get the match. You and your honoree will receive a personalized thank you from Lady Mayor herself.

    Happy 56th Wedding Anniversary, Larry and Jane!!

    Do you have a story to share? Leave us a message!

    The Carousel of Happiness is a nonprofit arts & culture organization dedicated to inspiring happiness, well-being, and service to others through stories and experiences.

    Check out the carousel on the CBS national news! https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carousel-daydream-helped-marine-get-through-vietnam-war-he-then-made-that-carousel-a-reality/

    If you enjoy the podcast, please consider visiting the Carousel of Happiness online (https://carouselofhappiness.org/), on social media (https://www.facebook.com/carouselofhappiness), or in real life. Or consider donating (https://carouselofhappiness.org/once-donate/) to keep the carousel and its message alive and spinning 'round and 'round.

    If you have a story to share, please reach out to Allie Wagner at outreach@carouselofhappiness.org

    Special thanks to songwriter, performer, and friend of the carousel, Darryl Purpose (https://darrylpurpose.com/), for sharing his song, "Next Time Around," as ou...

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    29 min
  • Episode 49: Connecting with the Other Side: A Conversation with Evidential Medium Travis Holp
    Dec 9 2025

    Welcome to the Carousel of Happiness Podcast.

    On today’s episode, you’ll hear Allie's conversation with author, speaker, and evidential medium, Travis Holp. The two sat down at the Awkwardly Zen 11:11 Metaphysical Fair in Lakewood on November 8th to talk about mediumship, how we can connect with our loved ones on the other side, signs and synchronicities, and what death can teach us about life.

    Awkwardly Zen is a safe place to explore and question spirituality in a community setting. If you'd like to learn more about Awkwardly Zen, please check out their website. https://awkwardlyzen.com/

    Travis Holp is an author, speaker, and evidential medium. If you'd like to learn more about Travis, please check out his website. https://travisholp.com/

    Travis' new book, Are You There Spirit, It's Me Travis: Life Lessons from the Other Side, features transformational life lessons from a psychic medium affectionately known as the “Internet’s gay uncle,” culled from his own life and from thousands of client readings—to help you become the fullest possible version of yourself. It's available wherever you buy books.

    Do you have a story to share? Leave us a message!

    The Carousel of Happiness is a nonprofit arts & culture organization dedicated to inspiring happiness, well-being, and service to others through stories and experiences.

    Check out the carousel on the CBS national news! https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carousel-daydream-helped-marine-get-through-vietnam-war-he-then-made-that-carousel-a-reality/

    If you enjoy the podcast, please consider visiting the Carousel of Happiness online (https://carouselofhappiness.org/), on social media (https://www.facebook.com/carouselofhappiness), or in real life. Or consider donating (https://carouselofhappiness.org/once-donate/) to keep the carousel and its message alive and spinning 'round and 'round.

    If you have a story to share, please reach out to Allie Wagner at outreach@carouselofhappiness.org

    Special thanks to songwriter, performer, and friend of the carousel, Darryl Purpose (https://darrylpurpose.com/), for sharing his song, "Next Time Around," as ou...

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    52 min
  • Episode 48: On Stories, Creativity, and Other Lessons from "Somewhere Else"
    Dec 2 2025

    Welcome to the Carousel of Happiness Podcast.

    On today’s episode, we’re going to talk about a feature of the carousel called the Somewhere Else Wall. A stuccoed wall between the carousel and the gift shop that Scott designed in 2011. We’ll talk about how it was intended to represent a portal, so to speak, between those of us who are here. And those of us who are somewhere else.

    In Part I of this two-part episode, you'll learn more about the wall, what it represents, and Allie will share her own personal experience with connecting to that place we call “somewhere else.”

    Next week, you'll hear from author, speaker, and evidential medium, Travis Holp. You'll learn about the value of messy stories, why signs matter, and how the stories we tell ourselves now can shape our future. Plus, you’ll hear from a professional medium about how we can connect with our loved ones on the other side, what death can teach us about life, and how being genuine rather than authentic is his suggestion for showing up as our best selves in this lifetime.

    Do you have a story to share? Leave us a message!

    The Carousel of Happiness is a nonprofit arts & culture organization dedicated to inspiring happiness, well-being, and service to others through stories and experiences.

    Check out the carousel on the CBS national news! https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carousel-daydream-helped-marine-get-through-vietnam-war-he-then-made-that-carousel-a-reality/

    If you enjoy the podcast, please consider visiting the Carousel of Happiness online (https://carouselofhappiness.org/), on social media (https://www.facebook.com/carouselofhappiness), or in real life. Or consider donating (https://carouselofhappiness.org/once-donate/) to keep the carousel and its message alive and spinning 'round and 'round.

    If you have a story to share, please reach out to Allie Wagner at outreach@carouselofhappiness.org

    Special thanks to songwriter, performer, and friend of the carousel, Darryl Purpose (https://darrylpurpose.com/), for sharing his song, "Next Time Around," as ou...

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    30 min
  • Episode 47: Remembering the Businesses of the Caribou Village Shopping Center, Featuring Claudia Schauffler & The Shop
    Nov 25 2025

    Welcome to a SPECIAL EDITION of the Carousel of Happiness Podcast. Join Guest Host, Sidse Powell, as she sits down with business owners from the Caribou Village Shopping Center to share their stories.

    On today’s episode, Sisde sits down with Claudia Schauffler. Owner of The Shop. A clothing store specializing in new and used mountain fashion. You'll learn how The Shop was Claudia's plan for retirement, and how she made the jump from health care career to clothing boutique owner.

    Thank you for listening. If you'd like to donate to Claudia's rebuilding efforts, please go to her GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-shop-claudia-schauffler


    Do you have a story to share? Leave us a message!

    The Carousel of Happiness is a nonprofit arts & culture organization dedicated to inspiring happiness, well-being, and service to others through stories and experiences.

    Check out the carousel on the CBS national news! https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carousel-daydream-helped-marine-get-through-vietnam-war-he-then-made-that-carousel-a-reality/

    If you enjoy the podcast, please consider visiting the Carousel of Happiness online (https://carouselofhappiness.org/), on social media (https://www.facebook.com/carouselofhappiness), or in real life. Or consider donating (https://carouselofhappiness.org/once-donate/) to keep the carousel and its message alive and spinning 'round and 'round.

    If you have a story to share, please reach out to Allie Wagner at outreach@carouselofhappiness.org

    Special thanks to songwriter, performer, and friend of the carousel, Darryl Purpose (https://darrylpurpose.com/), for sharing his song, "Next Time Around," as ou...

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    25 min