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Mascots: They’re furry, funny, and just a little funky. But what's actually going on in there?

Tom Burgoyne shares what it’s been like to embody the Phillie Phanatic for over three decades.

Mikaela Higgins reveals how her company became a giant in the world of mascot-makers, designing icons from Ronald McDonald to the Energizer Bunny.

And hear how one “yes“ changed the life of Conor Geary, whose turn as a mascot led to a dream sports gig he never saw coming.

This episode originally aired on August 29, 2025. 

Suggested episode:
Banjo Man, 'Woo Woo' Wickers and UConn Huskies superfans share their love of the game

GUESTS: 
Tom Burgoyne: “Best friend” of the Phillie Phanatic, who has been bringing the Phanatic to life for 37 years. He’s also the author of Pheel The Love! How the Most Powerful Force in the Universe Builds Great Companies - Phillie Phanatic Style!
Mikaela Higgins: Manager of Mascot Sales at Olympus Mascots in Milwaukee, WI
Conor Geary: Known as “GameDay Conor“, he's been the high-energy host at every major venue in Connecticut, starting out with the Hartford Yard Goats in 2018. This season, he became the stadium host for the New England Patriots

Mascots: They&rsquo;re furry, funny, and just a little funky. But what's actually going on in there?
Tom Burgoyne shares what it&rsquo;s been like to embody the Phillie Phanatic for over three decades.
Mikaela Higgins reveals how her company became a giant in the world of mascot-makers, designing icons from Ronald McDonald to the Energizer Bunny.
And hear how one &ldquo;yes&ldquo; changed the life of Conor Geary, whose turn as a mascot led to a dream sports gig he never saw coming.
This episode originally aired on August 29, 2025.&nbsp;
Suggested episode:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/audacious-with-chion-wolf/2024-07-26/banjo-man-woo-woo-wickers-and-uconn-huskies-superfans-share-their-love-of-the-game">Banjo Man, 'Woo Woo' Wickers and UConn Huskies superfans share their love of the game</a></li>
</ul>
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://tomburgoyne.com/">Tom Burgoyne</a>: &ldquo;Best friend&rdquo; of the Phillie Phanatic, who has been bringing the Phanatic to life for 37 years. He&rsquo;s also the author of&nbsp;<a href="https://a.co/d/3CYsM4c">Pheel The Love! How the Most Powerful Force in the Universe Builds Great Companies - Phillie Phanatic Style!</a></li>
<li>Mikaela Higgins: Manager of Mascot Sales at&nbsp;<a href="https://olympusmascots.com/">Olympus Mascots</a>&nbsp;in Milwaukee, WI</li>
<li><a href="https://www.gamedayconor.com/">Conor Geary</a>: Known as &ldquo;GameDay Conor&ldquo;, he's been the high-energy host at every major venue in Connecticut, starting out with the Hartford Yard Goats in 2018. This season, he became the stadium host for the New England Patriots</li>
</ul>

Audacious with Chion Wolf spotlights the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood. Guided by deep curiosity and genuine compassion, the team behind Audacious creates space for the kinds of stories that rarely get told - and the kinds of questions we're often afraid to ask. From those speaking publicly for the very first time to voices already known around the world, every guest is met with care, and every story is honored as both deeply personal and profoundly human.

For more: ctpublic.org/audacious

Audacious with Chion Wolf spotlights the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood. Guided by deep curiosity and genuine compassion, the team behind Audacious creates space for the kinds of stories that rarely get told - and the kinds of questions we're often afraid to ask. From those speaking publicly for the very first time to voices already known around the world, every guest is met with care, and every story is honored as both deeply personal and profoundly human.
For more: <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/audacious-with-chion-wolf">ctpublic.org/audacious</a>

Audacious with Chion Wolf spotlights the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood. 

Audacious with Chion Wolf

Audacious with Chion Wolf spotlights the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood.

Guided by deep curiosity and genuine compassion, the team behind Audacious creates space for the kinds of stories that rarely get told - and the kinds of questions we’re often afraid to ask. From those speaking publicly for the very first time to voices already known around the world, every guest is met with care, and every story is honored as both deeply personal and profoundly human.

Listen at ctpublic.org/audacious

Support is provided by a generous contribution from Suzanne Hopgood, in Memory of Frank Lord.

Audacious with Chion Wolf spotlights the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood.
Guided by deep curiosity and genuine compassion, the team behind Audacious creates space for the kinds of stories that rarely get told - and the kinds of questions we&rsquo;re often afraid to ask. From those speaking publicly for the very first time to voices already known around the world, every guest is met with care, and every story is honored as both deeply personal and profoundly human.
Listen at <a href="http://ctpublic.org/audacious">ctpublic.org/audacious</a>
Support is provided by a generous contribution from Suzanne Hopgood, in Memory of Frank Lord.

Inside the Mascot: The Phillie Phanatic, a Yard Goat, and a mascot maker

Taxidermied dogs. A CIA agent's hat. A perfume that made strangers on elevators lose their composure.

This is what happens when you pull names from a vase at a brewery and say: show us something you love, and tell us why.

Our fourth live Show and Tell at Little Red Barn Brewers in Winsted, Connecticut delivered exactly what this format always delivers: stories that are intimate, hilarious, and impossible to predict. Even for us.

 

Suggested episodes:


Audacious Live! Show & Tell in Stamford 


Audacious Live! Show & Tell birthday bash in Hartford 


Audacious Live! Show & Tell in Willimantic: From rare computers to hand grenades 

 

GUESTS: 


Jon Barbagallo: Director of Sales at Little Red Barn Brewers, who brought a styrofoam curling rock that was used as a movie prop


Jill Bowen: New Haven resident, who brought Doggie, her stuffed animal


Lauren Pierson-Gallagher: New Milford resident, who brought a bottle of Shalimar perfume, her late mother’s signature scent


Gerri Griswold: Director of Administration & Development at the White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield, who brought a taxidermied dog in a display case


Nils Johnson: Co-founder & President of Little Red Barn Brewers, who brought an 1861 one-dollar note issued by The Winsted Bank


Theresa Taylor: Canton resident, who brought her late father’s British bowler hat 


Nora Pasco: New Britain resident, who brought her Persephone rosary beads 


Caroline Christensen: Winsted resident, who brought a conch shell


Alex Harper: Winsted resident, who brought her service dog’s harness


Terry Wolfisch Cole: Simsbury resident, who brought a tin of 100-year-old Ramses condoms from her late uncle’s collection of antique pharmaceutical containers

 

Taxidermied dogs. A CIA agent's hat. A perfume that made strangers on elevators lose their composure.
This is what happens when you pull names from a vase at a brewery and say: show us something you love, and tell us why.
Our fourth live Show and Tell at Little Red Barn Brewers in Winsted, Connecticut delivered exactly what this format always delivers: stories that are intimate, hilarious, and impossible to predict. Even for us.
&nbsp;
Suggested episodes:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/audacious-with-chion-wolf/2024-11-29/audacious-live-show-tell-in-stamford">Audacious Live! Show &amp; Tell in Stamford</a>&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/audacious-with-chion-wolf/2025-06-13/audacious-live-show-tell-birthday-bash-in-hartford">Audacious Live! Show &amp; Tell birthday bash in Hartford</a>&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/audacious-with-chion-wolf/2025-09-26/audacious-live-show-tell-in-willimantic-from-rare-computers-to-hand-grenades">Audacious Live! Show &amp; Tell in Willimantic: From rare computers to hand grenades</a>&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
Jon Barbagallo: Director of Sales at Little Red Barn Brewers, who brought a styrofoam curling rock that was used as a movie prop
</li>
<li>
Jill Bowen: New Haven resident, who brought Doggie, her stuffed animal
</li>
<li>
Lauren Pierson-Gallagher: New Milford resident, who brought a bottle of Shalimar perfume, her late mother&rsquo;s signature scent
</li>
<li>
Gerri Griswold: Director of Administration &amp; Development at the White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield, who brought a taxidermied dog in a display case
</li>
<li>
Nils Johnson: Co-founder &amp; President of Little Red Barn Brewers, who brought an 1861 one-dollar note issued by The Winsted Bank
</li>
<li>
Theresa Taylor: Canton resident, who brought her late father&rsquo;s British bowler hat&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Nora Pasco: New Britain resident, who brought her Persephone rosary beads&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Caroline Christensen: Winsted resident, who brought a conch shell
</li>
<li>
Alex Harper: Winsted resident, who brought her service dog&rsquo;s harness
</li>
<li>
Terry Wolfisch Cole: Simsbury resident, who brought a tin of 100-year-old Ramses condoms from her late uncle&rsquo;s collection of antique pharmaceutical containers
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

Audacious Live! Show & Tell in Winsted: From movie props to prophylactics

Fewer than 10% of truck drivers are women, and in this episode, you’re going to meet three of them.

Spend the day with Chion and a tow truck driver, get to know a woman who runs a CDL training school, and hear about life on the road from a truck driver who happens to be a trans woman.

This episode originally aired on January 13, 2023. 

GUESTS: 
Chantel Comerford: A driver for Meagan’s Towing & Recovery out of Danbury, Connecticut. She lives in Sandy Hook
Michele Howard: Owner of Affordable CDL Training School in Colchester, Connecticut 
Hope Alexander: Host of the podcast, Simply Live with Hope, where she talks about being a trans woman and her 12 years in the trucking industry. She lives in Georgia

Fewer than 10% of truck drivers are women, and in this episode, you&rsquo;re going to meet three of them.
Spend the day with Chion and a tow truck driver, get to know a woman who runs a CDL training school, and hear about life on the road from a truck driver who happens to be a trans woman.
This episode originally aired on January 13, 2023.&nbsp;
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Chantel Comerford:&nbsp;A driver for&nbsp;<a href="https://meagantowing.com/">Meagan&rsquo;s Towing &amp; Recovery</a>&nbsp;out of Danbury, Connecticut. She lives in Sandy Hook</li>
<li>Michele Howard:&nbsp;Owner of&nbsp;<a href="https://affordablecdltraining.com/">Affordable CDL Training School</a>&nbsp;in Colchester, Connecticut&nbsp;</li>
<li>Hope Alexander:&nbsp;Host of the podcast,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SimplyLivePodcast">Simply Live with Hope</a>, where she talks about being a trans woman and her 12 years in the trucking industry. She lives in Georgia</li>
</ul>

Female truckers: Meet the women behind the wheels

Imagine feeling an unbearable itch, convinced that tiny insects are crawling under your skin. But no doctor believes you. You try to prove it, collecting samples, documenting everything. But under a microscope? Nothing is there.

That was Paula Cox’s experience with delusional infestation, a rare disorder where people are absolutely certain they’re infested with bugs, despite all evidence to the contrary. In this episode, Paula shares her harrowing experience, and experts - a leading entomologist and a psychiatrist-dermatologist - explain what’s really happening in the brain and how healing is possible.

Suggested episodes:
Body Integrity Dysphoria: When being disabled is a desire
When every face you see is distorted: Living with PMO

GUESTS: 
Dr. Gale Ridge: an entomologist and Associate Scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven. She oversees the daily activities of the insect inquiry office. She’s also the editor of The Physician's Guide to Delusional Infestation
Paula Cox: a woman in Australia who experienced delusional infestation. She started a Facebook support group called “Delusional parasitosis help”
Dr. John Koo: a Professor of Dermatology at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center and Director of the UCSF Psoriasis Skin and Treatment Center. He is board-certified in both dermatology and psychiatry and co-author of Morgellons Disease: High Yield Principles for Clinical Practice

Imagine feeling an unbearable itch, convinced that tiny insects are crawling under your skin. But no doctor believes you. You try to prove it, collecting samples, documenting everything. But under a microscope? Nothing is there.
That was Paula Cox&rsquo;s experience with delusional infestation, a rare disorder where people are absolutely certain they&rsquo;re infested with bugs, despite all evidence to the contrary. In this episode, Paula shares her harrowing experience, and experts - a leading entomologist and a psychiatrist-dermatologist - explain what&rsquo;s really happening in the brain and how healing is possible.
Suggested episodes:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/audacious-with-chion-wolf/2023-03-16/body-integrity-dysphoria-when-being-disabled-is-a-desire">Body Integrity Dysphoria: When being disabled is a desire</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/audacious-with-chion-wolf/2024-12-13/when-every-face-you-see-is-distorted-living-with-pmo">When every face you see is distorted: Living with PMO</a></li>
</ul>
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://portal.ct.gov/caes/about-caes/staff-biographies/gale-e-ridge">Dr. Gale Ridge</a>: an entomologist and Associate Scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven. She oversees the daily activities of the insect inquiry office. She&rsquo;s also the editor of&nbsp;<a href="https://a.co/d/4GbDQpU">The Physician's Guide to Delusional Infestation</a></li>
<li>Paula Cox: a woman in Australia who experienced delusional infestation. She started a Facebook support group called &ldquo;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/g/p5tYSbWVfo6S8q3F/?mibextid=K35XfP%C2%A0">Delusional parasitosis help</a>&rdquo;</li>
<li><a href="https://profiles.ucsf.edu/john.koo">Dr. John Koo</a>: a Professor of Dermatology at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center and Director of the UCSF Psoriasis Skin and Treatment Center. He is board-certified in both dermatology and psychiatry and co-author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Morgellons-Disease-Principles-Clinical-Practice/dp/B08CLT96MS">Morgellons Disease: High Yield Principles for Clinical Practice</a></li>
</ul>

Inside the Mascot: The Phillie Phanatic, a Yard Goat, and a mascot maker

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