So THIS Happened...

Jen Cole and Rachel Chappelle
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“So THIS Happened…” is the podcast version of catching up with your most unfiltered friend over wine. Each week, Jen and Rachel dive into personal mishaps, past memories, local happenings, weird habits, and whatever else pops up — including the occasional celebrity headline we just have to talk about. It’s casual, it’s chaotic, and it’s all real.

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 48 : Live From Riverfest

    Send us Fan Mail So THIS Happened went live. Like, actually live. Main Stage at Wichita Riverfest live.   Episode 48 is Jen and Rachel recording in real time on the Main Stage at Wichita Riverfest 2026 — in front of a real crowd, with wine in hand, the wind trying its absolute best to ruin the vibe, and DJ Panda on hype duty. It did not disappoint.   We played This or That with the crowd (Riverfest edition — festival food, outfit planning, local vs. national acts), dove into some of our favorite Riverfest memories, talked about what we'd already been up to Friday and Saturday, and giggled through Trend Decoder — because a live audience watching Rachel guess internet trends cold is exactly as chaotic as it sounds.   🎲 THIS OR THAT — RIVERFEST EDITION   The crowd played along this week — DJ Panda held it down from the booth while Jen and Rachel revealed their answers and let the audience weigh in. A few standout moments:   Front of the crowd vs. back by the bar — turns out it's a both/and situation and nobody is sorry Local Wichita act vs. national headliner — unanimous local love (very on-brand for this show) Corn dog vs. funnel cake — deeply personal, surprisingly divisive, and both are correct Festival outfit planned for weeks vs. threw it together this morning — the crowd overwhelmingly grabbed what they could find, and we respect it Document everything for the 'gram vs. put the phone down and live in it — turns out Broadway In Wichita taught Jen how to be present, and Rachel just trusts Jen to get the shot   🎡 RIVERFEST MEMORIES & THIS WEEKEND   The conversation got good fast. A few highlights:   Rachel's most vivid Riverfest memory: snow cones with Jen and the boys back around 2018, Century II, hot and sunny, outfits sourced from Von Maur the day before. Some things never change. Rachel's childhood memory: watching the hot air balloons launch at night with her dad — and the fact that she's still hoping to catch them this year (weather permitting, which, it has not been). Jen's chapter as the official Riverfest livestreamer — the backstage access, the deeper love for the festival it created, and the moment she arrived at the VIP dinner thinking Tim wasn't coming... and he was already there. Waiting. Having conspired with Julie to pull off a full surprise. There is a GIF. It lives forever. The $25 giant margarita situation: Brittany at the bar turned them onto the Una Vida Tequila margaritas with refills for the rest of Riverfest. They are going back immediately after recording. The Schooner Mates, Admiral Windwagon, the food court at the brick of fries, the Korean corn dogs — Riverfest is well-represented in this episode.   Big takeaway of this year's fest so far: more collaboration, more community showing up for each other — and that is exactly what this podcast is about.   📱 TREND DECODER   Rachel's Trend Decoder has returned by popular demand — specifically because Tracy from Oklahoma City mentioned it at lunch, and that was all it took. Welcome back, chaos.   TREND 1 — "Can We Reschedule?" Creators pretend to receive a text cancelling plans, fake disappointment, then cut to themselves already in comfy clothes at home — relieved they don't have to go out. Rachel immediately said "cat on your lap" and "we do this all the time" and earned herself a hard-fought point. She was correct in spirit. One point awarded.   TREND 2 — "Watch My Body Change" Creators use hooks like "watch my body change after giving up ____" to tease a big wellness transformation — but the reveal is them looking tired, sad, and completely over it. Rachel went deep fried pickles → food belly → Ozempic → habits → no progress, and landed basically right at the end. A point and a half. Very generous. She earned it.   Running score: Rachel is getting better at this. She said so herself. We believe her.   🥂 BEFORE YOU GO   One-year anniversary party is HAPPENING — July 12th at Bubbles Champagne Bar, presented by Vu Events. Watch our socials for details coming soon. Episode 50 is right around the corner. It's happening. Merch is live — Uncorked & Slightly Unhinged and Messy Is My Polished available at https://www.bonfire.com/store/so-this-happened-store/. 10% of profits from Messy is My Polished merch goes to Ballet Wichita. Find us on Spotify, YouTube, and Instagram @sothishappened_podcast. Or honestly just find us out in the city — we're not hard to spot. This episode is brought to you by Vu Events — the Sip Squad Sponsor making the magic happen, including our upcoming one-year anniversary party. Thank you, Vu Events. We love you almost as much as we love those Una Vida margaritas.   So THIS happened. Support the show

    38 min

  2. May 28

    Episode 47 : Yes, But

    Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Episode 47 — Yes, But Hosted by Jen Cole & Rachel Chappelle This episode is sponsored by Vu Events — Wichita's magic makers. Cheers to Jovana and the team! May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we decided to get real about it. Not in a five-tips kind of way. In the actual, imperfect, sometimes-you-hold-it-in-until-you-explode kind of way that real life actually looks like. Also: Trend Decoder is back, the math gets embarrassing, and "Clean" by Taylor Swift sends both of us somewhere we weren't entirely prepared to go. 📱 TREND DECODER Trend #1: "Yes, But" — Creators show the polished, aspirational side of something ("yes") followed immediately by the messy behind-the-scenes reality ("but..."). Rachel earned half a point guessing this one. She's at peace with it. Trend #2: "Brainwash You" — Creators jokingly frame themselves as dangerously influential. Spend enough time with them and you'll accidentally adopt better habits. Rachel basically cracked this one by referencing The Office. 1.5 out of 2. 💜 MENTAL HEALTH, MILESTONES & THE MESSY MIDDLE What does managing mental health actually look like — not the Instagram version, the real one? We get into the routines, the spiraling, the lists, the people, and the positive milestones that are somehow still exhausting. Spoiler: positive things are still stressful. Mixing emotion with logistics while being the most emotional person in the room is a whole thing. We see you. 🎶 HITS DIFFERENT: "Clean" — Taylor Swift (1989) Rachel heard it for the first time tonight. The rain imagery hit. The drowning-but-finally-breathing thing hit. And Jen shared something she hadn't talked about on the podcast before — the season in her life when this song first existed, and what it meant then vs. what it means now. Both of us realized we were going through overlapping heartbreaks at the same time without knowing it. That came out on mic. In Episode 47. So that happened. 🥂 📣 BEFORE YOU GO Riverfest Main Stage — Sunday, May 31 at 11 AM! All you need is a Riverfest button. Come find us. 🎉Merch: Uncorked & Slightly Unhinged + Messy Is My Polished — 10% of profits go to Ballet Wichita 🩰 Link here.Season 2 is coming — drop your ideas for new segments in the comments!Subscribe + review on Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you listen. 🎙️ Yes, but... we'll see you next time. So THIS Happened. Sponsored by Vu Events  |  Sip Squad Sponsor  |  May 2026 Support the show

    56 min

  3. May 21

    Episode 46 : Perfectly Un-Perfect

    Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Vu Events! Whatever you’re celebrating, Jovana and her team have the vision to make it unforgettable. Find them at vueventplanning.com. Episode 46 is chaotic, emotional, hilarious, and somehow perfectly on-brand for two women who just coined the phrase “perfectly un-perfect” live on air. Jen and Rachel are fresh off a content creation outing at Century II — getting familiar with the main stage where they’ll record LIVE at Riverfest on Sunday, May 31st at 11 AM. Come see them. All you need is your Riverfest button. 📱 TREND DECODER (Tracy, this one’s for you) The No Trend: running words together to dodge accountability. “youdon’tneedonemorebottleofwine.” My name’s Jen. It doesn’t apply. Not a Math Person: reclaiming a weakness as proof of a different brain. “You’re so creative!” Thanks, I used to cry during math homework. Rachel got half a point. Both of them cried during math homework. 🎓 THE WEEK THAT WAS Nathan performed My Shot from Hamilton at his variety show and absolutely obliterated the stage. Nicholas graduated high school with 18 college credits already banked. The senior girls performed Slipping Through My Fingers twice — once the night before graduation, once during. Nick fanned Jen with his program. At graduation, Nathan caught her eye from across the auditorium and was losing it. She did not cry. The boys handled that one night early. Baby Everett came to town with Hannah and Shane for the graduation party. The summit at Torr Brewing included the full friend group, both families, a legendary nacho bar, and Nick arriving in full Johnny Cash black. Then: Bubbles, Chambongs, Sammie’s official initiation, an Andy Reid lookalike, and Rachel texting her dad about it at midnight. Also — Rachel is going to be an aunt! A girl. An enchanted forest baby shower is in early planning. 🎶 HITS DIFFERENT: “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” — Taylor Swift (Reputation) The party is any relationship you poured yourself into. The song isn’t sad. It’s a boundary. It’s the nice thing protecting itself. Neither of them is re-recording Reputation. Perfectly un-perfect. 📣 BEFORE YOU GO Come see us LIVE at Riverfest — Sunday, May 31st, 11 AM, Main Stage! Merch: Uncorked and Slightly Unhinged & Messy Is My Polished 2.0 (10% to Ballet Wichita 🩰) Subscribe on Spotify & YouTube + leave us a five-star review! 🥂 So THIS happened. Support the show

    1h 12m

  4. May 14

    Episode 45 : Main Stage Era

    Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Vu Events! Whether it’s a corporate gathering, a wedding, or the celebration of a lifetime, Jovana and her team have the vision and the hustle to make it unforgettable. Find them at vueventsplanning.com. ―――――――――――――――――――― Forty-five episodes in, and things just got very, very real. Jen and Rachel are back with a full glass and a LOT to say — trends, milestones, a tearjerker of a Hits Different segment, and two announcements that have us fully in our Main Stage Era. 👟 THE TRENDS SEGMENT This week: Red Flats Queen (the Met Gala assistant who went viral for running the whole show in red flats and zero cares) and the I’m a Survivor trend — using Reba McEntire’s anthem to celebrate the absolute bare minimum. Swallowed your vitamins? Survivor. Didn’t cry until the very end of the band concert? Survivor. We’re all survivors here. 🏟️ ANNOUNCEMENT #1: WE’RE PLAYING RIVERFEST So THIS Happened is recording LIVE on the Main Stage at Wichita Riverfest — May 29th at 1:30 PM. All you need is your Riverfest button. Come find us front and center. Sponsored by Vu Events. 🎉 🥂 ANNOUNCEMENT #2: ANNIVERSARY PARTY We’re almost a year old and we’re throwing a party. More details coming very soon — but save the date: July 12th, 2–4 PM at Bubbles Champagne Bar inside The Workroom. Presenting sponsor: Vu Events. Venue sponsor: Bubbles. It’s going to be incredibubble. 🎵 HITS DIFFERENT: “The Best Day” — Taylor Swift (Fearless) Rachel came in blind and left emotional. Jen couldn’t make it through without crying. Between Nick’s last band concert solo, graduation week, and wedding lead-up memories — this one hit every single layer. 📣 BEFORE YOU GO → New merch dropping before Riverfest — Messy Is My Polished is getting a redesign! → 10% of all merch profits go to Ballet Wichita 🩰 → Subscribe, review, and follow us everywhere @sothishappened_podcast So THIS happened. And it’s gonna keep happening. Support the show

    1 hr

  5. May 7

    Episide 44 : Entering In

    Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ EPISODE 44 — "Entering In" Featuring Krissy Buck, Chair of Digital Wichita ───────────────────────────────── This episode is sponsored by Vu Events! Jovana Vu and her team make events feel like actual events — corporate gatherings, milestone celebrations, weddings, and everything in between. Find them at vueventplanning.com or @vueventplanning on socials. ───────────────────────────────── AI isn't coming. It's already here — and it's entering in whether you're ready or not. Jen and Rachel are live at WSU Tech's NCAT Campus with their friend of nine years, Krissy Buck — Chair of Digital Wichita and Director of the ShockStarter program at WSU Tech. What started as a conversation about AI-powered marketing turned into something bigger: a story about showing up, building community, and what it actually looks like to bring emerging technology to the middle of the country without leaving anyone behind. Also: tabs. So many tabs. 🚀 DIGITAL DAY 2026 — June 18 & 19 | Wichita, KS Mission Control: AI-Powered Marketing for the Modern Brand This year isn't about why you should use AI. It's about how — with actionable steps you can implement the moment you leave NCAT. Speakers include Luis Rodriguez, Angie Callen, Mike Allton, Brian Piper, Dennis Yu, Jeff Sieh, Scott Simson, Mandy McEwen, and Michael King. Day 1 (June 18): Full day summit at WSU Tech's NCAT Campus Day 2 (June 19): Hands-on AI Agent Workshop with Dennis Yu at Groover Labs — limited to 100 seats! 🎟️ Get tickets at digitalwichita.com 📖 Want to prep before you go? Read the Digital Day Dispatch newsletter on LinkedIn every Thursday — we're breaking down each speaker and what they're covering. ───────────────────────────────── IN THIS EPISODE: → Krissy's origin story — from nervous attendee to Chair of Digital Wichita → What ShockStarter is and why it matters for Wichita's future → Why Social Media Day had to become Digital Day → How to start small with AI (SpongeBob's resume is involved) → The tabs open situation that got completely out of hand → The wedding party reveal that connects all the dots ───────────────────────────────── FIND KRISSY: TikTok: @MidwestCottageKS LinkedIn: Krissy Buck Digital Wichita: @digitalwichita ───────────────────────────────── BEFORE YOU GO: 🛍️ Merch is live — Uncorked and Slightly Unhinged & Messy is My Polished (10% of profits go to Ballet Wichita 🩰) 📲 Subscribe on Spotify & YouTube 💜 Thank you to our sponsor Vu Events — vueventplanning.com So THIS happened. 🥂 Support the show

    1h 5m

  6. Apr 30

    Episode 43 : Reputation Precedes Her

    Send us Fan Mail No guest. Just Jen and Rachel, a bottle of rosé, some very big news, and the return of one of the OG segments. Episode 43 has a lot going on: Jen paid off her student loans (HALLELUJAH). The Trend Decoder made its triumphant comeback. The whole Cole family had a Music Man moment. And Rachel officially became a Swifty — live on air. Reputation precedes her, indeed. 📱 TREND DECODER IS BACK Listener Tracy requested the comeback and we delivered. Jen reads each trend cold, Rachel guesses what it means, and then we riff. Rachel has zero prep. That is the whole point. Trend #1 — “Hallelujah”: Justin Bieber’s Coachella performance spawned this wholesome gratitude trend — list things you love, add “hallelujah.” We made our own list on air. Top entries: paid off my student loans, cold pillow at bedtime, perfectly poured glass of wine, and chicken wings landing in ranch. (Rachel’s contribution. No notes.) Trend #2 — “My Top 5 Horror Stories”: Not actual horror films — people list real-life fears and everyday icks that feel like a horror movie. Rachel’s guesses went immediately to being eaten alive and trapped underground cannibalism. She got there eventually. Two points out of three. Trend #3 — The NYT Taylor Swift Interview: The New York Times Magazine named Taylor one of the 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters. In a 30-minute video interview, she talked songwriting, rant bridges, and how Reputation didn’t land until 6–7 years later — specifically calling out “...Ready For It?” Which, not coincidentally, is tonight’s Hits Different song. 🎉 THE BIG PERSONAL WIN Jen paid off her undergraduate student loans today. First thing this morning. After nearly 20 years. She sat with it for a minute. We all should. 🎻 THE MUSIC MAN — A WEEKEND IN TWO ACTS Tim’s favorite musical came to Broadway in Wichita. Friday night: Jen and Tim went, then debriefed over cocktails at Goldfinch. Saturday: Tim’s mom Brenda, Jen’s sons Nick and Nathan, and Tim’s son Riley and his girlfriend Hailey all went together — followed by a family dinner at Sabor (get the salmon). Nathan is the theater kid fresh off a Broadway trip to NYC. Nicholas plays trumpet in band. The Music Man was made for this exact family moment. Shoutout to our local loves: Broadway in Wichita, Goldfinch, and Sabor. 🎵 HITS DIFFERENT: “...Ready For It?” — Taylor Swift From Reputation (2017). Assigned to Rachel. Timed perfectly with the NYT interview drop. Rachel’s take: queen energy, the bass drop kills, and it should be licensed to EDM shows with laser lights immediately. She is filing this under party songs that hit. Also: she officially declared herself a Swifty. We knew this would happen. Jen’s take: hype song since day one. Volume all the way up. Not six or seven years — since the beginning. 📣 BEFORE YOU GO Request a Hits Different song — drop it in our comments or DMs!Merch is live: Uncorked and Slightly Unhinged & Messy is My Polished (10% to Ballet Wichita 🩰)New merch dropping this summer — we have an inkling.Next episode: Krissy Buck, Chair of Digital Wichita, joining us live from WSU Tech’s NCAT campus for everything Digital Day 2026.Follow + subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. 🥂 And we’ll see you next time. So THIS happened. Support the show

    1h 1m

  7. Apr 23

    Episode 42 : Two Shuttlecocks & Elizabeth Taylor

    Send us Fan Mail Episode 42 is a just-us episode — and honestly? Those are some of our favorites. Road trips, boutique hotels, anniversary adventures, Record Store Day, and Taylor Swift's "Elizabeth Taylor." Also Easy Cheese. There's a whole Easy Cheese moment. Just go with it. 🎲 This or That: Travel & Adventure Edition Travel and adventure themed this week — and the conversations went exactly where you'd expect (and several places you wouldn't). 🚗 Road Trip Rituals & The Magic of Going Somewhere Jen has been on the road two weekends in a row — Oklahoma City and then Kansas City for her and Tim's second anniversary. There's something about being in a car, she said, that makes everything feel more honest. Rachel also reminded us all of the legendary Unwritten rain window moment from the girls' trip to see Hannah. If you know, you know. 🌧️ 🍺 Brewery Hopping as a Love Language A thing Jen forgot to mention during road trip rituals — and then immediately remembered: Tim and I always, always stop at breweries on our road trips. If it's a lunch stop, it's a brewery with food. If it's a bathroom stop, we're finding a brewery on the way. 🏨 The Aida Hotel, Kansas City — A Full Gush Jen booked a one-bedroom suite at the Aida Hotel in Kansas City's arts district (just around the corner from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, home of the famous giant shuttlecocks — more on that in a moment). The Aida also has a sister hotel called the Truitt. Both are highly, highly Jen-approved. 🏸 The Shuttlecock Situation (It's Fine, It's Fine) So. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is famous for its giant badminton shuttlecock sculptures on the lawn. Jen mentioned them. Rachel did not know that shuttlecock was the actual name for the birdie in badminton. A brief but enthusiastic vocabulary lesson followed. Several things were said that cannot be unsaid. 🎶 Hits Different: "Elizabeth Taylor" — Taylor Swift This week's song: "Elizabeth Taylor" from Taylor Swift's Life of a Showgirl album, chosen by Jen in honor of the Record Store Day release. 💿 Record Store Day Victory Mills Records in Kansas City is known for over-ordering Taylor Swift releases on Record Store Day. Jen has now successfully scored two vinyl records there: Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions (several years ago)Elizabeth Taylor — the special Record Store Day single (this weekend ✅)📣 Before You Go Got a Taylor Swift song you want Rachel to react to? Send it our way 🎶Thinking about Kansas City? The Aida Hotel. You're welcome.Want to be a guest on the pod? We're always open — reach out!Merch is live — Uncorked and Slightly Unhinged & Messy is My Polished (10% of profits go to Ballet Wichita 🩰)And as always... 🏸 Shuttlecocks are real and they are hilarious 🥂 Cheers to the chaos 💖 And we'll see you next time So THIS happened. Support the show

    57 min

  8. Apr 16

    Episode 41 : Permission Granted

    Send us Fan Mail This week's episode went somewhere really special. Jen and Rachel sit down with Jennifer Short — hairdresser, breathwork facilitator, Human Design devotee, and one of the most quietly extraordinary humans in Wichita — inside her salon, Colour Thairapy, for a conversation about transformation, permission, and what it actually means to build a life that feels like yours. From Hutchinson to Wichita. From the salon chair to the breath mat. From performing loyalty for everyone else to finally giving it to herself. Jennifer's story is the kind that sneaks up on you and then hits somewhere deep. Grab your wine. This one's worth savoring. In This Episode This or That: Wellness Edition - Jennifer joins Jen and Rachel for a wellness-and-mindset-themed round of This or That — and the conversation goes places none of them planned. Highlights include: Jennifer's complicated (and hilarious) history with journaling — including why written evidence once felt dangerous Jen's journals thrown in the dumpster by an ex — and Tim's Valentine's Day gift that brought it full circle Why "outgrow the room or build a bigger one" turned into a full philosophy of life The moment everyone realized they'd basically agreed on everything — and somehow still had plenty to say From Hutchinson to Wichita: A New Identity - Jennifer started doing hair in 1997 in Hutchinson — and for years, she was "just a hairdresser," even when she owned the business. Moving to Wichita in 2018 changed everything. She talks about: Why Hutchinson spoke small to her — and how she believed it What it felt like when Wichita saw her differently How COVID gave her clarity instead of taking something from her The Hive, Human Design & Finding Belonging  - Joining The Hive Wichita in 2019 cracked something open. Jennifer shares: What it felt like to finally be in a room where people truly saw her Reframing her ADHD brain from a flaw to manage to a superpower to lead with Being a 2/5 Manifesting Generator — and what it means when people project answers onto you before you've spoken Breathwork, Sovereign Inhale & the Cellular Shift - Jennifer describes her breathwork journey as "quiet and cellular and permanent" — and unpacks what that actually means: The difference between masculine and feminine breathwork approaches How the breath gets us out of our minds and into our bodies How Sovereign Inhale was born — and what it looks like to offer it to others virtually and in groups The Soft Life & The Permission Question The question "Who were you waiting for permission from?" stopped the room. Jennifer's answer: Why building a soft life is the bravest thing she's ever done — and why "soft" doesn't mean easy The Chair and the Breath Mat Are the Same Work - People ask how a salon and a breathwork practice belong together. Jennifer's answer is always the same: they were never separate. Both are about sitting with a woman in the middle of her becoming and saying — I see you. You are safe here. Let's figure out who you're stepping into next. She's been doing that work since 1997. She just finally has the language for all of it. 🔗 Find Jennifer Short Colour Thairapy — salon, right off Douglas across from Naftzger Park, Wichita Sovereign Inhale — breathwork + coaching, virtual and in-person Instagram: @sovereigninhale Website: sovereigninhale.com 🛍️ Merch Shop Uncorked and Slightly Unhinged and Messy is My Polished   📲 Follow & Subscribe Find us on Spotify and YouTube — and if this episode moved you, a review means the world. 🍷 Support the show

    1h 1m
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About

“So THIS Happened…” is the podcast version of catching up with your most unfiltered friend over wine. Each week, Jen and Rachel dive into personal mishaps, past memories, local happenings, weird habits, and whatever else pops up — including the occasional celebrity headline we just have to talk about. It’s casual, it’s chaotic, and it’s all real.

Information

  • Creator
    Jen Cole and Rachel Chappelle
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    48
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 So THIS Happened...
  • Show Website
    So THIS Happened...