Who decides which snacks are in your office’s vending machine? How much is a suburban elm tree worth, and to whom? How did Girl Scout Cookies become a billion-d...
They're not always the nicest places to go — but for their owners, portable toilets are a lucrative revenue stream. Zachary Crockett lifts the lid. SOURCES:Ron Inman, vice president of Honey BucketVeronica Crosier, executive director of Portable Sanitation Association International RESOURCES:"Providing Toilets for 39,000 Runners," by John Branch (New York Times, 2008)"Platinum Equity-owned United Site Services weighs $4B sale – Reuters," by Pam Rosacia (S&P Global, 2021)"Renting Portable Units," by Portable Sanitation Association InternationalPolyJohn History EXTRAS:"The Porta-Potty King of New York City Faces a Threat to His Throne," by David Gauvey Herbert (Intelligencer, 2019)
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77. Hand Models
You can be a top model and still not get recognized on the street — as long as you keep your cuticles healthy and your moons white. Zachary Crockett points a finger. SOURCES:Dani Korwin, managing director of Parts Models.Ellen Sirot, hand model. RESOURCES:SAG-AFTRA Network TV Code 2024 - 2025 Extension Agreement Rates."How to Become a Hand Model," by Jack Smart (Backstage, 2024)."Meet New York’s Top Hand and Foot Model Agent (It’s a Real Thing!)," by Christian Allaire (Vogue, 2021). EXTRAS:"The Puffy Shirt" S5.E2 of Seinfeld (1993).
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76. Hotel Art
A watercolor of a harbor? A black-and-white photo of a pile of rocks? Some hotels are trying to do better. Zachary Crockett unpacks. SOURCES:Melanie Kettring, director of studio design at Best Western Hotels.Jessica Poundstone, visual artist. Gavi Wolf, founder and C.E.O. of Indiewalls. RESOURCES:Indiewalls.Best Western. EXTRAS:"Used Hotel Soaps," by The Economics of Everyday Things (2023)."The Hidden Side of the Art Market," series by Freakonomics Radio (2021).
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75. Butchers
Before beef ends up at your favorite steakhouse, it passes through the hands of a trained specialist with an encyclopedic knowledge of bovine anatomy. Zachary Crockett chews the fat. SOURCES:Bryan Flannery, co-owner of Flannery Beef.Katie Flannery, co-owner of Flannery Beef. RESOURCES:"National Weekly Boxed Beef Cutout And Boxed Beef Cuts — Negotiated Sales," U.S.D.A. Agricultural Marketing Service (U.S.D.A. Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, 2025)."Understanding Beef Carcass Yields and Losses During Processing," (Penn State Extension Articles, 2022)."Beef Cow-Calf Production," by Cheryl A. Fairbairn, Lynn F. Kime, Jayson K. Harper, and John W. Comerford (Penn State Extension Articles, 2020)."Major Supermarket Chains Changed How They Label Meat, Surprising Customers and USDA," by Roberto A. Ferdman (The Washington Post, 2014)."What’s Your Beef — Prime, Choice or Select?" by Larry Meadows (U.S.D.A Blog, 2013)."From Calf to Kitchen: The Journey of a Beef Cow," by Dave Eames and Mike McGraw (The Kansas City Star, 2012). EXTRAS:"The Future of Meat," by Freakonomics Radio (2019).
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Pistachios (Replay)
How did a little green nut become a billion-dollar product, lauded by celebrities in Super Bowl ads? Zachary Crockett cracks open the story. SOURCES:Sawyer Clark, director of asset management at Gold Leaf Farming.Diana Salsa, vice president of marketing for Wonderful Pistachios. RESOURCES:"Almond Acreage Decline Prompts Industry Introspection," by Mitch Lies (West Coast Nut, 2023).American Pistachio Industry 2021 Annual Report, by American Pistachio Growers (2023)."California’s Agricultural Water Policies Are Nuts," by Douglas R. Noble (The Gainesville Sun, 2021)."Amid Drought, Billionaires Control a Critical California Water Bank," by Chloe Sorvino (Forbes, 2021)."Wonderful Pistachios Achieves Billion-Dollar Brand Milestone," press release by The Wonderful Company (2020)."Pistachios: The Quirks of Agricultural Trade in a Nutshell," by Andrea Durkin (Global Trade, 2020)."California Pistachios With Perfect Timing," by Mark Blackburn (The New York Times, 1979).
Who decides which snacks are in your office’s vending machine? How much is a suburban elm tree worth, and to whom? How did Girl Scout Cookies become a billion-dollar business? In bite-sized episodes, journalist Zachary Crockett looks at quotidian things and finds amazing stories.
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