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...
A fast-food burger has to taste the same — and cost the same — thousands of times a day at restaurants across the country. Zachary Crockett mans the fryer. SOURCES:John Karangis, vice president of culinary innovation at Shake Shack.Walter Zuromski, owner and chief culinary officer of the Chef Services Group. RESOURCES:"How Shake Shack’s New Test Kitchen Is Shaping the Future of the Brand," by Stefanie Tuder (Eater, 2018). EXTRAS:"Truffles," by The Economics of Everyday Things (2023).
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Used Golf Balls (Replay)
American golfers lose 300 million balls a year — and all those bad swings are someone else’s business opportunity. Zachary Crockett hits the links. SOURCES:Todd Hutchinson, president and owner of BallHawker.Lashan Wanigatunga, founder of Two Guys With Balls. RESOURCES:"BallHawker, Challenge Enterprises Turn Wayward Golf Shots Into Successful Endeavor," Natalie Gilstrap (Clay Today, 2023)."Temecula Golf Ball Diver Nets $100,000 a Year," by Jeff Zevely (CBS8, 2022)."Golf’s Recycled Ball Market is Big Business," by Erik Matuszewski (Link, 2021)."The Inside Story of What the Original Titleist Pro V1 Launch Was Really Like," Andrew Tursky (Golf Digest, 2020)."Head of Golf Ball Retrieval Company Sentenced for Manslaughter After Diving Death at Wales Golf Course," by Alex Myers (Golf Digest, 2017)."Man Dies While Illegally Diving for Golf Balls," by Alex Myers (Golf Digest, 2015). EXTRAS:"Greg Norman Takes On the P.G.A. Tour," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).
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81. Guide Dogs
Before a guide dog can help a blind person navigate the world, it has to pass a series of tests, then go through $75,000 worth of training. Zachary Crockett sniffs around. SOURCES:Peggy Gibbon, director of canine development at The Seeing Eye.Charles Pat McKenna, assistant division director of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. RESOURCES:"Why Seeing Eye Dogs Are So Expensive To Breed and Train," by Abby Tang and Emily Christian (Business Insider, 2024)."For decades, the blind have used canes to get around. Now a special wristband gives them a ‘sixth sense.'" by Peter Holley (Washington Post, 2017).The Seeing Eye."History of Guide Dogs," by The International Guide Dog Federation."Facts and Figures" by The International Guide Dog Federation. EXTRAS:"Morris Frank," by The International Guide Dog Foundation (Vimeo, 2021).
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80. Going-Out-of-Business Sales
Behind that 70% off sign, there’s a liquidation consultant trying to maximize retailer profits. Zachary Crockett seeks a deal. SOURCES:Bradley Snyder, executive managing director at Tiger Group.Zac Rogers, associate professor of supply chain management at Colorado State University RESOURCES:"What Went Wrong: The Demise of Toys R Us," by Angie Basiouny (Knowledge at Wharton, 2018)"Retail apocalypse 2024: All the once-popular stores and restaurants that shuttered locations this year," by Sarah Bregel (Forbes, 2024)"BBB Tip: Avoid bogus bargains at going out of business sales" by Better Business Bureau (2024)"There’s a science and art to running a going-out-of-business sale. (And business is booming.)" by Courtney Reagan (CNBC, 2018) EXTRAS:"I don't wanna grow up: The first day of the end of our childhoods," by Mike Higdon (Reno Gazette-Journal, 2018)
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79. School Photos
Picture day is an annual tradition for American families — and, for the companies that take the photos, a lucrative one. Zachary Crockett smiles for the camera. SOURCES:Ken Murphy, C.E.O. of LifetouchJeremy McColm, senior manager of photography at Lifetouch RESOURCES:"The money and stress and failed hairdos of school picture day," by Kaitlyn Tiffany (Vox, 2019)"The School Photo Industry Is a Master Class in Drama," by David Gauvey Herbert (New York Times, 2019)"With Lifetouch Acquisition, Shutterfly Claims Leadership In Picture Memories Market," by Pamela Danziger (Forbes, 2018)"Exclusive School Photography Agreement" (Vernon Public School District, 2019) EXTRAS:"Money Schools Earn From Student Portraits Varies Widely," by Scott MacFarlane, Rick Yarborough, and Jeff Piper (NBC News Washington, 2016)
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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