You know that weirdly specific thing your friend’s obsessed with? Like speed jigsaw puzzling. Or dressing up as Santa. Or raising wild turkeys. This show is about those people.
Each episode, host Leslie Eiler Thompson finds a niche interest—and then gently, curiously, hilariously peels back the layers to find out why it matters for everyone. It’s funny. It’s surprisingly moving. It’s like a deep dive into the strange and beautiful stuff that makes us, us.
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You know that weirdly specific thing your friend’s obsessed with? Like speed jigsaw puzzling. Or dressing up as Santa. Or raising wild turkeys. This show is about those people.
Each episode, host Leslie Eiler Thompson finds a niche interest—and then gently, curiously, hilariously peels back the layers to find out why it matters for everyone. It’s funny. It’s surprisingly moving. It’s like a deep dive into the strange and beautiful stuff that makes us, us.
🎅🏽 Professional Santas | Part 3: The Man with All the Joys
Niche to Meet You
30 minutes 25 seconds
11 months ago
🎅🏽 Professional Santas | Part 3: The Man with All the Joys
Why Santa matters.Email us with your favorite part of this episode or what it made you think about! TELL A FRIEND ABOUT US! Is there someone who should know about this project? Tell them. Seriously, just text them. Now!Find us on Instagram, or join our email list.Find pictures from Leslie’s time with Santas here.
Thanks to our show sponsor, 1440 Daily News Digest. Click here to join the 4 million folks getting great news in their inbox every day (like, Leslie)!
EPISODE NOTES:
The final episode in our series about professional Santas ends with relevance – why having Santas is crucial to the human experience and aids with flourishing amid suffering. In doing this, we learn why these folks deal with the heaviness of the undertaking and what we can learn from them. You’ll hear from a Santa who spends 200+ days a year in a suit (and has done that for 35 years), and from an educator who uses his Santa portrayal to motivate his students. We also welcome renowned UK Poet Malcolm Guite to explore what storytelling and imagination have to do with Santa and his role in our society.Â
SANTAS FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE:Jerusalem SantaSanta ShedSanta GeorgeSanta BenSanta PhilSanta JaySanta StephenSanta HopSanta ChrisSanta True
ABOUT NICHE TO MEET YOU:
Niche to Meet You is an investigative storytelling podcast about the little-known niche interests. Our work has been featured on Nashville Public Radio, has been seen by millions through a recent viral instagram reel, and has been featured in the likes of The Guardian and the 1440 newsletters. It's like if Mr. Rogers Neighborhood and Revisionist History teamed up for a Netflix special. We use miniseries and individual interviews to introduce listeners to folks involved with Warhammer 40,000, Rubik’s cube enthusiasts and competitors, armored combat champions, wild turkey conservationists, and more.Â
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHOW HERE.
SHOW CREDITS:Â
Creator/Reporter/host: Leslie Thompson (IG: @leslieeilerthompson)
Associate script producer: Chris ThiessenÂ
Mastering by Kevin Morris
Show theme composed by Abigail Flowers with this holiday arrangement by Mike Hicks
Show artwork created by Rachel Hardacre
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Jon McLaughlinÂ
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Niche to Meet You
You know that weirdly specific thing your friend’s obsessed with? Like speed jigsaw puzzling. Or dressing up as Santa. Or raising wild turkeys. This show is about those people.
Each episode, host Leslie Eiler Thompson finds a niche interest—and then gently, curiously, hilariously peels back the layers to find out why it matters for everyone. It’s funny. It’s surprisingly moving. It’s like a deep dive into the strange and beautiful stuff that makes us, us.
