This is Planet Money from NPR.

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Mavis Mullins started her career in a sheep barn in New Zealand.

Her job was to grade the quality of wool.

I loved it.

And wool was such a beautiful natural fiber.

It's actually a protein.

Mavis is now one of New Zealand's most powerful wool magnates.

Her company handles a million sheep a year.

Yeah, Mavis is involved with all kinds of boards and trusts.

And a big part of her life is hotel rooms, taxi cabs, frequent flyer lounges.

Although initially she was a bit shy about that frequent flyer status.

Oh, I don't want to expose myself that way.

Oh, okay.

Well, actually, of course there's nothing hidden.

I am an elite gold club member and proud of it.

And I just want to point out that you can hear in Mavis this fundamental paradox

of being a New Zealander like myself.

It's beaten into us that we're never supposed to brag.

But we're also meant to always tell it like it is.

And I find that really hard myself.

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