Leap Academy with Ilana Golan Build-A-Bear CEO, Sharon Price John: The Mindset Behind a Billion-Dollar Comeback | E134
Nov 18, 2025
Sharon Price John, President and CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop and author of Stories & Heart, shares her journey through retail challenges. She discusses how climbing a tree as a child taught her the value of courage and resilience. Sharon reveals her bold moves in advertising and the lessons learned from a failed startup. Her two-step turnaround framework emphasizes eliminating wasteful habits. With impactful storytelling, she reshaped Build-A-Bear's mission, leading the company to profitability and expansion, all while navigating the complexities of leadership during crisis.
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Startup Collapse Built Executive Muscle
- Sharon started a doll company whose Toys R Us order was canceled after 9/11, forcing her to sell inventory at cost and pivot back to corporate roles.
- That failure taught her full-product-cycle skills and made her a stronger executive for turnarounds.
Stop Before You Start Fixing
- When turning around a business, first stop doing stupid stuff and then start doing smart stuff; do it in that order.
- Stopping wasteful habits focuses the organization and avoids hiring people to undo ongoing waste.
Measure Then Cut What Adds No Value
- Measure everything that might create value and kill activities that lack measurable ROI or insight.
- Ask repeatedly: does this action create value, and if not, stop doing it.
