TED Business The question that saved my company from bankruptcy | Sharon Price John
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Feb 23, 2026 
Sharon Price John, the CEO who led Build-A-Bear’s turnaround, shares a purpose-driven approach that revived profitability and global growth. She explores asking whether the company matters, the emotional heart ceremony that creates customer loyalty, and how centering mission guided strategy, store and digital expansion, and new audiences like teens and adults.
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Turning Around Build-A-Bear With One Question
- Sharon Price John was handed a deeply emotional company culture when she became CEO of Build-A-Bear, confronting near-bankruptcy after years of decline.
- She asked staff Does it matter if Build-A exists?, revealing the company's purpose tied to the in-store heart ceremony and multigenerational memories.
Experience Beats Product In Emotional Value
- Build-A-Bear is less a store and more a feeling built around an experiential ritual — the stuffing, heart ceremony, wish, recorded message, name, and birth certificate.
- Those repeatable emotional moments create multigenerational family lore and noncommercial roles (e.g., Red Cross comfort bears).
Anchor Turnarounds In A Clear Purpose
- Anchor turnaround plans in your organization's true purpose so people see operational changes as steps toward that purpose.
- Sharon converted the company's purpose into the mission We add a little more heart to life to align strategy and buy-in.