Sharon Price John: The CEO Rebuilding Build-A-Bear
Post Run High
iHeartPodcasts
1.1 • 4.5K Ratings
🗓️ 23 October 2025
⏱️ 79 minutes
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Summary
Sharon shares her journey to becoming the CEO of Build-A-Bear and the direction she's leading the company.
Sharon Price John, CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, shares her journey from a small-town Tennessee childhood to leading one of America’s most nostalgic brands. She opens up about lessons from Mars, Mattel, and Hasbro, the creative drive that shaped her leadership, and how she transformed Build-A-Bear into a modern, multi-generational company rooted in emotion, innovation, and purpose. Under her leadership, Build-A-Bear has achieved remarkable financial growth and brand revitalization, expanding beyond its traditional retail roots into digital entertainment, licensing, and e-commerce. Her strategic vision not only restored profitability but also positioned Build-A-Bear as a thriving lifestyle brand, proving her to be one of the most dynamic and successful leaders in the consumer and retail industry today.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi guys, it's your friend Kate Max and welcome back to Post Run High. |
| 0:09.3 | I think we all remember our first Build Bear moment or moments, maybe you had a few, |
| 0:14.2 | but I remember so clearly walking into the Build's Bear store, standing at that little station, |
| 0:20.2 | picking out my bear, choosing |
| 0:21.6 | its outfit, giving it a name. And it wasn't just about the stuffed animal. It was about that |
| 0:26.7 | feeling of creating something that was completely yours. And what's really special is that the |
| 0:32.5 | woman leading Build a Bear today has carried that same sense of creativity and joy into everything she's done |
| 0:38.9 | throughout her career. Today's episode is with Sharon Price John, the CEO of Phil DeBer. Before sitting |
| 0:44.2 | down for this conversation, we went for a long walk in the Brooklyn Bridge Park. So we had a |
| 0:48.5 | post walk high going and we were feeling good heading into this chat. Sharon has spent decades in the toy and kids brand world |
| 0:56.7 | from working on Barbie fashion at Mattel |
| 0:59.3 | to leading major divisions at Hasbro |
| 1:01.5 | and then running stride right |
| 1:03.2 | before becoming the CEO of Build Bear back in 2013. |
| 1:06.8 | She's led through high pressure moments, |
| 1:09.0 | creative pivots, and cultural shifts. |
| 1:11.6 | In today's episode, you'll learn what it means to lead with purpose, navigate change with confidence, and stay grounded in who you are no matter how big the job gets. |
| 1:21.4 | This is Sharon Price-John, the CEO of Build Bear on Post-Run High. |
| 1:30.8 | This is an un-Heart podcast. |
| 1:35.5 | I'm Jonathan Goldstein, and on the new season of heavyweight. |
| 1:38.9 | And so I pointed the gun at him and said this isn't a joke. |
| 1:43.7 | A man who robbed a bank when he was 14 years old. |
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