From Retail Relic to Market Darling: Sharon Price John on Reinventing Build-A-Bear

Episode notes

In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK , host Will Lee speaks with Sharon Price John, President and CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, about engineering one of retail’s most unlikely turnarounds. Recorded live at BrandWeek, the conversation explores how Build-A-Bear reinvented its business model, leveraged nostalgia and emotional connection, and reshaped investor storytelling to fuel a 2000% stock surge. Sharon shares lessons on distinguishing brand problems from business problems, balancing data with creativity, and expanding into multi-generational audiences while opening new stores as competitors retrenched. A must-listen for marketers navigating reinvention, resilience, and profitable growth.