Marketing Vanguard: Brandweek 2025 - How Build-A-Bear’s Sharon Price John Made the CMO to CEO Jump Flawlessly

Podcast: Marketing Vanguard
Host: Jenny Rooney, Adweek
Guest: Sharon Price John, CEO, Build-A-Bear Workshop
Special Segment Guest: Joshua Spanier, VP of AI and Marketing Strategy, Google
Date: February 18, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Marketing Vanguard features Sharon Price John, CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, discussing her impressive journey from marketing executive to CEO, the strategic pivots that repositioned Build-A-Bear for long-term growth, and the nature of modern marketing leadership. Later in the episode, Google’s Joshua Spanier joins for a special segment on the future of marketing, highlighting AI, creativity, and the evolving role of marketers. The conversation is rich in leadership wisdom, practical advice for aspiring executives, insights into business transformation, and strategies for maintaining relevance—both for brands and individuals.

Sharon Price John: Career Path and Key Influences (01:53–07:19)

Early Career & Agency Life

• Sharon began her career in advertising at DDB Needham, New York, describing her move from Tennessee to Manhattan as, “a big adventure to move from Tennessee to New York City and sort of tackle Manhattan with a lot of passion and very little knowledge” (02:06).
• Her passion for consumer-centric brand building led her away from conventional MBA graduate paths (private equity, management consulting) toward toy industry roles.

The Power of Childhood Passion

• “If you're not sure what you want to do, what did you love as a kid? That's usually a really good directional data point for you.” (03:41)
• Sharon identified with iconic brands she loved as a child (e.g., Barbie) and leaned into her strengths as a communicator and writer.

Female Leadership Role Models

• She credits her early years at Mattel, surrounded by powerful women leaders, for shaping her approach to business and instilling confidence:
  “From the lowest rung...all the way to the CEO...it was women, like, five, six layers of powerful, amazing women. And so I'm like, oh, this is just the way business is.” (04:26)
• A formative moment: A colleague urged her to “create value” by finding her voice in meetings.
  “If you're waiting to be a part of the team, you're already on the team. We don't make mistakes in who we hire. You're here to create value.” (05:07)

Progression Across Toy and Retail Brands

• Sharon’s career included ascending roles at Mattel, Hasbro, and Stride Rite, culminating in leadership expertise across both product and retail verticals.

Path to CEO: Lessons for Marketers and Aspiring Executives (07:19–12:26)

Marketing vs. Business Leadership

• Distinguishes between marketing mastery and broader business acumen:
  “Now I see it from a different perspective being a CEO. I expect everyone that's going to sit at that table to come to the challenge with a business mindset, not a marketing mindset…” (08:21)

Business Acumen & Quantitative Skills

• Chose a quantitative MBA despite her creative background to round out her capabilities:
  “I decided not to go to a marketing focused school...purposefully decided to go to a quantitative school and made that learning curve very steep.” (08:51)

Breaking the Ceiling and Self-Belief

• On being encouraged to aspire beyond the CMO title:
  “I was getting a 360 review...he said, I don't think you realize that you've already scored at or above all of our average CEOs on every metric. You literally can be whatever you want. You just have to decide.” (10:29)
• Discusses the tendency—especially for women—to underestimate readiness:
  “Statistics show that if there's 10 different criteria for a job description, unless [women] have nine or 10 of them, they won't even apply...and men tend to apply if like five or six.” (10:58)
• Advice: “It's much more desirable to hear something like, I can figure that out; I'm willing to learn that; I've managed situations similar to that in the past.” (11:50)

Personal Barriers and the Value Mindset (23:42–27:18)

From Marketing Strategy to Business Value

• Sharon advocates for a “business-first” perspective:
  “I expect everyone...to come in with a business mindset, not a marketing mindset or advertising mindset. What are we trying to solve? Think about it from a financial perspective.” (08:21)

Overcoming Self-Imposed Barriers

• Encourages listeners to imagine a world without perceived barriers:
  “What would you do if there were no barriers, real or perceived? And that’s a really scary thought for a lot of people...but like, what if you expanded your thinking?” (24:15)

The Role of Failure and Adversity

• “You have to share the bumps of the journey. Because...every single successful person has that bump on the journey...just keep going. That happens to everybody. No big deal. It’s going to work out.” (26:26)
• “Build it into your story. Like those bumps are what define you because it’s what you do on the other side of it.” (26:57)

The Build-A-Bear Transformation Story (27:18–34:25)

The Experiential Retail Pioneer

• Recaps Build-A-Bear’s founding by Maxine Clark in 1997 as a “pioneer in experiential retail” (27:43).
• Growth-and-recession setbacks led to the need for a turnaround CEO.

Sharon’s Turnaround Strategy

• The Pivot: “What we needed to do is to pivot the company to not just be a place called Build a Bear Workshop, but to separate the concept of the brand from the place.” (00:30 & 31:21)
• Reframing Build-A-Bear as an “intellectual property company that just happened to have a revenue stream called vertical retail” (31:41).
• Monetizing brand equity with new streams: global expansion, website revamp (now 40% of sales), outbound licensing, and content creation.

Adapting to New Markets and Audiences

• Built new addressable markets (adults, teens), capitalizing on emotional equity (e.g., nostalgia, comfort, self-expression):
  “Build a Bear is packed with friendship, memories, love, families, empowerment, creativity, self expression, comfort, nostalgia...we’re right in the middle of the nostalgia industry that’s emerging right now...” (33:07)

Turnaround as Opportunity

• “If you want to be a CEO, learn to be a turnaround person. Raise your hand every time a brand, a business unit, just say, I'll do it, I’ll do it. Because...if you don't fix it...you will not be blamed. If you do fix it, you will be a hero.” (28:26)

Leading with Heart and Authentic Change (34:52–37:17)

Mission and People

• “The world's a better place with Build a Bear in it, and I'm glad to have been some small part of assuring that's still the case and that's important. Kids and adults need something like this, and I’m really proud of that.” (34:53)

Team Leadership and Authenticity

• Emphasizes the importance of “leading with heart”:
  “...I had to go on a personal journey of how to bring an entire team with me...they needed to know where my heart was before they would go on this journey. And so leading with heart is critical.” (35:12)
• Cautions against inauthentic authenticity:
  "Everyone talks about authenticity and sometimes I think we sort of talk about authenticity in an inauthentic way." (35:35)

Adaptive Leadership in Crisis

• Describes the necessary shift in leadership style during COVID:
  “When we got to something like a Covid where we had to switch to command and control from much more of a camaraderie type of leadership was absolutely critical...the inclination for me of what it would take to turn it around was not power, it was softness.” (36:46)

Special Segment: The Future of Marketing with Joshua Spanier, Google (12:26–23:28)

Introducing “Frontier CMO” (12:42–13:35)

• Joshua Spanier launches a new podcast and insights letter, “Frontier CMO,” focused on future-facing marketing leadership.
• “Inside of Google, we have a lot of talk around Frontier models…something similar is happening in marketing...There are marketers...pushing the boundaries of marketing, who are mapping a new course…” (12:50)

AI as Leadership Test, Not Just Efficiency Tool (14:03–15:06)

• “AI sucks the most it will ever suck. Today, right now, tomorrow AI is going to be better…” (14:03)
• The challenge is not just the tools, but leaders’ capacity to leverage them for reinvention.

Educating Teams and Change Management (15:30–17:27)

• Leaders must “walk the walk” by personally adopting and experimenting with AI tools.
• “Find your AI rock stars...give them the opportunity to have impact...They are our change agents.” (16:26)
• “AI is just a tool to do your job better...the great marketing comes from the brains of the humans we have, amplified and accelerated by the tools they get to work with.” (17:00)

Beyond AI: Human Relevance and Brand Differentiation (17:27–22:13)

• “The creators on YouTube are the next generation of media moguls...Partnering with creators...is a fabulous opportunity.” (17:44)
• “Agentic commerce” as the future of seamless, intelligent shopping experiences.
• Brands must focus not on mechanical differentiation but on “the feeling”—brand as the ultimate differentiator.

Team Structure and Agency Collaboration (19:50–20:55)

• Closer collaboration with agency partners becomes essential:
  “We are more reliant upon the analytics on the measurement, on the insights, on the creativity as we work through things together.” (20:14)

Legacy Brands in the Connection Economy (20:55–22:13)

• Key unlock: Evolve from “interruption” to “character in someone’s universe.”
• “Brands want to be controlling...the reality is we're all fluidly moving through our lives and we need the brands in our lives to represent and reflect that. So being relevant is the key.” (21:16)

The Unchanging Core of Marketing (22:33–23:28)

• “Human behavior doesn’t change fundamentally month to month...Let’s actually focus on our customers, let’s focus on our products. Let’s focus on how technology can enable us to connect those things together in more relevant, exciting and interesting ways, which actually drives real business growth for our businesses.” (22:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“Sometimes you do better when you don't know better.” — Sharon Price John (01:59)

“If you're waiting to be a part of the team, you're already on the team. We don't make mistakes in who we hire. You're here to create value.” — Sharon Price John (05:07)

“AI sucks the most it will ever suck. Today, right now, tomorrow AI is going to be better...” — Joshua Spanier (14:03)

“Build a Bear is packed with friendship, memories, love, families, empowerment, creativity, self expression, comfort, nostalgia.” — Sharon Price John (33:07)

“When we got to something like a Covid...the inclination for me of what it would take to turn it around was not power, it was softness.” — Sharon Price John (36:46)

“So being relevant is the key. How are you relevant to your audience? That's what really is important.” — Joshua Spanier (21:16)

Key Timestamps

• Sharon’s career background & early influences: 01:53–07:19
• Marketing vs. business acumen; advice to aspirants: 07:19–12:26
• Joshua Spanier on the future of marketing & AI: 12:26–23:28
• Overcoming barriers as a leader: 23:42–27:18
• Build-A-Bear transformation & business strategy: 27:18–34:25
• Leading with heart and authenticity: 34:52–37:17

Final Takeaways

• Lead with a business-first mindset: CMOs and marketers who aspire to broader leadership roles should seek experience in overall business management, not just campaign execution.
• Embrace stretch opportunities and turnarounds: Growth often comes from raising your hand for challenging situations, especially those others avoid.
• Don’t self-limit—apply, learn, take risks: Women, in particular, are encouraged to apply for roles even if not 100% qualified.
• Innovate the brand beyond the tangible: The strongest brands focus on the feelings they evoke; Build-A-Bear’s success is rooted in capturing nostalgia, comfort, and emotional connection—not just the toy itself.
• Authenticity and heart matter: Especially in times of change, authentic, values-driven leadership inspires teams and keeps consumer brands aligned with modern expectations.
• Stay relevant—as a leader and as a brand: Continuous learning, embracing technology, and being open to new ways of working ensure both personal and brand longevity in a fast-changing marketplace.