Podcast Summary

Podcast: TED Talks Daily
Episode: The question that saved my company from bankruptcy | Sharon Price John
Date: December 11, 2025
Speaker: Sharon Price John, CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop
Recorded at: TEDCG in Dubai, 2025
Summary by: [Your Name or Podcast Summarizer]

Episode Overview

This episode features Sharon Price John, CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, sharing her gripping story of leading a beloved but ailing company back from the brink of bankruptcy. Her talk addresses how rediscovering and embracing the organization's true purpose—beyond products or profits—became the catalyst for an incredible turnaround. She advocates for "starting with heart" not just in business, but in life, and challenges listeners to find and lead with their own core purpose.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Understanding True Purpose (03:17–06:25)

• Sharon Price John opens with the question: "Do you know your organization's true purpose?" (03:17)
• She reflects on her 2013 appointment as CEO during Build-A-Bear's darkest time:
  • The company had suffered an annual loss of $50 million and was closing unprofitable stores.
  • Eight years of struggle post-recession and in the face of declining mall traffic and a rising digital economy.
• Textbook turnaround plans (cost cutting, closures, layoffs) were met with anxiety and resistance.
  • "It was almost like they were afraid to change. But why?" (04:26)
• The pivotal question she asked her team: "Does it matter if Build-A-Bear exists?" (04:54)
  • This question catalyzed deeper reflection and set the stage for renewed purpose.

2. Rediscovering the Emotional Core (05:20–07:50)

• Sharon details the Build-A-Bear experience—a personalized ritual involving the iconic heart ceremony that brings a teddy bear to life.
• She highlights the emotional resonance and multigenerational memories tied to these experiences, extending well beyond retail transactions.
  • Build-A-Bear teddies are used to comfort children in crises, including natural disasters and illness.
• The team’s response: Their fear was not about change itself, but about losing the intangible “heart” of the brand.
  • "They needed to know where my heart was." (06:49)
• Conclusion: To successfully lead, she needed to align her strategy with the company’s deeper purpose.

3. Reframing the Mission and Strategy (07:50–08:45)

• A new mission was born: “We add a little more heart to life.” (07:50)
  • "Missions should be big."
• This became the foundation for all strategy—moving from narrow, transactional thinking to value-based planning.
• This common purpose allowed the team to embrace operational changes as a path toward a more meaningful goal.

4. Transformative Results & Business Model Innovation (08:45–10:27)

• Immediate return to profitability in the first year post turn-around.
• Strategic shift from a solely mall-based operation to:
  • Launching stores in tourist locations, cruise ships, amusement parks, resorts, etc.
  • Global expansion to over 30 countries with nearly all stores profitable.
  • Embracing e-commerce: Website went from <5% to 15–20% of total sales.
  • Targeting new demographics: teens and adults, capitalizing on the “kidulting” trend.
    • "We doubled the teen and adult business. That is now 40% of our sales." (09:54)
• The company withstood ten years of challenges, including economic downturns, activist investors, Brexit, and the pandemic.
• Recent success:
  • Four years of record financial results.
  • Stock price increased over 2000%, outperforming tech giants (10:27).

5. Why ‘Starting with Heart’ Worked (11:05–12:38)

• Sharon attributes the turnaround to reconnecting with the organization’s authentic purpose—not just smart strategy:
  • "I have to believe it all came down to getting in touch with our real purpose—who we really were. And that had to start with heart." (11:05)
• She addresses skeptics who may think an emotional, purpose-driven approach is only appropriate for companies like Build-A-Bear.
• Cites Theodore Roosevelt: "Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care." (11:57)

6. Personal Reflection and Broader Application (12:38–14:21)

• Sharon now applies a heart-centric approach to all decision-making:
  • "These days... I always look in my heart before we make the final decision." (12:38)
• Advocates a heart-focused life and leadership for clarity, resilience, and joy.
  • "A heart-centric approach to life can unlock remarkable power, immense joy, and provide clarity and resilience to focus on what is possible, while others are petrified by what’s probable." (13:24)
• Encourages listeners to find their true purpose and “courage to look inside—maybe past the stuffing... to find your true purpose.” (13:49–14:21)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Does it matter if Build-A-Bear exists?”
  — Sharon Price John (04:54)
  The question that cut to the company’s core and reframed the turnaround.

• “Build-A-Bear is a feeling based on memorable moments.”
  — Sharon Price John (06:30)

• “We add a little more heart to life.”
  — Sharon Price John (07:50)
  The new mission statement that inspired transformation.

• “We doubled the teen and adult business. That is now 40% of our sales.”
  — Sharon Price John (09:54)

• “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”
  — Theodore Roosevelt, quoted by Sharon Price John (11:57)

• “Your heart is the most consistent and the strongest organ in your body. It's also the first to develop, not your brain. So guess what? It really does all start with heart.”
  — Sharon Price John (12:19)

Major Timestamps of Key Segments

• 03:17 — Sharon asks: “Do you know your organization's true purpose?”
• 04:54 — The existential question: “Does it matter if Build-A-Bear exists?”
• 06:25 — The team’s emotional investment and what was truly at stake
• 07:50 — New mission: “We add a little more heart to life.”
• 08:45–09:54 — Turnaround actions, expansion, and digital transformation
• 09:54–10:27 — Embracing new markets: Kidulting, global growth, record sales
• 11:05–11:57 — The importance of heart over mere smart strategy
• 12:38–13:29 — Heart-centric leadership and life's decisions
• 14:11–14:21 — Final call to courage and purpose

Conclusion

Sharon Price John’s TED Talk delivers an engaging, heartfelt narrative about the power of rediscovering and rallying around a company’s authentic purpose. It reminds business leaders and individuals alike that "starting with heart" isn’t just a slogan—it’s the strategic and emotional engine of remarkable transformation and enduring success.

Listen to the episode for the full talk and more inspiring ideas!