Don’t be surprised if the CEO of Build-A-Bear sends you a series of heart and clapping emojis the next time you do business.
And for Sharon Price John, business was good.
John, a toy industry insider with roles including Mattel and Hasbro, has been at the helm of the customizable stuffed animal retailer since 2013. She’s now on a mission to tap into millennial nostalgia by designing toys aimed at adults, like Pokémon, Harry Potter, And Stranger things collections – and borrowing from pop culture moments, including a new one Bad collection.
The strategy appears to be working, even as competition in the plush toy industry increases: Build-A-Bear was hit with a lawsuit in February 2024 by the makers of Squishmallows, and its attempts to dismiss the case were rejected last summer. by an American judge. Still, the company posted a third-quarter profit in December and expected total revenue of $495 million for the year.
It’s been a long time coming for the toy company, which reported a $49 million loss before John took over the brand more than a decade ago. Now, if FortuneAccording to Emma Hinchliffe, all Build-A-Bear’s 525 physical stores are now profitable, up from 80% in the past decade. But amid the swirl of new strategies and technology at the 27-year-old company, John makes sure to take an hour out of her busy schedule to send a classic message that is often overlooked in corporate America today. : a thank you note.
“I noticed that this means a lot to people,” she said Fortune from her weekly Friday training. “It only takes a few seconds to text someone.”
John said her workdays are often filled with back-to-back meetings and events after work, so it’s often easy to forget to highlight employees’ wins and problem solutions in the moment. Taking some time to have a great sales day or to write a note of appreciation can help her stay on top of the week, and it’s great for business, too.
“In this role, it’s very easy to focus on everything that needs to be fixed, and there’s always something that needs to be fixed,” she said. “But if you keep the balance and acknowledge and think about the things that are going well, sometimes that helps the momentum.”
John also hopes that this practice will invite copycats among business leaders.
“I hope the people I send these emails to [or texts] to then turn around and do that for their own organization,” she said.
In addition to her weekly expressions of gratitude, John shared some other important business lessons with her Fortuneincluding a warning to other C-suite wannabes: don’t be surprised if you have to be an expert in everything before you take on the top job.
The CEO is “an incredibly varied type of role where you have to be a bit of a jack of all trades, and I think that sometimes surprises people when they take on the role of CEO,” she said. Potential bosses should be prepared for a “learning curve,” but that “learn and lean” spirit is still one of her favorite aspects of the gig, even after nearly a dozen years in the role.
John credits her daily routine to her continued enthusiasm for the toy store, and gave Fortune an exclusive look at her day, which starts before sunrise.
How the CEO of Build-A-Bear structures her workday
6 hours: John gets up hours before the start of her workday, but, unlike many professionals, purposefully ignores the urge to check her emails, “even though my phone is next to me.”
“I try not to look at it at that first moment,” she explained. “I try to get into a good mood and think about what is nice about the day, [and] don’t be overwhelmed by what’s on the agenda or what emails came in overnight.”
Instead, John pauses for five to 10 minutes for gratitude and reflection before whipping up her first cup of caffeine for the day. John calls herself a “coffee addict” and estimates that she drinks two to three cups a day, and often multitasks by checking her email while enjoying her first drink. She doesn’t always eat breakfast, but when she’s hungry, John often opts for granola and fruit or a bagel with cream cheese before taking a mile-long walk around her neighborhood.
“A lot of times I’m listening to a podcast, or maybe I’m meditating, depending on what’s going on, but then I come back, get ready and go to the office,” she said.
9:00 am: After a quick drive through scenic St. Louis and the famous Gateway Arch, the CEO arrives at the company’s headquarters, conveniently located above a Build-A-Bear location, and begins preparing for the day.
Her arrival time often fluctuates and can range from an early 8am start to a 9am entrance.
“It really depends on when my first meeting is, unless I have to do some work to prepare for that meeting,” she explained. “I’ll go in when the first meeting starts.”
10:00 am: At Build-A-Bear, meetings often last long, about an hour or more than an hour and a half. As CEO of an international organization, John’s calendar is often booked with back-to-back Zoom or in-person meetings with global partners.
“You need to take a break,” she joked. “It’s non-stop.”
Her “eclectic” work weeks could range from organizing a “bear quarters” meeting for staff to provide updates and answer questions, to meeting with district managers to talk about new products or licensing.
“In my opinion, the best thing about Build-A-Bear is that every day is completely different,” she said. “It’s one of the things that attracted me to the company.”
12:00 noon: On days when she has time for lunch, John opts for a healthy mix of a meal that she packs herself, but “as my husband would say, I’m quite a picky eater,” she jokes.
2 p.m.: John’s afternoons are filled with meetings; she relies on her “admin extraordinaire” to help organize her days. However, planning the second half of her working hours in advance is often quite rare and depends on the whims and needs of the company.
“I often tell my administrative assistant that in some ways she is the most important person at this company, because this company moves based on my interactions with people,” John explains. “We have to be very conscious of the use of time and the prioritization of those meetings.”
The pair have been working together for years and often spend Monday mornings and Friday evenings planning meetings, deadlines and trips weeks in advance.
“It’s absolutely critical, in my opinion, that someone in my role, or a C-level role, where there are so many people and things pulling on your time and attention, to have that intelligent, thoughtful filter,” John said.
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6:00 PM: While her workday, on paper, might end around the standard close of the business day, John noted that her business obligations rarely end when she leaves the office. She often spends parts of her evenings attending events as a brand representative, or working out the details of a negotiation or deal over dinner with a business partner. John said she recognizes these additional duties “as part of my role.”
But for the mother of three adult children who have since left the nest, John said her duties now are very different than when her children were growing up.
“I really went out of my way to make sure we had family dinners on the nights we could, and that includes my husband, who has his own business,” she said. “There are always things going on, but then we work hard to have that downtime.”
While she says Build-A-Bear is part of her family, she also added, “It’s important to put your family first.”
When she doesn’t have any extracurricular activities planned, John often enjoys a home-cooked meal and a glass of wine prepared by her husband Russ. The couple will often discuss business challenges – “we speak the same language” – and unwind by enjoying the Missouri weather on their patio.
“I don’t cook food,” John said. “I’m not very good at cooking, but my husband is. In fact, he is a very good cook and he really loves food.”
9 p.m.: John and her husband relax by watching their favorite channel: PBS. Before lights out at 10 a.m., she catches up on missed emails or messages and maps out tasks for her next work day.
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