Скачать или смотреть Build-a-Bear's Maxine Clark: The Power of Kid Think in Business | #58

*Episode 58: Maxine Clark, the Founder of Build-a-Bear Workshop - The Power of Kid Think in Business | She Lift Project Podcast*

What happens when a 10-year-old says "we could make these" about Beanie Babies? In Maxine Clark's case, it sparked the creation of Build-A-Bear Workshop and a $250 million retail empire that has sold over 250 million stuffed animals worldwide.

In this revealing conversation, Build-A-Bear founder Maxine Clark shares the untold story of how curiosity became her "superpower" and transformed her from an aspiring lawyer to retail revolutionary. Born to entrepreneurial parents in 1950s Miami - her mother was Eleanor Roosevelt's traveling secretary who later founded a school for children with Down syndrome - Clark learned early that asking questions and sharing your story authentically opens doors.

*WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER:*
• How Clark went from University of Georgia business school to Payless Shoe Source president before founding Build-A-Bear
• The exact moment in 1996 when a frustrated Beanie Baby shopping trip with friend's daughter Katie sparked the Build-A-Bear concept
• Why 20+ St. Louis banks refused to lend to her company, and how she found funding in Cincinnati with banker Richard Davis
• The one-rule company culture that made Build-A-Bear employees say "yes" to customers: "No one customer can put us out of business"
• How she took Build-A-Bear public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2004 - one of few women-founded companies to go public in St. Louis
• Her current work transforming the old St. Luke's Hospital into Delmar Divine, a community collaboration space in St. Louis's West End
• Why she sees business opportunities everywhere (including counting 175 rubber gloves in a hospital trash can for her next venture)
• The power of "kid think" - maintaining childlike curiosity and wonder in adult business decisions

*KEY BUSINESS LESSONS:*
✓ Curiosity as competitive advantage - "My curiosity is my superpower"
✓ Customer-first innovation - Build-A-Bear's cub advisory board of children guided product decisions
✓ Authentic storytelling opens doors - sharing vulnerabilities creates deeper connections
✓ "Figure out how to do it on a Ford budget" - focus on the big vision, solve financing later
✓ Ask "why not?" instead of accepting limitations
✓ Find mentors who see potential you don't see in yourself

*TIMELINE & CHAPTER MARKERS:*
00:00:00 Introduction - Build-A-Bear's Cultural Impact
00:02:42 Miami Childhood - Entrepreneurial Parents & Early Influences
00:08:15 Mother's Legacy - Eleanor Roosevelt's Secretary Starts Down Syndrome School
00:13:02 High School Journalism - Mrs. Adams & The Scholarship That Changed Everything
00:18:45 University Transfers - From Florida's One-Woman Rule to Georgia's Open Doors
00:22:33 Anne Frank's Influence - Keeping a Personal Diary for Decades
00:29:56 Business School to Retail - The May Company Training Ground
00:34:20 Payless Shoe Source Presidency - Learning Customer-Focused Retail
00:36:56 Delmar Divine Project - Building Community in St. Louis West End
00:42:00 The Beanie Baby Hunt - Katie's Words That Sparked an Empire
00:48:10 "We Can Make These" - From Basement Craft Room to Mall Strategy
00:52:35 First Store Challenges - Building Build-A-Bear Workshop Concept
00:55:18 Banking Rejection - 20 St. Louis Banks Say No to Women Entrepreneurs
00:58:45 Cincinnati Breakthrough - Richard Davis & US Bank Partnership
01:01:30 Barney Ebsworth Investment - "Is Next Week Soon Enough?"
01:04:15 Going Public 2004 - New York Stock Exchange Success
01:07:19 Company Culture - The Power of Saying Yes to Customers
01:09:45 Succession Planning - Finding the Right Leader to Continue the Dream
01:11:55 Final Wisdom - Be Curious, Ask Questions, Write Ideas Down

*CONNECT WITH MAXINE CLARK:*
• Washington University (where she teaches): https://wustl.edu
• Build-A-Bear Workshop: https://buildabear.com
• Delmar Divine Community Project - West End, St. Louis

*CONNECT WITH THE SHE LIFT PROJECT:*
• Subscribe for more inspiring women's stories
• Follow host Cynthia Kirkpatrick: [social links]
• Submit guest suggestions: [contact info]

Perfect for entrepreneurs, business leaders, retail professionals, women in business, and anyone seeking to rediscover their sense of wonder and possibility in their career.

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