Build-A-Bear: Maxine Clark. A Former Shoe Executive Launches a Stuffed Animal Empire

Name: Build-A-Bear: Maxine Clark. A Former Shoe Executive Launches a Stuffed Animal Empire
Brand: Guy Raz | Wondery
SKU: PC_3XME_000842UK

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Build-A-Bear: Maxine Clark. A Former Shoe Executive Launches a Stuffed Animal Empire

By: Guy Raz | Wondery

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When Maxine Clark left a top job in retail to start a make-your-own stuffed animal store, people thought she’d lost her mind. Investors doubted it. Friends questioned it. Retail experts couldn't understand how it would scale.But drawing on more than 20 years as a retail executive, Maxine built a massively successful shopping “experience,” where kids could stuff, dress and personalize their own stuffed animals. Today, Build-A-Bear has generated billions in sales, survived the decline of malls, weathered the financial crisis, and become a global brand.WHAT YOU'LL LEARN How a failed errand—and an offhand comment by a kid–inspired a business plan How Maxine leveraged two decades of retail experience to launch Build-a-Bear How Willy Wonka and Walt Disney were early inspirations How she built a wedge against competitors How she got through the financial crisisHow she knew when to step down as CEO– and how to collaborate with her successor TIMESTAMPS: 03:27 - A mom Who Worked for Eleanor Roosevelt 06:53 - The Impromptu Interview That Changed Maxine’s Career14:00 - Becoming One of the Few Female Fortune 500 Executives16:18 - Why She Walked Away From Payless19:02 - The Beanie Baby Disappointment That Sparked Build-A-Bear23:49 - Designing the First Store: “Make it Like Willy Wonka.”33:13 - Opening Day — and a Line Out the Door35:13 - Defending the Brand Against Copycats and Lawsuits41:13 - Scaling to Hundreds of Stores and Going Public52:15 - Letting Go: Stepping Down as CEO and Building a LegacyThis episode was researched by Rommel Wood and produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Neva Grant. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com©2026 Guy Raz | Wondery (P)2026 Guy Raz | Wondery

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