Our Mommyhood

During one of my blogging conferences, I had the pleasure of hearing Maxine Clark speak.  At the time, I wasn’t much of a Build-A-Bear customer.  I had been in the store a few times and even made one bear.  So, when I heard that Maxine was speaking at the conference I wasn’t sure what to expect.  If you ever get the chance to meet her in person, I promise you won’t forget her.  She has broken down so many barriers and stereotypes, she is a true history maker.

Maxine never had any children of her own, not what you would think of a founder of a children’s stuffed animal store.  She went against popular opinion and started her enterprise.  This is what she had to say in an interview with Business Week in 2005 –

Q: How did the concept for Build-A-Bear Workshop start?
A: The opportunity came for me to rethink my career, and I wanted to do something more fun. I don’t have children of my own. But I love kids, and kids have a way of looking at the world that gives you a renewed faith in everything. My neighbor had two children, and we used to go to the neighborhood toy store together.

I looked on the Web to see if there were businesses…that I could buy that would give me a launching pad for making stuffed animals. There were a couple, but those business owners didn’t think it would work.

Q: You didn’t listen.
A: If I had listened to all the reasons to not do this, I never would have done it.

For the full article, check out – http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_23/b3936412.htm

For women who make history, I vote for Maxine Clark.  Her tenacity and passion for doing what she loved turned her into a corporate giant.  The first store was opened in 1997, today there are approximately 400 stores worldwide and they have sold over 50 million bears.  I am glad she didn’t listen to all the naysayers.  How many times have you given up on your dream, because someone told you it wasn’t possible?  I know I have!

Hearing Maxine talk about answering her facebook fans, emails and even tweeting with her fans, blew me away.  She was more techy than I was, as a social media person.  Talk about adapting to the times and keeping up with her customers, WOW!  Some companies hire someone to take care of customer communication and leave it at that, but Maxine goes the extra mile.  I don’t know about your family, but my parents don’t understand urls, twitter, or even facebook.  To get them to respond to an email is like passing an act through Congress.

If I hadn’t already been impressed by her dedication, I even had a chance to witness it twice.  During the blog conferences, Build-A-Bear had given all of the attendees their very own “Champ” bear.  One of the children attending with her parent, ripped her little bear.  When Maxine heard of this mishap, she personally sewed the little bear’s hole.  Can you believe it?  The founder of one of the largest and most popular retail stores in the country, was sewing up a bear for one special little girl.  That takes heart!

My second experience with this wonderful woman was during a Love Drop campaign for The Stalnakers.  Joy, a French teacher for a very small school in Louisiana, was struggling personally and had lost her only source of transportation.  She, much like Maxine, didn’t let that stop her from trying to help her students and her community.  The town in which she lives has been hit very hard by the oil spills, so many families don’t have the extra resources for books and field trips. Joy had been providing for these students with her own personal funds until her only car broke down.  Touched by Joy’s story and remembering Maxine and her dedication to education, I personally reached out to Maxine.  I really wasn’t expecting much, but I thought I had to try.  Would you believe that she wrote me back within a few hours of my initial email?  I couldn’t believe (I guess by now I should have).  True to form, Maxine again went above and beyond the call of duty, she gave with her heart to help this family.  I was so touched by her personal contribution and for her willingness to help!

Today, with the help of social media, companies are learning how to listen to their markets, communicate on a personal level with their consumers, and build brand loyalty by helping people.  Well stand back, because Maxine has been doing this from the very beginning – no wonder she has outlasted the change of time and fads that many toy companies have crumbled under.  She has heart and it shows in her actions and the actions of her company.  She gets it!  An example of their commitment to bettering the community and the lives of children can be found on their community involvement page.

Needless to say, I am a loyal Build-A-Bear fan.  I have already purchased three more bears for my little two year old and I am sure there are more to come.

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