Build-A-Bear Workshop Presentation

I wrote in an earlier post about my internship presentation to the Build-A-Bear Workshop Chiefs and Managing Directors.  I’ve had some questions so I figured I would share more of an “outline” of that presentation.  Some notes are below.

® & © 2010 Build-A-Bear Workshop. Reproduced with permission—all rights reserved.

Slide 1

My position, my supervisors

Slide 2

Who I Am – high school, college, etc.

Slide 3

Learning about the Build-A-Bear Workshop business and shortened project list.

Slide 4

Introduce the International Holiday Toolkit and it’s role in the International Operations Summit; the focus on execution.

Slide 5

More details on the Holiday Toolkit – designed to fit Summit theme, made more functional, easier implementation, led collaborative effort of departments across the company.

Slide 6

My Takeaways:

• The opportunities and challenges of running an international business.
• Tim has described our work as a business of relationships.  Whether it is coordinating projects with an international team made up of representatives from across the company or saying something to each franchisee in just the right way, this statement is certainly true.
• Happy employees are more productive and are able to create new and happier customers.
• Asking questions, exploring new ideas, and challenging the status quo are not only okay but important pieces of business growth.
• The importance of simplicity and clarity.
• Excel is everywhere and that larger paper can offer larger spreadsheets.

Slide 7

Impact on my career plan:

• Desire in an employer and piqued my interest in exploring the world of franchising.
• I want to work for a company which values its employees and its customers, that has great public reception, and which cares about more than just the bottom line.
• I like the fast-paced work environment with projects that change daily and unexpectedly.
• Tim has taught me that franchising is “like being on the board of a bunch of small companies”.
• This translates into Karen’s description of Build-A-Bear’s franchising as working like consultants.

Slide 8

Thank you for an amazing experience and a great opportunity!

Washington, D.C.

I have not posted anything on here lately because I have been on vacation with my family.  We went to Washington, D.C. for several days.  They were certainly action packed but I really liked what we saw.  That included:

• National Mall
• A lot of monuments, statues, and memorials – WWII Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, FDR Memorial, Theodore Roosevelt Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Boy Scout monument, Ulysses S. Grant Monument
• Washington Monument – rode up
• Museum of Natural History
• Museum of American History
• Air & Space Museum
• Freer Art Gallery
• Smithsonian Castle
• National Archives
• The White House
• Bureau of Engraving and Printing
• U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
• U.S. Capital
• U.S. Supreme Court
• The Library of Congress
• The Pentagon
• Arlington National Cemetery
• Chinatown
• Georgetown
• DuPont Circle/Embassy Row

Basically, it was a great vacation and we saw a lot.  I would like to go back and see more/some things again when I have more time to do so in a more relaxed manner.

I am looking forward to actually relaxing for the first time this summer.  That is not to happen yet though as I am leaving to go to a wedding in just a few minutes.  Hopefully after getting back on Monday, things will slow down or at least allow for sleeping time before I go back to Denver for school.