Episode
Gymboree: Joan Barnes. How Building a Beloved Brand Nearly Destroyed Its Founder
How I Built This with Guy Raz · Jan 12, 2026 · 1 h 24 min
Before Gymboree became a cultural icon in the 80s and 90s, it was just one lonely new mom trying to find connection. Joan Barnes started hosting weekly playgroups for parents… and demand exploded. What began as a diversion became a business. Then a franchise. Then a brand everyone seemed to know, with its padded playrooms and parachute games. From the outside, it looked like a runaway success…