How To Build A Brand That Lasts: with Lew Frankfort (Chairman + Former CEO of Coach)

What separates a good brand from a timeless one? In this episode, Coach’s longtime CEO Lew Frankfort joins Danielle to share the lifetime of lessons he documents in his new memoir Bagman. Lew breaks down why an outsider’s perspective can be an advantage, how “magic and logic” shaped Coach, and what scaling a $6 million leather goods company into a $5 billion global lifestyle brand really took: personally and professionally. In this episode, Lew shares:

• How a stroller-ready diaper bag sparked his first entrepreneurial lesson
• Why immersive curiosity must precede data and analytics
• Life lessons he took away from his struggles with a speech impediment as a child, and how they had a long lasting impact
• How being an outsider helped him see the fashion world through a different (and valuable) lens
• The hidden costs of growth—including health, mindset, and family time
• The techniques he used to help him navigate depressive episodes throughout his life and career
• A haunting fear of failure that fueled his drive for excellence but came at a personal cost
• A values-first philosophy on leadership and legacy amid short-term pressures
• What Gen Z is getting right

Follow Lew on Instagram @LewFrankfort

Book recommendation: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

Check out Lew’s book Bagman

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