Live podcast: Lew Frankfort + Zibby Owens at Zibby's Bookshop in NYC

Join Zibby for a live podcast of Totally Booked with Lew Frankfort.

The recording will begin promptly at 5:00 pm, so please arrive by 4:45 pm.

About the book:

The longtime CEO of Coach shares stories and strategies behind the company's stunning growth from a $6 million business to a $5 billion global brand.

Lew Frankfort knew nothing about fashion when he became assistant to the founder of Coach. By the time he left, Frankfort had spent 29 years as CEO, growing Coach from a scrappy maker of leather bags with a small cult following to a beloved lifestyle brand. Along the way, Coach created a new market segment—accessible luxury—that redefined an industry. In Bag Man, Frankfort explains how the son of a Bronx policeman, after working in city government, built a business that challenged conventions, grew it 1000%, and became recognized as one of the world's best CEOs.

Bag Man offers lessons from both achievements and missteps as Coach reinvented itself over decades. Throughout, Frankfort considers a more personal aspect of leadership—how the double-edged sword of fear and drive can lead to success but also take a toll. He shares his struggles with a haunting fear of failure, including how it drove an obsession with consumer insights that made Coach unique in the industry.

A riveting, candid business memoir, Bag Man traces an extraordinary leadership journey that built a legacy brand.

About the author:

Lew Frankfort is Chairman Emeritus of Coach, Inc. He joined Coach in 1979 and served as Chairman and CEO from 1985 through 2014. During his 35 years with Coach, Lew built the small leather goods company into a $5 billion global accessories and lifestyle brand and was recognized multiple times by Barron’s as one of the “30 Most Respected CEOs around the World,” and by Institutional Investor as one of the “Best CEOs in America.”

After retiring from Coach, Lew co-founded Benvolio Group, an investment firm that focuses on early-stage disruptive consumer brands, including several where he advises and mentors senior leaders. Lew spent the first 10 years of his career in New York City government, with the last three restoring the city’s Head Start and day care programs as the Commissioner of the Agency for Child Development. He grew up in the Bronx and attended Hunter College and Columbia Business School. He and his wife Bobbie live in New York City, where they are active supporters of education and the arts. They have three children, eight grandchildren, and two beloved labradoodles.

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