Harvard Business Review Press Bag Man

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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.Summing up Coach's philosophy in three words-"magic plus logic"-Bag Man shows how blending creativity and data-driven discipline can produce sustainable, profitable growth, helping to:Design and market products people loveBuild a roster of talent and a performance-driven cultureDrive strategies that pair a brand's unique value with the right market opportunitiesScale the business to achieve next-level organic growthOperate as a respected public companyA riveting, candid business memoir, Bag Man traces an extraordinary leadership journey that built a legacy brand.

Post/DHL

The longtime CEO of Coach shares never-before-told stories and strategies behind Coach's stunning growth from a $6 million handbag business to a $5 billion global fashion and lifestyle brand. A Coach handbag is an icon, but Lew Frankfort knew nothing about bags or fashion when he became assistant to the founder of Coach after heading New York City's Agency of Child Development. By the time he left Coach, he had spent 29 years as its CEO, leading its stunning growth from a scrappy maker of leather goods to a $5 billion global brand. Coach created a new market segment--accessible luxury--that transformed the retail industry. How did the son of a Bronx policeman, working in social services, go on to build a legendary bag business, grow it by a multiple of 1,000, and become recognized as one of the world's best CEOs? Bag Man is Lew Frankfort's illuminating leadership story. Frankfort offers insights and lessons from his successes and failures and articulates how Coach was able to keep reinventing itself over decades. He also shares his struggle with a haunting fear of failure, including how it drove an obsession with consumer insights that made Coach unique in the industry. Summing up Coach's philosophy in three words--"magic plus logic"--Bag Man shows how Coach blends the magic of creativity and the logic of business in the right ways at the right times to produce sustainable, profitable growth. Frankfort's behind-the-scenes stories explain the magic and logic of Coach and how it might apply to your endeavor, including how to: Design, merchandise, and market products people love Create a performance-driven culture with investment-grade leaders Broaden a brand's appeal while staying true to its ethos Drive strategies that pair a brand's unique value with the right market opportunities Scale and transform a business to achieve next-level organic growth A riveting, candid business memoir, Bag Man traces an extraordinary leadership journey that built a legacy brand.