Podcast Summary: How Leaders Lead with David Novak

Episode #262: Lew Frankfort, Chairman Emeritus and former CEO of Coach – Combine Magic and Logic
Released: October 23, 2025

Overview

In this insightful episode, David Novak sits down with Lew Frankfort, former CEO and Chairman Emeritus of Coach, to unpack Frankfort’s remarkable journey—from a Bronx childhood through public service in city government to transforming a modest handbag company into a $5 billion global brand. The conversation explores how combining intuition and analysis (“magic and logic”) fueled Coach’s growth, the power of relentless curiosity, leadership shaped by formative family values, and actionable wisdom for building high-performance, value-driven teams. The episode is rich in leadership lessons, personal anecdotes, and strategic insights not only about business, but also about personal development and legacy.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Formative Years: Family, Values, and Resilience

• Belief Instilled by Parents
  • Lew credits much of his drive to the unwavering belief his parents had in him, despite outside doubts (03:00).
  • Quote:
    “You cannot let others define who you will be. Possibilities are really infinite.”
    – Lew Frankfort [02:58]
• Pivotal Childhood Experience
  • Lew recalls his mother firmly rejecting a school counselor’s advice that he skip college—her resolve became a lifelong motivator (01:24).

Early Career: City Government and Investigative Skills

• Government Experience and Mentorship
  • Developed analytical and investigative skills during a tumultuous time running New York’s Daycare and Head Start agencies (04:12).
  • Learned the necessity of articulating clear purpose, building coalitions around common beliefs, and balancing data with empathy.
• Navigating Ethical Dilemmas
  • Maintained integrity when pressured by political figures, notably refusing to compromise standards at the behest of future Mayor Ed Koch (13:35).

Strategic Pivot to Coach and the Power of Curiosity

• Serendipitous Shift to Coach
  • Lew entered the private sector thanks to a chance encounter and a reputation for strong principles—a Columbia professor connected him to Coach’s founder (11:42).
• Investigative Approach to Leadership
  • Approached Coach as an “insatiably curious” outsider, conducting undercover research on the company’s standing in the market before formally joining (08:57, 10:15).
  • Quote:
    “My immersive curiosity actually served as an advantage because I really had no predispositions about what it took to grow a handbag company or a brand.”
    – Lew Frankfort [08:23]

Building an Enduring Brand: Innovation, Culture, and “Accessible Luxury”

• Defining the Vision – “Accessible Luxury”
  • Identified a lane between mass-market and high-end luxury; Coach pioneered “accessible luxury,” targeting a broad swath of aspirational consumers (18:59, 21:55).
  • The term helped investors (primarily men) understand the deeply personal appeal of the brand to its largely female consumers.
• Magic + Logic: Leadership Philosophy
  • Coach’s success is attributed to blending “bold imagination” (the magic) with rigorous data and consumer insights (the logic), a concept that guided strategy domestically and broke ground internationally—especially in Japan (26:36, 27:36).
  • Quote:
    “Bold imagination coupled with rigorous data analysis, consumer insights, logic, business metrics, and trying to blend the two to give consumers something that they would appreciate.”
    – Lew Frankfort [23:23]

Challenges, Competition, and Relentlessness

• Relentless Drive and Fear of Failure
  • Lew’s lifelong “fear of failure”—which manifested in waking up drenched in sweat—drove his work ethic and relentless focus (23:52, 24:20).
  • Quote:
    “My drive for excellence and the fear of failure still exist today... at least now I don't wake up drenched in sweat like I did for 40 or 50 years.”—Lew Frankfort [23:52]
• Performance Family: Shaping the Culture
  • Transitioned the culture from paternalistic to a “performance family”—balancing high achievement with care for employees (39:39).
• Dealing with Copycats and Market Shifts
  • Confronted counterfeits and competition (notably Michael Kors) through branding rigor and IP defense, emphasizing the importance of staying both “timeless and on-trend” (31:17, 34:51).
  • Quote:
    “There were times when we thought we were interpreting someone else's idea into something uniquely Coach, and we found by the marketplace not purchasing it that they didn't really see this as Coach.”
    – Lew Frankfort [33:24]

Evolving Leadership—Self-Awareness, Vulnerability, and Continuous Learning

• Feedback and Growth
  • Lew learned to celebrate milestones, give recognition, and adapt his directness after feedback from his team (36:36).
• Self-Reflection and Adaptive Leadership
  • Practices daily self-reflection, seeks feedback from younger team members and family, and embraces change (43:46).
• The Power of Vulnerability
  • Advises aspiring leaders to “be vulnerable…put your ego at bay…hold two antithetical views”—and to listen to one’s body for signs of stress and imbalance (50:19).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Infinite Possibility:
  “You cannot let others define who you will be. Possibilities are really infinite.”
  – Lew Frankfort [02:58]

• On Investigative Leadership:
  “My immersive curiosity actually served as an advantage because I really had no predispositions about what it took to grow a handbag company or a brand.”
  – Lew Frankfort [08:23]

• On Defining Coach’s Niche:
  “We saw an opportunity to create a term that would actually identify us...accessible luxury.”
  – Lew Frankfort [19:50]

• On Success and Complacency:
  “The time you should run the most scared is when you’re the most successful.”
  – Lew Frankfort [23:42]

• On Blending Magic and Logic:
  “Magic plus logic...the intersection of art and science, or business and creativity.”
  – Lew Frankfort [26:36]

• On Recognizing and Facing Competition:
  “We did not notice a major new competitor coming in, copying our playbook...and we didn’t jump on that fast enough.”
  – Lew Frankfort (about Michael Kors) [31:17]

• On Culture:
  “We wanted to build a performance family...Family meant we wanted people with shared good values, that we had a greater purpose than just a paycheck.”
  – Lew Frankfort [39:39]

• On Vulnerability and Self-Care:
  “Be vulnerable. Be open. Put your ego at bay...Listen to your body...your psychological mental stress manifests physically.”
  – Lew Frankfort [50:19]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:00–03:17] Early family life, belief, Bronx roots
• [03:34–05:36] Lessons from city government and combating scandals
• [08:00–10:15] Investigative skills and entering Coach
• [13:16–15:37] Maintaining principles under political pressure
• [16:02–18:10] Early days at Coach, vision, and omnichannel foresight
• [18:59–23:08] Defining and positioning “accessible luxury”
• [23:52–25:58] Fear of failure and cultivating relentless teams
• [26:36–29:50] Magic + Logic philosophy; Japan expansion
• [31:17–34:51] Facing competition, counterfeits, and innovation
• [36:36–39:39] Learning to celebrate, giving feedback, adapting leadership style
• [39:39–41:28] Shifting from paternalistic to performance culture
• [41:28–43:31] Embracing AI, adaptive learning
• [44:23–46:05] Personal life, routines, daily rituals, leadership at home
• [49:09–49:58] Legacy, unfinished business, and savoring the journey
• [50:19–51:10] Closing leadership advice on vulnerability and self-care

Debrief & Post-Interview Reflections

• Kula’s Highlights:

  • The resonance of Coach as "accessible luxury," its cultural presence, and brand evolution.
  • Praised Lew’s “investigative skill set” and curiosity as underpinning his leadership.
  • Noted his honesty about fear of failure as a unique but powerful motivator.

• David Novak’s Key Takeaways:

  • The importance of curiosity and the investigative mindset in effective leadership.
  • The “magic” of achieving cultural relevance without losing brand identity.
  • Divergent motivations in leaders: some driven by fear of failure, some by the joy of success.

• Actionable Advice for Listeners:

  • Choose one lesson from Lew’s journey to apply: practice curiosity, blend creativity and logic, develop resilience, or value self-reflection and vulnerability.

Final Takeaways

• Combine Magic and Logic: Use imagination and data to inform bold moves.
• Be Relentlessly Curious: Investigate the market, your customers, and yourself.
• Never Get Complacent: Comfort breeds vulnerability—innovation must be constant.
• Lead with Integrity: Stand by your values, even under pressure.
• Champion the Team: Build a “performance family”—high standards, high care.
• Practice Self-Reflection: Celebrate wins, but always strive to improve.
• Embrace Vulnerability: Be open to learning from all directions and check in with your body and mind for signs of stress.

For anyone seeking to develop their own leadership "magic and logic," Lew Frankfort’s story offers a masterclass in values-driven growth, bold curiosity, and adaptive learning.