Bag Man is an engaging, funny, human story told by Lew Frankfort, the CEO of Coach brands. Released 14th Oct 2025 by the Harvard Business Review Press, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
For anyone who loves solid quality leather goods, especially purses and accessories, Coach immediately brings to mind affordable (as close to luxury as most Americans ever get) quality. From late boomer-gen through millenials, Coach has been the dream for most American high school girls and women a perennial favorite.
Mr. Frankfort has a brash inimitable solid New Yorker style and attitude and it's by turns touching, nostalgic, and exciting. He took the helm of a struggling business and helped guide it into the 21st century multi-billion dollar entity it is today.
He has an entirely "everyman" pragmatic attitude and is surprisingly egalitarian (for a top-echelon executive). He doesn't seem removed from the realities of everyday life, and apparently never divorced himself from growing up in a blue-collar family, the son of a cop in New York. He had early experience in the public service sector, and never lost that solidarity either.
The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 11 hours 57 minutes and is beautifully read by the author himself. He has a wonderful, undiluted, brash Bronx accent which, even if he's mugging it up for the read, is a delightful addition nevertheless. Sound and production quality are high throughout.
Five stars. This would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home library, or for loyal fans of the brand. It's a bit of a David vs. Goliath story and the brand's resilience is a bit of a bright spot in an otherwise dystopian current-day.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
No comments:
Post a Comment