The Anxious Achiever He Built Coach Into a $5 Billion Company, But Feared Failure Every Day | Lew Frankfort
Oct 21, 2025
Lew Frankfort, the former CEO who turned Coach into a $24 billion brand, opens up about his lifelong fear of failure. He discusses how this anxiety drove his success but also led to depressive episodes. Frankfort shares valuable insights on using curiosity to combat fear and the importance of mental health practices like meditation and exercise. He emphasizes hiring for complementarity to build effective teams and reflects on the lessons learned from corporate politics. A candid look at the pressures of leadership and the strategies to overcome them.
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Accessible Luxury As A New Market
- Lew Frankfort coined “accessible luxury” to describe a middle lane between mass and luxury that democratizes high-quality products.
- He believed Americans wanted durable, emotionally resonant products at reasonable prices, creating a huge new market space.
Investor Warmup That Won Skeptics
- Lew used a simple investor warmup to show why women care about handbag brands by comparing wallets to handbags.
- That demonstration helped skeptical male investors grasp the emotional importance of Coach products.
Fear Plus Purpose Powers Leadership
- Lew frames fear of failure as a persistent drive that can fuel excellence when balanced with purpose.
- He argues fear alone leads to fleeing or freezing, but pairing it with belief enables sustained fighting and leadership.
