Jack Mitchell — chairman emeritus of Mitchells Stores — was the second generation to run the company.
With his brother Bill, he helped make a literal mom-and-pop shop — Ed Mitchell’s — into a group of nationally recognized men’s and women’s specialty stores, in Connecticut, New York and on the West Coast.
In 2003, Jack launched a second career as a speaker and author. His “hugging” books — “Hug Your Customers” and “Hug Your People” — are filled with personal stories, and consistently top the business bestseller lists.
Jack has given hundreds of speeches, to audiences including Merrill Lynch, Nike, Starbucks and Harvard University.
The other day, Jack stopped by the Westport Library for a chat. He looked back on 85 years: his youth here in town, the early years and growth of Mitchells, and everything in between.
Click below for our wide-ranging, and very instructive, conversation.
Jack’s nephew, Scott, and my daughter, Jennifer, were classmates in Westport. After they were both out of college, Scott worked at a shop at the South Street Seaport and we stopped by to say hello. We think the family had a wise policy of the kids who wanted to join the family business training and learning outside the local store before coming into the family fold.
I knew Mitchell’s parents who lived at Southport Woods condos in Southport. My aunt lived there also.
Where are the West Coast stores located?
Wilkes in San Francisco’s Union Square and Palo Alto (soon to move into a nice new mall), and Marios in Seattle, Portland and Tigard, Oregon.
One of my The Mitchells graduated from Staples in 1961 with my cousin Susan Parise. I’m pretty sure I got the date right.
That first sentence got changed by my phone and I don’t proof read. It was supposed to be one of the Mitchell brothers graduated with my cousin, Susan Parise. I think it was the class of 1961.
I bought my first two suits from Bill Mitchell in 1976 when I was hired to work at Kemper Insurance outside of Boston. I was so broke at the time I needed to take out a loan at Westport Bank and Trust to pay for them. Many years later after a career shift brought me to the YMCA, Bill Mitchell spoke at my retirement party in 2005. Both are treasured memories for me. Great podcast Dan, both Jack and Bill are true Westport icons.