Who Is Jack Mitchell?
"Jack’s enthusiasm is infectious. Whether with a sales associate, a family member or a customer, he builds consensus. In fact, consensus building has been the key to Jack’s success - in and out of the business."
- David Bork, Family Business consultant, Speaker, Author
“We are humbled as a company that we had the opportunity to hear part of ‘The Mitchell Family Story’ from Hugger Jack Mitchell at our annual meeting in Madison, WI. We had 350 people in attendance, and while our industries are different, the core values centered around customer service and ‘caring’ about the customer are the same. Let’s just say that Jack was amazing. His stories, his key points, and his humble nature all came to the forefront of his amazing presentation. The audience quickly felt comfortable; as was evidenced by the array of open-ended questions at the end of his presentation. We are grateful to have listened to Hugger Jack - he was fantastic. He is now part of our Fairway family - no question!!!”
– Steve Jacobson, CEO, Fairway Independent Mortgage
“’We focus on our customers’ has become such a cliché that it is rare to find the company that doesn’t say it today. However, even rarer is the company that is able to deliver on its customer focus. And that’s where Mitchells Family of Stores comes in. Jack Mitchell and ‘Hug Your Customers’ is more than a must-read, it’s the blueprint for how to do it right and mean it. Listening to Jack brings it all home. His energy, enthusiasm and experience transformed our 800+ attendees into immediate huggers - writing handwritten notes, acknowledging customer birthdays and anniversaries, all while coming up with new examples of ’Hugs’. Thank you Jack for sharing your message and your passion. It is permanently embedded in our culture!”
– Jeff Tinker, Senior Vice President, National Sales Manager, Wells Fargo Treasury Management
“I’ve never seen a class hug a lecturer the way they hugged Jack. He’s as wonderful a speaker as he is a writer, as wonderful a writer as he is a camping companion, and as wonderful a camping companion as he is a human being. I wish he’d been my employer - at any age - and I am proud to be his pal."
– Stephen Trachtenberg, President Emeritus, George Washington University
“Jack Mitchell spoke to our division and within seconds of the conclusion of his presentation everyone was incorporating what they learned from Jack in the halls, at lunch and on their emails - a total response to ‘extra touch’ as it relates to our team and our customers. Jack’s vision is of a culture that is sadly missed today in many businesses but not ours.”
– George Kanganis, President Commercial Division, GCA Services Group
”Jack Mitchell is truly the Renaissance Man of our industry! He is an entrepreneur, merchant, author, motivational speaker, community activist, and a supporter of a multitude of charities. For Cole Haan, and for me personally, Jack has always been the consummate business partner, an ardent brand supporter, a constructive advisor, a generous mentor and a trusted friend. Jack’s books re-connect us with the crucial fundamentals that we need to keep our businesses relevant and successful, and also to keep our colleagues, associates and customers energized and engaged. It’s easy to lose sight of these key elements in our day-to-day turmoil, and Jack brings it all back to us in a fun, compelling, and very personal way. Over the years we have had Jack speak to leadership teams at both Cole Haan and Nike, and each time he has left his audience re-energized and hungry for more. Huge Hugs and thanks to Jack for everything that he has provided us, and for reminding us of what is truly important in business and in life!”
– Tracy M. Smith, President, Global Sales, Cole Haan
“Jack Mitchell is one of the most extraordinary men I have met in my 44 year business career! His deep commitment to his family, his unflagging passion for people and their well being, coupled with his ability to find the positive path in all situations make him a role model for all family business leaders. Jack’s enthusiasm is infectious. Whether with a sales associate, a family member or a customer, he builds consensus. In fact, consensus building has been the key to Jack’s success – in and out of the business. His goal is to have each and every person walk away from him having had an overwhelmingly positive experience from the interaction…and they do!”
– David Bork, Family Business consultant, Speaker, Author
“Jack Mitchell is a gem. His genuine passion for providing world-class service to his customers comes through on every level. He openly shares the secrets to his family’s multi-generational success and connected with our team, from executives to sales consultants, to deliver a memorable and actionable keynote presentation at our National Convention. I am proud to say that Jack and his inspirational ideas and concepts are not only part of our culture now, but that he and the Mitchell family have become part of our extended “Luxottica family”. We believe that service is the key differentiator for us in the future and look forward to keeping the HUG spirit alive within our culture for decades to come.”
– Holly Rush, Senior Vice President, Sales, Luxottica