I recently listened to an episode of the Long Story Short podcast by Bobbi Brown, makeup artist and ex-CEO of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, where she interviewed Millard “Mickie” Drexler. There’s a good chance that at some point, you’ve experienced one of his retail stores. He’s responsible for iconic brands like J.Crew, Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy, and Steve Jobs recruited him to design a brick-and-mortar store that ultimately became the Apple Store. 

In the podcast, Drexler spoke about his thoughts on retail and on hiring talent. As we embark on a new year, I thought it enlightening to hear what this 74-year-old has learned over his years of building teams. Here are a few broad takeaways: