Ellen Bennett went from a $10/hour line cook to building a multimillion-dollar apron empire by dreaming big. She’s the founder and CEO of Hedley & Bennett, a culinary lifestyle brand that outfits everyone from the home cook to celebrity chefs and makers around the world. In her new book, Dream First, Details Later, Ellen shares her incredible journey. Discover how to silence your inner critic, turn your ideas into action, and hustle your way to the top.
Follow Ellen: Instagram | Book
Show Notes
- The similarities between the athlete mindset and the entrepreneurial mindset (1:46)
- How Hedley & Bennett began (5:22)
- Focus on what you have; not what you don’t have (7:37)
- The evolution of Hedley & Bennett into a lifestyle brand (10:24)
- Outfitting the top celebrity chefs (13:59)
- Growing the team and scaling the company (15:39)
- How collaborations transformed the company into the direct-to-consumer model (18:25)
- What the word “no” means to her (20:41)
- Resourcefulness- getting creative by trading skills for resources (21:15)
- “Don’t start with the transaction, start with the person.” (22:50)
- Don’t overthink the details; just start (26:42)
- The transition from founder to CEO (27:56)
- Building confidence (29:59)
- How to build confidence in the people you lead (31:34)
- Letting go of old beliefs and old ways of doing things (32:45)
- The advice she received from Martha Stewart (36:27)
Resources / People Mentioned
- Hedley & Bennett
- Dream First, Details Later
- Martha Stewart
- Alton Brown
- Jessica Alba
- Providence (LA restaurant)
- David Chang
- Nancy Silverton
- Food Network
- Top Chef
- Vans x H&B
- Parachute
- The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Denny Bruce, Dickies
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