“That’s what business is. It isn’t black and white. It is colourful — and ALL the colours, good, bad, and ugly!”— Ellen BennettMany of us start our businesses after months (or even years) of preparation.Others take a “from 0 to 60” approach.Ellen Bennett is the founder of the Hedley & Bennett apron company, whose fans include Zooey Deschanel, Martha Stewart, David Chang, and Jessica Alba. She’s also the author of Dream First, Details Later: How to Quit Overthinking and Make It Happen.Elle...
“That’s what business is. It isn’t black and white. It is colourful — and ALL the colours, good, bad, and ugly!”
— Ellen Bennett
Many of us start our businesses after months (or even years) of preparation.
Others take a “from 0 to 60” approach.
Ellen Bennett is the founder of the Hedley & Bennett apron company, whose fans include Zooey Deschanel, Martha Stewart, David Chang, and Jessica Alba. She’s also the author of Dream First, Details Later: How to Quit Overthinking and Make It Happen.
Ellen started her apron business while working as a line cook at the age of 24. She hated the cheap aprons used in the kitchen and dreamed about better options.
When her head chef announced that he was putting in another apron order, Ellen blurted out “I have an apron company!”
She didn’t. All she had was a great idea and a newly-purchased business licence.
But she wound up landing her first order during that very conversation.
Since then, her business has grown tremendously and now outfits chefs in homes and restaurants around the world.
During her entrepreneurial journey, Ellen faced a lot of challenges, including the Covid-19 related shutdown of the restaurant industry. Tune in to learn how she kept her motivation, how she engages with her numbers, and why you should check out her amazing new book!
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How Ellen kept an apron business going during the pandemic shutdown of almost all restaurants
- The amazing spending habit Ellen developed in the early stages of her business — and how it helped her grow
- The biggest challenges that Ellen has faced from start-up to scale-up — and how she dealt with them
About Ellen Bennett
As a 24-year-old line cook, Ellen Bennett couldn’t stand the cheap, poorly designed aprons. When her head chef said he was ordering a new batch, she blurted out, “Chef, I have an apron company”—even though she had just a glimmer of an idea and a business license. Through hustle and a willingness to take a leap, she built that first order into the company Hedley & Bennett is today, making aprons and kitchen gear worn by chefs and home cooks everywhere.
Highlights:
- 01:35 The Hedley & Bennett story
- 04:51 Dream First, Details Later
- 09:45 Big challenges
- 12:04 Motivation
- 14:04 Pandemic effect
- 17:45 Spending habit
- 20:23 Childhood & money
- 22:33 Takeaway
Links:
Hedley & Bennett
https://www.hedleyandbennett.com
Dream First, Details Later: How to Quit Overthinking and Make It Happen!
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/607064/dream-first-details-later-by-ellen-marie-bennett
The 5-Step Roadmap to Biz Finance Freedom
https://melissa-houston-cpa-cga.mykajabi.com/5-step-roadmap-to-biz-finance-freedom
Work with me
https://www.melissahoustoncpa.com/work-with-me
Check out thebusinesssociety.co for more resources for business owners.
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