Dream First, Details Later: How to Quit Overthinking & Make It Happen! by Ellen Marie Bennett

Book Review

Entrepreneur Ellen Marie Bennett, founder of professional apron company, Hedley & Bennett, knows what it takes to build a successful business, and the title of her new book, Dream First, Details Later: How to Quit Overthinking & Make It Happen!, says it all.

As a 24-year-old line cook, Ellen Marie Bennett couldn’t stand the kitchen staff’s poorly designed, cheaply made aprons. So when her head chef announced he was ordering a new batch, she blurted out, “Chef, I have an apron company”—even though she had no company, no business plan—just a glimmer of a design idea and a business license. Through hustle and a willingness to leap into the unknown, time and time again, she built that first order into a multi-million-dollar company called Hedley & Bennett, making aprons and kitchen gear worn by many of the world’s best chefs and home cooks everywhere.

Ellen’s new book, Dream First, Details Later shares her unique journey and her forged-in-the-fire personal playbook for starting before you stop yourself. If you’ve ever imagined doing something and immediately thought, “that’s impossible,” or “I wouldn’t even know where to start,” or “I’m not qualified to do that,” in these pages, you’ll learn how to shove aside your inner worrier and launch into action. This honest and bold illustrated book will be like having Ellen—your personal hype woman—there with you, all the while yelling, “Don’t stop! You got this!” 

In Dream First, Details Later, Ellen shares hard-won advice on: Squashing doubts and reservations about venturing outside your comfort zone. (These doubts masquerade as rational, but they’re more likely coming from a place of fear.) Saying screw it to the perfect plan and using creative problem-solving—and heart and guts—to conquer the shit storms as they come. Eventually transitioning from the “flying by the seat of your pants” stage to the “well-oiled machine” stage.  

Author quotes

You don’t need to have all the answers to make your dream a reality. You just need to start before you’re ready.

When pursuing a dream, it’s OK to be a little shameless when trying, when being scrappy, and when showing up!

Never for a second let anyone make you feel ashamed for trying to make something out of your life. Leave your shyness at the door, along with your fear of “what if they say no?” And forget the people who already did say no.

About the author

Ellen Marie Bennett is the founder and CEO of Hedley & Bennett, an apron and kitchen gear brand that outfits many of the best chefs in the world. Since starting the business in her L.A. home, Ellen has grown H&B into a multi-million dollar business. They have collaborated with Vans, Madewell, Chrissy Teigen, and artist Takashi Murakami, among others and create uniforms for 4,000 restaurants and coffee shops all over the U.S

www.hedleyandbennett.com 

Why LoA loves it….

There is always something inspirational about women entrepreneurs who are fearless, who just follow their instincts and make things happen in business. Ellen Marie Bennett is one such entrepreneur, and her tenacity and self belief are a great reminder to all of us as women entrepreneurs that we need to stop overthinking and just do it. So often as entrepreneurs, we don’t seize opportunities when they present themselves because we tell ourselves we are not ready, we are not big enough, we won’t be taken seriously. We need to take Ellen’s approach much more and simply go for it, say yes, and stop overthinking things. Her new book is a great reminder that this approach can pave the way for business success and a more tenacious approach to live and business. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa

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