Dream First, Details Later with Ellen Bennett, Chase Jarvis

There's a common misconception that artists have a monopoly on creativity… But the very act of making waves—no matter the career—is a creative one. The Chase Jarvis Live Show is an exploration of creativity, self-discovery, entrepreneurship, hard-earned lessons, and so much more. Chase sits down with the world's top creators, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders and unpacks actionable, valuable insights to help you live your dreams in career, hobby, and life.

About this episode:

One of the most common stories I hear is, “I’m not ready yet.” You have a dream, a goal, an ambition, but without the connections, skills, or resources it feels out of reach. Social media makes it easy to see others’ success without showing the REAL stuff. Late nights, blood, sweat, tears… the messy middle doesn’t make the highlight reel. This mindset undermines our confidence and inhibits creativity.

Chances are, you do have what you need to get started. Today’s show is going to prove it to you. Ellen Bennett, Founder of Hedley and Bennett and author of DREAM FIRST, DETAILS LATER, lifts the curtains to talk about her uncertain, circuitous, passion-driven journey. After her parents’ difficult divorce when she was 9, Ellen was raised by her mother, who worked long hours to keep the lights on and the family fed. At 18, a two-month trip to Mexico turned into 4 years before Ellen returned to the U.S., walked in the back door of a Michelin star restaurant and asked for a job as a line cook. There, she observed the challenges cooks faced, one of them being the one-size fits all aprons that wore out, caused problems and generally weren’t quality products. Hedley and Bennett is now one of the world’s leading apron manufacturers, collaborating with tastemakers like Martha Stewart and Alton Brown and top chefs like David Chang, April Bloomfield, and Nobu Matsuhisa.

For aspiring entrepreneurs stuck in analysis paralysis, creatives procrastinating on a personal project, or anyone caught in obsessive over-planning, Ellen shares her gutsy personal playbook to putting your inner worrier on silent and leaping into action.