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b"Ellen Marie Bennett is the founder and chief brand officer of Hedley & Bennett. If you\\u2019re a foodie, you\\u2019ve seen Hedley & Bennett aprons on some of the world\\u2019s best chefs. I saw one on Stanley Tucci and knew if I was going to be a serious home cook, I had to have one. Ellen shares how she created this brand 10 years ago\\u2014at the age of 24\\u2014this week on the On Brand podcast.\\n\\nAbout Ellen Marie Bennett\\nAs a 24-year-old line cook, Ellen Marie Bennett couldn't stand the kitchen staff\\u2019s poorly designed, cheaply made aprons. So when her head chef announced he was ordering a new batch, she blurted out, \\u201cChef, I have an apron company\\u201d\\u2014even though she had no company, no business plan\\u2014just 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\\u2019s best chefs and home cooks everywhere.\\n\\xa0\\nEpisode Highlights\\n\\u201cYour listeners have to be thinking, \\u2018A whole interview about aprons?!\\u2019\\u201d Ellen jokingly suggested. \\u201cThis has nothing to do with aprons. This could be aprons or protein powder or whatever your product is.\\u201d\\n\\u201cI wanted to be the Nike of the culinary world.\\u201d Mission accomplished. And that\\u2019s no small mission! Ellen talked about wanting to create a connection with her customers and community like Nike has with theirs. That feeling when someone puts something on feels that they can do anything.\\nChasing perfection vs. learning. Ellen notes that it's dangerous to wait for perfection to launch a new product, stressing the importance of \\u201cembracing the long and winding road.\\u201d\\nLearning from customers. \\u201cEverything we added to our products we learned from chefs,\\u201d Ellen explained that focus groups aren\\u2019t everything. \\u201cThere\\u2019s no one way to build a brand.\\u201d\\nHow do you know when to expand the brand? Recently, Hedley & Bennett has expanded into knives, thermometers, and towels. But how did they know when to expand? \\u201cWe learned that we\\u2019re not just an apron brand. We\\u2019re a culinary brand,\\u201d Ellen explained. \\u201cAnd one of our brand pillars is that it needs to be pro-grade.\\u201d It has to be chef-quality.\\nWhat brand has made Ellen smile recently?\\xa0Ellen was moved to smiles and tears by a recent trip to Mexico to deliver holiday gifts to children through the foundation This Is About Humanity. Ellen shared more about the good work they do and how they get a majority of the money they raise into the hands of people who need it most.\\nTo learn more, go to the Hedley and Bennett website and follow the brand on TikTok. You can also follow Ellen and follow the adventures of her family and her pet pig (!) on Instagram.\\nAs We Wrap \\u2026\\n\\n\\nListen and subscribe\\xa0at\\xa0Apple Podcasts,\\xa0Spotify,\\xa0Amazon/Audible,\\xa0Google Play,\\xa0Stitcher,\\xa0TuneIn,\\xa0iHeart,\\xa0YouTube, and\\xa0RSS.\\n\\n\\nRate and review the show\\u2014If you like what you\\u2019re hearing, be sure to head over to\\xa0Apple Podcasts\\xa0and click the 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review to help others find the show.\\n\\n\\nDid you hear something you liked on this episode or another?\\xa0Do you have a question you\\u2019d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.\\n\\n\\nOn Brand is a part of the\\xa0Marketing Podcast Network.\\n\\n\\nUntil next week, I\\u2019ll see you on the Internet!\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices"