Dream First, Details Later

How to Quit Overthinking & Make It Happen!

By: Ellen Bennett

Narrated by: Ellen Bennett

"Ellen Bennett is the platonic form of a go-getter who inspires go-getter after go-getter to become a better go-getter."—Zooey Deschanel, actor and musician

You’ll never know where to start…until you start. This gutsy guidebook will help anyone who's procrastinating on a goal, career change, or business idea stop the obsessive worrying and leap into action.

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.

Dream First, Details Later shares Ellen's 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 book will be like having Ellen—your personal hype woman—there with you, all the while yelling, "Don't stop! You got this!" She'll share 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.

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

Inspirational!

Incredibly motivating book, love the story and his background. I love how the motivation and the energy is intertwined throughout the reading love to very much as one of my personal favorite.

The book you didn’t know you need it. A masterpiece for every entrepreneur.

This book was f***ing excellent! Ellen shares her success and struggles that any entrepreneur faces during this long journey. Starting from her childhood, her Mexican voyage, and then starting her career as a cook. I feel identified with it because it’s a struggle making little money, and yet she decided to chase her dream still. At times, I could feel her pain because I have been there too. Her persistence in going after what she wanted and being resilient is very inspiring. I cried just like she did while recording this book. Thank you, Ellen! Thank you for sharing your story, teaching us that if the door is closed, climb through the window. I learned so many lessons from this book, not just life lessons but business lessons that I will keep in mind as I start my own small business from now on.

So many amazing truth bombs!

I discovered and then purchased this book after an AHHHHMAAAAZING personal shout out from the author herself thanks to my equally amazing life coach and listened on my commutes. I'm a full time family medicine physician who loves creating in the kitchen and my dream is to have a cooking show one day! Both our moms are nurses and I felt like Ellen was speaking to my soul...how did she know I appreciate well placed F bombs 😂😂. This book reads FAST and I am sure to listen to it again and remind myself to stop letting my overthinking get in my way!

Such an inspiring story, full of great advice!

This book reminded me everyone has mountains climb. Keep climbing and don't ever give up!

The Entrepreneur How-To

Great inspirational stories of pivoting under pressure and thinking outside the box. Applicable to any career.