Who knew that becoming a mom is so much like running a business? Only our friend, Ellen Marie Bennett. She’s a new mom, founder of the brand Hedley & Bennett, and an incredibly accomplished woman who has changed the culinary industry. She talks about her birth story (including her 40 hour labor!), why it’s necessary for both parents to be a part of the postpartum experience, and how becoming a mother has changed her perspective as a business owner. She may be a new mama, but she has been exuding super mama vibes for a long time!
More about Ellen: Growing up, Ellen Bennett, the founder and Chief Brand Officer of Hedley & Bennett, the leading Los Angeles based culinary brand, found herself spending summers in her native Mexico learning to cook with her abuelita. Soon after graduating high school, Ellen found herself back in Mexico City attending culinary school where she would rekindle the joys of her summer cooking adventures while learning the skills needed to tackle the hustle of the professional kitchen. Back in L.A., she put her training to work cooking in two Michelin Star restaurants, Providence and Baco Mercat. It was during this time working on the line that she experienced a “uniform” that was not aligned with the creativity and confidence found in the kitchen. This led to the vision for Hedley & Bennett; make the best aprons in the world by marrying the needs of professional chefs with the design trends for today's discerning consumers.
Today, Hedley & Bennett makes culinary workwear and gear that outfits over 6,000 restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, resorts and hundreds of thousands of home cooks all over the world. This evolution has also led to creative, out-of-the-box collaborations with brands and partners such as the Grateful Dead, Vans, Madewell, Parachute Home, Rifle Paper Co., Product (RED) and more.
In early 2020, Ellen pivoted the resources of her company during the global COVID-19 pandemic to make masks to meet the needs of both professionals and consumers while donating hundreds of thousands of masks to front line workers.
In April of 2021, Ellen released her first book Dream First, Details Later, which outlines her personal playbook of putting your inner worrier on silent and leaping into action. Peppered with unfiltered behind-the-scenes stories and colorful illustrations, the book empowers readers with the tools they need to bring their boldest and best ideas to life.
Ellen and the Hedley & Bennett story has been featured in the New York Times, Fast Company, Inc., Forbes, Entrepreneur, Bon Appetit, Martha Stewart, the Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Today Show and more. Ellen lives in Echo Park with her husband Casey, their brand-new baby boy Nico, their pet pig Oliver, and six chickens.
Our Conversation with Ellen
“My greatest accomplishment yet.” - Ellen, on becoming a mom
Her pet pig, Oliver
Nico’s birth
“40 hour labor - that’s a full work week!” - Ellen on her birthing experience
The story of Hedley & Bennett
“It started with this decision and this mental shift from no to yes and then taking the actions necessary which is very much like running a business.” - Ellen, on deciding she was ready to start a family
“There are crazy similarities with business and motherhood and I’m only 5 months in.” - Ellen
“It’s incredibly important that both that both the man and the woman show up for postpartum because it’s so fucking hard. It’s so much work and it’s so intense for the mother, and no mother should have to do it on their own.'“ - Ellen
Ellen’s postpartum experience
“I have never stopped in that way. I’ve never stopped for 40 days ever. It was crazy but I needed it.” - Ellen
“When the baby comes, you feel like your marriage becomes #2. But it shouldn’t. It needs to be number 1.” - Ellen
Business & a baby
Links
Follow Ellen on instagram @ellenmariebennett
Follow Hedley & Bennett on Instagram @hedleyandbennett and shop aprons, accessories and more at HedleyandBennett.com
Buy her book Dream First, Details Later: How to Quit Overthinking & Make It Happen! “It’s an easy read!” - Ellen
You can also buy the audio version, read by Ellen herself
Bricia also recommended this book, The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother, to Ellen during her baby shower. They both highly recommend it when preparing for your postpartum experience.
