Dream First, Details Later (ePub)

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

As a 25-year-old line cook, Ellen Bennett's boss approached her about reordering aprons. Tired of wearing the kitchen's cheap, poorly-designed garments, Ellen had a vision for how to improve upon the simple design of an apron and change the morale of her fellow line cooks in the process. She went for it: "Chef, I have an apron company." The only problem: there was no company, much less any actual aprons.

In Dream First, Details Later, Ellen will show you how one flash of inspiration led to the development of an internationally-recognized workwear brand, despite taking a hundred hockey sticks to the face along the way. Hedley & Bennett aprons, with the iconic ampersand patch in the corner, are seen everywhere, from the Food Network and Chef's Table, to Google, SpaceX, Shake Shack, Sweetgreen, and tens of thousands of restaurants and home kitchens. Now, Ellen is showing creatives, makers, and doers with big dreams how to leap into the unknown, take the blows, and stick the landing.

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!" and teaching you every one of her creative problem-solving tactics. Whether you want to start a multimillion-dollar company or pilot a risky idea, you'll learn how to transition from the "flying by the seat of your pants" stage to the "well-oiled machine" stage.

Ellen shares hard-won advice on topics such as:

• How to barter for opportunities, expertise, and data you couldn't otherwise afford

• How to build your confidence belt by practicing doing things that scare you

• How to convince people to take a chance on you by leading with your passion and following up with hard work

If you've ever had a dream or a bold idea, but immediately thought, "that's impossible," or "I wouldn't even know where to start," or "I'm not qualified to do that," Dream First, Details Later is the book for you.