Ellen Bennett: The Apron Lady + White House Maker Conversations

The Art of Manufacturing

Maker conversations from the White House and LA! Celebrity makers and chefs like Martha Stewart and Mario Batali are crazy about Hedley & Bennett aprons. We learn how Ellen Bennett is building a company that brings in millions in revenues and cultivates a passionate following for something that’s so mundane on this Season Finale episode. They are at a watershed moment, bursting at the seams and grappling with how to grow. But it all started very modestly, when she ran off to culinary school at age 18, hoping to launch a taco empire in LA. We hear her amazing story of hustle and determination as she went from booth babe and lottery announcer in Mexico City to line cook in LA to successful entrepreneur. The leadership insights, operations tips, and lessons in courage are informative and inspiring. And, we learn why her factory has a zip line and two tree houses!

This episode also features two bonus conversations about making and manufacturing from the White House: we kick things off with U.S. CTO Megan Smith and colleague Megan Brewster talking about Manufacturing Day on October 7, 2016. We also ran into Adam Savage, the host of tested.com and Mythbusters, on the South Lawn at SXSL.

The views expressed on The Art of Manufacturing podcast are those of the guests, and not our sponsors or partners. For show notes about this episode, visit: http://makeitinla.org/ellenbennett and http://makeitinla.org/whitehouse