Ellen Marie Bennett is the founder and chief brand officer of Hedley & Bennett, a culinary lifestyle brand that started with aprons for professional chefs. In this episode of DTC Pod, Ellen shares her journey of building the brand through grassroots marketing, meticulous financial management, and a focus on product quality and brand community building. The discussion covers the importance of customer feedback in product development, expanding strategically into DTC and now omnichannel retail, and how to invest sustainably for long-term success.