Deviating from industry norms is one of the most common characteristics we’ve seen among highly successful brands and professionals and so we’ve asked some brilliant folks to give us real life examples of how they do things differently from the industry standard.

Kelsey Allen

Often times when you think of family portraits, you think of the posed and smiling at the camera. I like to call these the Holiday Greeting Card shots, because a lot of the time that’s what they are. While I do capture a few images like this during every photo session, the majority of my sessions are unposed. I prefer to focus on the connections within a family, the interactions each person has with one another and the candid in-between moments. Read more>>

Drake Boudreaux.

The marketing field is typically a very siloed. Verbiage is written by copywriters. Deliverables are produced by designers. Photos are planned and achieved by photographers. Strategies are drafted by strategists. The list goes on. Throughout my career, I’ve enjoyed gaining experience across the standard silos. The result has allowed me to become proficient in multiple functions, typically covered by multiple people. I “do things differently” by covering a large portion of all marketing work as a solo freelancer. Read more>>

Angela Caufield.

I am the exact opposite of what Corporate America has convinced the workforce is ‘professional’! I don’t look like the typical leader and my approach is not the ‘norm’ for my industry. I love color, I have tattoos and a nosering. I’m loud, bold and unafraid to challenge the ‘norm’. My entire purpose is to dismantle the antiquated narrative around leadership. When I speak or lead trainings, it is my true desire to develop, teach and grow the thought-leaders, visionaries and leadership-position-holders of the future. Read more>>

Sharon Su.

I bake from my home under the MN Cottage Food Law which allows producers to make non-potentially hazardous foods at home and sell to directly to the public. A lot of people assume I have a traditional brick and mortar shop but so far this is what works for me. It does have its limitations – we can’t sell wholesale and we can’t make certain products that require refrigeration like custards or cheesecakes and we can’t donate food to food banks. Read more>>

Megan Oxley

My Brand Photography experience is focused on emotions, the core of a person and freedom from external influence. It is a very personal, internal process that allows my clients to dream without limits. This involves weeks of work together as a team while I create the concept from their own words and desires, and as a result, all projects are vastly unique to each Client. This process is very different from the industry standard as I refuse to restrict people by numbers, statistics or stereotypes that simply do not support a person’s humanity. Read more>>

Kristin Brumm

Pie Goddess is a part-time venture for me, as I work full-time in non-profit management. A great deal of marketing and advice geared towards small businesses is focused on growth and promotion. While that’s relevant for most businesses, I’ve had to work at creating boundaries so my baking business doesn’t grow too big. As much as I enjoy baking, I’ve had to learn how to say no and turn down opportunities, so that I can balance this business with my other work and the responsibilities of family life. Read more>>

Anakate Kaczmarek

Most people want to go to an actually barbershop and have the social connection like the old time barbershops. Now a days, people feel like they don’t have the freedom to speak their mind without having judgement. Share what they are going through or stressing about without feeling the overwhelming feeling that someone is going to judge them. Having a suite and it just being me cutting their hair inside the suite creates a safe place. Read more>>

Kyle Frazier.

I own a CrossFit gym, but I consider it to be more of a place of healing for people. We work to cultivate a sense of community that embraces exercise but also incorporates meditation, breathwork, a yoga program, functional bodybuilding, and nutrition into our approach. We also recognize that community is incredibly important to the health of our members. This approach creates a positive environment of growth for people. Read more>>

Nancy Flaherty

I take people shopping in Paris! But I’m not your typical tour guide, I find the hidden gems of Paris that only a local would know about. Having spent many weeks in the beautiful city during fashion weeks, I would wander around neighborhoods and discover small businesses that I have come to know and love. I share my knowledge of the city of light with my customers. Read more>>

Victoria Sithy.

I’m not sure if we’re the only ones in our industry but we invest a lot of time, money and energy into our staff. Even if that means we don’t make a lot of profit. We assist them everything you could possibly think of so that they can live their best life including financial literacy, learning how to budget, setting them up with their own IRA’s that they learn to manage, fostering innovation so that they can learn to problem-solve better and come up with ideas to help grow the business. Read more>>

Faleshia Pyles

My name is Faleshia and it’s an honor to tell you my story about why photography is my passion and how I use it to help others. As a child I always wanted to be a photographer and to be able to freeze time somehow…don’t we all! Well, in 2016 the reality of this superpower hit hard for my small family, when my best friend decided this world was too harsh and made the forever choice to take his life. He was a mentor and like a father to my older boys, but in less than a minute he was gone forever. Read more>>

Amanda Tallon

For a long time, I think I fell into the category of what is considered the “industry standard” for family, maternity, and lifestyle newborn photographers, but my sweet clients had so many struggles that still weren’t being resolved. I knew something had to change if I was really going to serve my clients well. Read more>>

Kayla Aspen

My approach is a bit different than the industry standard. I focus on the “in-between” moments during every wedding. It’s a goal of mine to authentically capture my couple’s natural connection not only between each other, but also between their family and friends. Sure, I’m absolutely taking all of the “must-have” wedding photos, but I’m not only photographing the pretty things. Read more>>

Amanda Bourbonais

Old school copywriting focuses a lot on poking and prodding the reader’s pain points and fears around a problem, which prompts them to purchase or buy into a product that will relieve that pain or calm their fears. On the face of it, this is a very logical strategy — pain and fear are powerful motivators. But is it always ethical? Definitely not. Read more>>

Patricia Carruth

Most jewelers & jewelry stores sell engagement rings first trying to sell the premade rings they have in their store & then if necessary offer the custom design route. I believe everyone’s love story is different & we all deserve rings just as unique & expressive of that love. I instead carry samples for clients to try on & get a grasp on their style and then design a custom ring with added sentimental details to really make it special. Read more>>

Raquelle Blackwood

I definitely take a more holistic approach to music, and I think this helps me stand apart from others in my industry. I have a relatively strict classical background in piano, and my lessons growing up were pretty rigid. I wasn’t necessarily encouraged by my teachers to explore other kinds of music, though I am grateful I was never actively discouraged. I was always expected to practice 30 minutes a day, 7 days a week, and this is especially where I depart from my original instruction. Read more>>

Molly Brown

The fitness industry standard is quick fixes, transformation challenges, fad diets, and an all-or-nothing approach. This comes from decades of being taught that being healthy looks exactly the same for everyone and that there are no exceptions. Because of this, so many people see fitness as a way to lose weight and change the shape of your body. I want to change that narrative. Read more>>

TaChe & Kyla.

Intimate Remedies specializes in promoting love by curating transformative experiences for couples in an intimate setting. We host events and in-home date night retreats for small groups to increase intentionality and intimacy. The distinction between us and the industry standard is we are mobile, which means we can curate date nights anywhere you can imagine. We have done in-home date nights, date nights at our venue, date nights in the park and more. Another aspect that distinguishes us is we strive to dig deeper than surface level interactions. Read more>>

Rachel Stein.

Atomic Souls Counseling and ASP Branding were both founded with the mission to create centralized services focused on quality, instead of quantity, related to their respective industries. Atomic Souls Counseling is a boutique style group private counseling practice offering a range of mental health and addiction counseling services. We specialize in helping people who are stepping down from higher levels of mental health or addiction support, ie detox, psychiatric stabilization, residential treatment, intensive out patient programs, etc. Read more>>

Adam Wright

I have always had a strong work ethic, and a deep care and passion for whatever I put my mind to. This is no different when it comes to running my own business, Adam Wright Design. Sadly, in this industry, you can come across some very unreliable designers and developers who are sloppy and careless. This has brought many mixed feelings to the industry when it comes to hiring someone like myself, but I can always count on my dedication, reliability, quality of work, and honesty no matter what. This brings a level of work relationship that my clients care and look for, and helps extend relationships for years. Read more>>

Tracy Hutter.

Absolutely. I started my business with the goal of improving client experience by eliminating industry practices that I consider inefficient and unpleasant from the client’s perspective. Instead, I developed systems that put client experience first. For example, I provide clients with an upfront flat-rate fee estimate, as opposed to the industry standard of charging an hourly rate. I think this can really help reduce a client’s anxiety over being hit with a large, surprise bill after the fact. It allows them to budget their expenses effectively. Read more>>

Delaney Rietveld.

Everything I’ve done to expand my writing packages is because I’ve seen a genuine need from the businesses I talk to. Two of the things they struggle with when it comes to writing? 1) Consistently generating content and 2) Nailing their brand voice. Content creation is a beast! Even if you’ve decided to outsource the writing of your blog, social media, and email content to a writer, it’s still a huge amount of work to organize their projects, create briefs, and research topics for them to write about. By the time you’ve sent everything over to your writer, you’ve likely put in several hours already. Read more>>

Joe Altieri.

I was tired of the century-old standard technology of flimsy, aluminum window screens that everyone hates, so I set out to do something different and invented FlexScreen – the world’s first and only flexible window screen. With zero attachment hardware, the FlexScreen frame is made of PVC-coated spring steel and is held inside the window frame with tension. FlexScreen installs and removes in seconds and is the most beautiful, durable, and simple window screen in the world. I appeared on Shark Tank and got a deal with Lori Greiner who called FlexScreen “the best better mousetrap that’s ever come into the Tank.”  Read more>>

Adriana Richardson

As an Online Operations manager, our industry seems to focus moreso on the tech side of things versus the strategy/process of it all. Online Operations/Business Managers are still a newer concept despite being around for years. So when people do end up hiring one, they assume they operate like a Virtual assistant or that the Manager should handle every aspect without them. Read more>>

Katie Passo .

I want to make the best donuts you’ve ever had by using specially-selected ingredients – local, farm fresh eggs and butter; family-owned, midwestern organic flour; and nothing artificial! I work with local producers and partners because there are so many great farms in Ohio and I want to support other small businesses. Plus, the ingredients taste better and make our donuts taste better! Read more>>

Jane Bobel

I believe it’s critical for a graphic designer to fully and completely understand the project and the client. I read the copy, in detail. I research the client. I review work from the client’s competitors. I proofread the project I’m working on and sometimes discuss the content with the writer so I can better understand it. I’m not about making something look hip and cool. I’m about making it work and work well. It’s my job to communicate the message effectively. Read more>>

Yasmin De Oliveira

I care for my clients furkids in the comfort of MY home. As a dog owner, bringing them to a dog kennel or a dog hotel where there is close to 20 or 30 dogs around, it’s not what people look for. You look for a place that’s home away from home for your furkid. A place that reminds them of THEIR home, where they aren’t crated ever, where they have access to cuddling on the couch with you, looking out the window as much as they want, playing with lots of toys, napping anywhere they feel comfortable, taking walks multiple times a day, if you sleep with your pup in bed so will I. Read more>>

Christian Brown

I am an artist, a music producer also CEO of a group named Vulture Nationwide and what I do differently in the industry is me and my partner/Brother Kari the chosen is bringing back old school vibes. The new generation is cool and all but it’s something about the old generation that reconnects us every time we listen to or see something that we prefer or like. Read more>>

Chris Burke.

I write, direct and score an audio drama series called Mandible Judy. My background is in scoring for film and video and over the years I have moved around the industry, following whatever offered the most opportunity at any given time. In the 80s and 90s this was music for film and television. In the late 90s I found myself writing music for websites, video games and other interactive media. Read more>>

David Kakoro .

Yes there is. Most of the people we work with just treat all clients the same and in our chauffeuring business you need to put the clients interest at heart. For instance like buying water, the daily newspaper and also making sure that they have WIFI readily available. Read more>>

Dina Faye Gilmore

I have a company standard where the production team will not work over eight hours a day for filming rather in studio or on-location versus the industry standard overworking 12 to 16 hours every day. I believe I am at my best if each member of the crew are at their best by being well-rested, at home in time for dinner, more time spent with family, and encouraged to return home to recharge. This practice instills teamwork that fosters individual and collective physical and mental well-being. Read more>>