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.

Rachel Turner

My products change very frequently, well, except for butterfly hoop earrings. Butterfly charms have lasted since the opening of Evolve. I like to change things around and create new products based on consumer interests, as well as my own. Read more>>

Alphonso Whitfield

I believe creativity comes from constraints and the unpredictable nature of life. I like to embrace the chance for happenstance and serendipity when on set. Sometimes, there are things that don’t happen according to plan, and being able to let go a bit and let serendipity take over can bring you chances for beauty to manifest itself. Having a plan and executing it is of dire importance, but the ability to seize opportunities when they arise is a skill that has to be honed as well. Read more>>

Rudy Robertson

We record all of our vacations and give all of our new and old travelers a daily one on one recap with the cameraman to blend in with our edits of the events we do daily. So when our videos come out it gives you more of a reality show feel then just a regular travel blog. That sets us apart from the rest of the industry. Read more>>

Albert C. Hurston Jr., CPA

There are a lot of things that separate us from the typical “accounting services” industry. Most importantly, we believe in partnering with our small business clients to give them the types of systems & processes that rule corporate America. Small business need all of the same stuff, but they do not need it the same way. This is why we offer multi-level outsourced accounting department services & not “one-off” individual services for hire. Read more>>

April Moore

I am the “Educator” Accountant that explains and help clients understand what is on their tax return line by line, I am kingdom minded therefore, I’m very integral and ethical about my work. Read more>>

Änna Bencivenga

In current American fashion, there is a lot of the same. There are pieces that are popular, and that I could probably source and make some quick sales following the latest trends. But that seems really exhausting, always chasing the next popular thing. It is Urbanä’s mission to provide our clients quality, affordable, unique pieces that make them feel empowered. Read more>>

Devin Sawyers

When we set out to create a better air freshener, we knew we had to set ourselves apart–not only in terms of quality but also in design. It wasn’t enough for us to simply make a premium air freshener that lasted. We wanted people to actually want to keep the air freshener in their vehicle long after the scent faded away. Read more>>

Otha Browning

We operate on a more personal level. We do not use salesman, but instead we have installers evaluate each customer request for work. We do not send someone out to sell you something you may not need, and the owner personally supervises the entire operation. Honesty when working with our customers is everything. We are completely family owned and we put our customers first. Read more>>

Ashley & Ashley Corr & Stone

As a screen printing studio one thing that sets us apart is we do all of our dying and customizing in house. Customizing one off pieces like flannels, denim vest, pants, jumpsuits and so on. Read more>>

Addison Caldwell & Liza Tarakanova

One of our founding beliefs at neucrew is that we want to create educational content by sharing our journey, rather than creating prescriptive ‘how-to’ content. What does that really mean though? To us, it means that we avoid saying “you have to do this” or “we know”. There’s a lot of content out there that already does that, and while there’s nothing wrong with it, it didn’t align with our goals! Instead, we opt to share our experiences (or the experiences of our mentors). Read more>>

Lorraine Telesford

Starting a small business named On Track Bookkeeping Services in 1999 was for me, a direct path to servicing what I then saw as a gap in the Bookkeeping and Accounting for Small Business industry. At the time, I was working for a boutique CPA firm on Front Street in Toronto as a Staff Accountant and Lead Bookkeeper, Read more>>

Susie Moore

Before we begin, I know that “styled shoots” is not a term familiar to those not in the wedding and photography industry, so let me explain. Styled shoots are basically styled weddings, with traditional wedding vendors and models creating a photoshoot that looks like a scene from a wedding day. Photographers attend to create content, practice, and build their portfolios. Read more>>

Rebekah Francis

We are a wedding officiant team with a difference. We are open to all persons and are non-discriminatory. We truly allow all of our couples to be themselves with no judgement towards their wants on their special day. Why does this make a difference, we are not a one wedding script fits all. We do follow some industry standards; in regard to formatting of the ceremony with what works best with the flow etc. Our main focus is and always has been what is meaningful to the couple. Read more>>

Jacqui Thompson

I take motorcycle parts and accessories to create the artwork for our garments. The garments we offer are carefully selected to be comfortable and fit almost any body type. Read more>>

Danielle Gutherie

My studio acts as a fractional creative team to support organizations that cannot have a design team on staff. I am their go-to Creative Director. I sit in meetings, advise and provide direction to my team of designers, their staff, and outside vendors. As a result, we become deeply integrated into their business needs to be proactive in our roles, as we would if we were on staff. Read more>>

Christina Maag

I come from an executive assistant background and was often tasked with procuring branded merchandise for corporate events and projects. I wanted to change careers and had the opportunity to learn about branded merchandise as a distributor (the companies I work for). Read more>>

Zieya Reid

Emotion is really important to me it’s a huge help when planning and scouting. I also make sure everyone on the team is participating in their own style! Comfort is important because without you can tell the difference no matter what. I also like to build everything from scratch especially huge sets. Read more>>

Kristy Norbert

Empower Her Network is a very different and innovative service provider. Most organizations providing direct care to marginalized populations have a prescribed program to follow. They require participants to check off boxes to receive services. Most of the time these requirements are because of funding restrictions, safety precautions, and for outcome measurements. All of those are important. And, too many requirements leave a lot of room to exclude too many people. Read more>>

Chris Schad

Our primary business is producing and selling honey. Other beekeeping operations might focus on pollination services, or selling bees to hobbyists, or raising queens. Of course, other operations might also focus on producing and selling honey. But we do that different than the others. Most honey producers let the bees do their thing through the entire bloom season, and then pull (harvest) the honey at the end of the season. Read more>>