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.

Krista Bennett DeMaio

I’ve worked as a beauty editor and writer for over 20 years in the national beauty space. The focus is typically on big-name beauty professionals, usually those who work with celebrities and brands and salons and spas in major cities. In contrast, all the local experts and beauty businesses, the backbone of the industry, are largely ignored. I noticed this in Long Island, a suburban area outside New York City. Read more>>

Tyler Jones BFA, FIC

It was a Saturday afternoon in Nevada. The sky was clear and it was early enough in the day for us to go on our hike without experiencing the scorching desert sun. We were supporting an organization whose mission it was to help people with PTSD by organizing bike rides and hikes to raise funds to assist those who were affected by this mental affliction. Of course, people would converse on these rides and hikes, seeing as it was a perfect opportunity for forming new relationships. Read more>>

Sasha Stone

Traditional retail works linearly. A raw material is extracted, manufactured into a product, sold to a consumer, used by the consumer and thrown away by the consumer. Companies making products without providing a way to sustainably dispose of them when they are used up and it becomes the customers burden. Read more>>

Lindsey Abernathy

When I started my small business, I had one primary goal for my customers – that they would experience shopping for antiques unlike any other place they went. From scrolling through my instagram photos and decorating ideas, to shopping online through my hand picked antiques and uniquely curated decorating items, to purchasing their one of a kind item, to opening a box that feels like a gift not an order, to reading personal hand written notes, I wanted them to feel like they had their own personal decorator, picker and friend. Read more>>

Anthony Galizia

The GW Branding Group sets itself apart from industry standards by focusing on delivering solutions rather than just diagnosing problems. Our unique method allows us to save our clients time on marketing strategy and move forward immediately. Our Foundational Brand Package, for example, is an intensive 8-hour or two 4-hour day process in which we develop a complete brand and marketing strategy that can be implemented immediately. Read more>>

Olivia Schwalbach, MS, CCC-SLP

Healthcare seems to be getting less and less personal. Patients often only spend five minutes with general practitioners, and many healthcare providers are limited by having to practice within the specific constraints of insurance companies. Summit Speech is different in that the quality of care for patients and the comfort of parents are top priorities. We are a concierge speech, language, and myofunctional private practice for children. Read more>>

Ashton Aubuchon

In my profession, there are a few tried-and-true methods I use that don’t follow the current dog training trends. Currently, there is a push for purely-positive training. I break the norm by establishing myself as a balanced trainer and emphasizing the need to train the owner as well as the dog. My goal is to ensure that you will never need another trainer again by addressing the deeper needs within the context of the dog/owner relationship. Read more>>

Linda Schacht

Eastman Cartwright Home got its start in 2019 as a furniture division of an already-established 100-year-old lumberyard, Eastman Cartwright Lumber Co., a business with deep family roots. My husband, Will Schacht, became the fifth-generation owner that same year. Together we wanted to create a place where both men and women would feel comfortable to creatively build, renovate, or accentuate their already-established home. Read more>>

Sherry Rennick

Our company was created out of need for businesses and organizations who manage multi location properties to have a centralized service provider of 3D capture services so that anyone from anywhere could visit those properties remotely through an immersive, fully interactive true 3D experience that is served up as a 3D Virtual Tour, 3D Model or accurate Digital Twin. Reality Capture Experts (RCE) is unique to the industry as we also operate a non-profit organization dedicated to industry best practices, training, education, mentorship and networking opportunities. Read more>>

Evan Renfroe

In my industry, there are two common approaches. 1 – Obsessively focus on the “SEO” and metrics side of marketing, and completely disregard the content. 2 – Focus exclusively on the “artistry” of the content and neglect the objective/goal. Read more>>

Rudy Ortega

I’m a documentary photographer that loves to shoot moments that unfold in real time. That means I’m not staging photographs and controlling every aspect to create an image. Rather, I’m documenting spontaneous gestures and emotions from people that I encounter. My goal is to tell a story whether it’s from one photo or a series of images. Read more>>

Tasha Scott

My services are much more affordable than the average rates in the public relations industry. I take pride in providing cost effective services. I’m going to help you achieve goals without breaking your bank account. Read more>>

Graham Ehmann

At GDE Aesthetics, we do it differently by offering extended appointment times for everyone so that we have time to do a proper full face assessment and development of a treatment plan. We also provide an execution timeline that is individualized based on goals, upcoming events and being respectful of any budget. We focus on treatments that will give a meaningful result that can be appreciated each and every day. Read more>>

Kimberly Atwood

Honestly, I don’t know if that’s for me to say but this is a little about what I do and why. When I go into the studio, my top priority is to create music that is authentic to me at that point in time. If I couldn’t live with my art then it wouldn’t be worth making. Read more>>

Rachel Rist

Absolutely. The beauty industry has a real problem in making people, particularly women, feel like something is wrong with them in order to get them to buy their product/service. I have always had a real problem with that approach and I refuse to buy into that agenda. The whole purpose behind my brand is to empower people and to help them see that they’re already beautiful. Read more>>

Anicea Franklin

I believe in being personable and professional. There has to be a balance. We are all human and deserve grace especially as hard working, motivated individuals. The modeling industry doesn’t believe life can happen or freedom of expression. Everyone’s “free” to a certain extent. You still would have to look like this, walk like that, and wear something a certain way to be received in this industry. Subtle Fashions Studios truly believes in unrestricted ways of expression. I encourage everyone to stay true to who they are, UNAPOLOGETICALLY! Read more>>

The Dropletz

As a musician/band, it becomes essential to have a unique sound to create and grow your brand, yet it also has a risk of its own in coming up with a radically new sound. We usually observe that listeners always crave a bit of familiarity in the music while also searching for fresh music. So, It becomes necessary to maintain a perfect ratio of uniqueness and familiarity in our music. Read more>>

Mercedes Bell

As a clothing boutique owner I believe in sharing my expertise with others that would like to start a business. There are so many successful business owners that are afraid of others to succeed. I believe in giving back by sharing free knowledge through workshops to the community. Read more>>

Hope Zvara

Everyone else in the industry is trying to keep drivers in the industry longer with more money and bonuses, I’m telling you, that doesn’t work. Read more>>

Ama Gonzalez

In the beauty industry, the majority of customers are women. Something I do differently is that I see my client as a human being, not as an income asset to my business. That is why I am an ally in their feelings, I was interested in their integral well-being and in my consultations, I am very attentive to listen and validate their emotions. I also educate each patient and create their own skin care routine for home. Read more>>

Asher Cowan

We use proper food processing techniques for all ingredients used in our products. For example, we take the extra time to sprout the grains in our granolas and nuts used in our nut butters. We also blanch or steam many of the vegetables used in our vegetable powders prior to dehydration to improve the bioavailability of the nutrients. It also has the effect of reducing the anti-nutrients like oxalates in leafy green vegetables, and breaks down the phytic acid in grains and nuts. Read more>>

Jourdan Shelton

I like to consider myself a concierge jeweler. I pride myself on the level of customer service I provide. I listen to what the client wants and needs and I strive to fulfill their desires. I go out of my way to meet conveniently at my home or theirs, and create a very comfortable, no pressure, situation in which we can create something unique and special. Read more>>

Nick WIgston

Our custom bicycle business if focused on inclusivity in cycling. We want everyone to be able to have a great bike that fits them perfectly and also helps them achieve their cycling and fitness goals. That is why we specialize in building bikes for people who are not of average size. The bicycle industry in general does a great job of building bikes and components for average sized people, but not those on either end of the bell curve. Read more>>

Vince Dodson

I started my chef career here in the States working under European chefs for several years. After that I lived with a family as their private chef for over 3 years. After that employment I decided I wanted to bring my French and Italian cuisine fine dining experiences to the public in the comfort of their own homes. I researched other private chefs in the Charleston area to see what they offered. I knew that I wanted to raise the bar no matter what. Read more>>