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.

Michelle May

In 2017, I created a new category in the snack food market with Space Ice Kream, the world’s first and only dairy-free, freeze dried ice cream. My company, Seva Foods, uses high quality ingredients and innovative preservation methods to create products that are great-tasting, healthy and eco-friendly. By creating a better way to snack, Seva Foods is helping people get the nutrients they need, which can be challenging with a modern diet. Read more>>

Meredith Kerner

Planning a vacation during the pandemic can be challenging. As a travel specialist I work with my clients to plan the vacation they want, at no cost. Where some other travel agents may charge planning fees for boutique vacations, my services are complimentary to everyone. I treat every client’s vacation like I was the one taking it, making sure everything is just right. From the moment a client reaches out to me to plan their trip, I work with them to make their vision a reality. Read more>>

Judah Agbonkhina

Yes, there is, and it’s our filming style, which we call, Guerilla Journalism. This type of journalism is unedited and full of people’s truths. In Guerilla Journalism, we can truly engage with the people of our community and capture their authenticity. We don’t give you clips of an event, we cover the entire event, including interviewing the members of the community as well as the vendors. Of course, we had our naysayers because it was a “phone camera”, but these phones are thousands of dollars and just as expensive as the bigger cameras. Read more>>

Erin Donaghy

For fashion, the industry standard for creating a look is to create from a large quantity of fabric. The focus is cutting out as many pieces as possible without much regard from waste, or really considering the impact of always using new fabric. I was excited to move away from this model once I realized I could create intimates from upcycled materials. Doing made to order production has allowed me to refashion looks from cotton t-shirts, lace dresses, bridesmaids gowns and other items available at the thrift store. Read more>>

Morgan Garza

In business, the industry standard is to hustle, network with everyone, wake up earlier, be more productive, and always be striving for the next win. While this has obviously worked for many high-powered people in business, I believe there is a better way. Hustle < Flow. When all you hear on podcasts, read in articles, and see people do is hustle, you begin to think that late nights and no work-life balance are the only way to succeed in business, especially as an entrepreneur. Read more>>

Starr Wilson

Just P.L.A.Y. stands for Promoting Lifetime Activities for Youth. Just P.L.A.Y. was conceptualized in March 2012. After two years of studying and developing, Just P.LA.Y. saw a need in urban communities that lacked information and resources for positive interactions. Therefore, Just P.LA.Y. was designed to host information related to positive interactions with youth of all ages ranging from birth to 18, serving all counties in Delaware. The fundamental business model for Just P.L.A.Y. is to become a leading resource for users to obtain local events throughout the community. Read more>>

Connie Baker

Marble Distilling Co. built the first of its kind Water Energy Thermal System (WETS). Distilleries typically require exorbitant amounts of water and energy for the distillation process. Marble made a decision to start from Zero, rather than work back to net-zero and worked with a team of engineers to ensure our low impact on the environment. Our systems saves more than 4 million gallons of water and harvest +1.8 billion BTUs of energy each year used to heat and cool our building and five luxury Inn rooms. Read more>>

Christy Walter

Most camps or childcare options out there are all about entertaining children. I get it…they need direction and guidance, and everyone loves some type of keepsake or make-and-take to bring home. At TimberNook, however, we do things differently. We are all about child-led activities and experiences and memories over tangible end products. We, as the provider, set up the environment to welcome open ended play. We encourage safety while letting their imaginations run wild. Read more>>

Julie Smith

I make products that are environmentally responsible and sustainable. Aspire products are simple and never contain toxins that aren’t good for us or for the environment. All our products are available in containers and in bulk, so you can buy the container once, then fill it in bulk after that. Bulk saves money and saves single-use containers. We pay double for products when we buy in single-use containers, because of the cost of the container. Single use plastic increases our carbon footprint by nearly 2% in the U.S. in manufacturing, at a time when we need to reduce our carbon footprint to save our planet. Read more>>

Heena Mak

I bridge the gap between editorial-magazine makeup and the everyday woman. Bringing a skin-first approach to their makeup application. Where makeup doesn’t feel like a mask but is instead breathable and polished. Read more>>

Ryan Furman

When it comes to Realtors, not all are created equal. Just like any other industry and profession, there are people who are good at their job, and those that are bad at their job. Too many Realtors are in it just to get paid and move on to the next client. Not me; I remember purchasing my first house and how terrible my agent was. He didn’t explain anything and I was always in the dark during a time that should have been exciting, not terrifying. I have made it a point to explain to my customers what’s going on every step of the way, keeping them in the loop, and helping with anything that I can. Read more>>

Kakuzah Blair

Kool Tiezz is a custom necktie line that offers uniquely designed ties & accessories that allows you to transform any outfit. Our neckties stand out against the rest for their one of a kind cut in the face of the tie that adds a fashion back into the world of menswear, whether you are dressing up or down depending on the occasion. Read more>>

Janae Peterson

We spent a lot of time over the years creating a final product on what to offer our clients and how to meet each business owner’s needs, especially when each has their own set of different problems. Other website designers were giving the name a bad rap, and after hearing some of the horror stories – it’s no wonder why. When you’re a start-up business and a new business owner without funding, it’s easy to decide to take the cheapest route and to cut costs. The issue becomes, when you do this when choosing your website designer, you end up shooting yourself in the foot in the long run. Read more>>

Joni Reed

My entire book and business is built upon volunteer management and why it has seemingly stayed stagnant in a rapidly changing world. As a volunteer manager in a hospital, I had over 300 volunteers that were senior citizens. Their daily volunteer positions consisted of delivering flowers, answering phones and assisting visitors find their way around our facility. Don’t get me wrong, those are VERY important tasks, but when I started digging into my team of volunteers, I realized they were capable of so much more. Take Doris for example. Read more>>

Carson Eilers

In real estate, 82% of new agents don’t stick with it past the first year. The industry is designed for failure, and I”m looking to completely change that. Our brokerage is specifically designed to identify leads, and help train agents to pursue them with a high success rate. Read more>>

Whitney Robinson|

Gypsy Feathers slogan is Blending in is Boring. Right when you walk into the store you will see just why. Our store is decorated with tons of color, really fun wallpaper, and lots of fun touches – we even have glitter on the walls. Most retail stores build out a box and hang their clothes in there to sell. Here at Gypsy Feather, we want you to experience more than just your everyday shopping trip. We want to excite all your senses when you walk through the doors. It’s almost like an art immersion experience and a retail store all in one. Read more>>

Justin and Lycia Scott

Typically mechanics and repair shops have left a bad taste in people’s mouths. We try to change things up a little with our shop. We do not upsell, if your brakes or tires can go another 3000 miles Justin will tell you that. He will also tell you if something is in dire need of a repair. You do not have to worry about bringing your vehicle in for an oil change, and leaving with an astronomical bill. We want everyone to feel like they are equally as important as the next customer, and provide superior customer service. Read more>>

Li Li Kosek

We define Say Yes Bedding as a home decor brand rather than only a home textile manufacturer. We believe that your bedding should be as beautiful as its functional because they are not just for sleeping, they are part of your home decor! From a manufacturer point- We are also the leader of capturing trends in designs and styles that works for printed bedlinen. We are the whole world of printed bedding. Bedding could be very fashion and in trends! Read more>> 

WRDFRNDZ

Everything we set out to do within our industry of music and entertainment comes from a real place of creative expression. We could easily create music that sounds like the industry standard with familiar pop chord progressions and mandatory autotune but that’s not our vibe. It’s not bad, what they do, but we do our own thing differently over here. We created our own sound called, “WRD-POP”, that combines our favorite styles of music such as R&B, Punk, Electronic, and Funk; a sound you would never hear on mainstream radio music. Read more>>

Brooke Ledbetter

Yes! I run the 1 and only fully vegan sustainable spa in the DFW area! The spa and beauty industry are pretty wasteful and use a lot of disposable products creating more trash. Over all I practice less waste and try to buy less disposables. I also combat that by recycling EVERYTHING with a program called TaraCycle and I even encourage my clients to bring any items that can not be recycled in their home bin. I use organic eco friendly soap nuts for my spa laundry that I can compost after along with the box they come in. I perform all my intake forms digitally making my spa paper free! Read more>>

Sandy Gerstein

We are experts In helping our clients move with ease, organize their dream home and live a life of clarity. We offer an all-in-one Concierge Service where everything is planned, organized and all done for you when it comes to moving, organizing and clearing out a home. We look at each project in detail, evaluate and assess our client’s needs and then create a customized plan in order to attain our client’s goals. I believe that organizing brings clarity, balance and beauty to our lives. Read more>>