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.

Joshua O. Hill, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB

At Hill & Hurtt Architects, we believe strongly that building relationships, thoughtfulness in everything we do, and collaboration at every level is the recipe for exceptional design. Architects (and many of the “starchitects” in our industry) have a reputation for being unrelenting in their design arrogance and personal design agenda. When we started our firm we wanted to change that narrative to one that is truly about listening to clients, Read more>>

Demri Atkinson

When I was first starting out as a creative business owner, I worked hard to do all of the “right” things. I attended all of the workshops and tried to follow the status quo but after years of working so dang hard and still feeling like something was missing, I decided to take matters into my own hands. The first thing I did was change my messaging. As a photographer, I mostly shared photos from sessions with a tiny blurb about the photograph, event or shoot. Read more>>

Danielle McDuffy

Danni Time Events offers themed events and adult dance classes. The thing we pride ourselves on the most is the fact that we advocate and educate for mental health. We allow the space for vulnerability and people to be themselves without judgment. However, we find time to provide resources, coping strategies, and insight when it comes to matters of emotional and mental well-being. In all of the dance classes I’ve attended, I haven’t met a twerking social worker and that’s me! Read more>>

Jet Wang

At our gallery, we take pride in our unique approach to showcasing and promoting artists that sets us apart from the industry standard. One of the key ways we diverge is through our focus on emerging and underrepresented artists. While many galleries primarily feature established and well-known artists, we actively seek out talented individuals who are just starting their artistic journey or belong to marginalized communities. Read more>>

Alex Henderson

When you look at the jewelry industry it is overwhelmingly saturated with product and it’s hard to break through all the noise. With what I’m creating it’s not just jewelry, it’s wearable pieces of artwork that are much larger and more bold than the standard idea of jewelry. Read more>>

Tiffanni Dean

I am the owner of Call Me Beauty Virgin Hair and I specialize in make custom wigs using a sewing machine. We also carry customized-manufactured wigs, luxury virgin and raw Cambodian hair extensions as well as various hair products. I am most proud of my wig classes when I am able to share my knowledge and tips that I have learned along the way, with others to empower them to unlock their potential as well. Read more>>

Christine Lynes

One thing I have done differently than the industry standard when it comes to the CreativeSOULyoga brand is that I’ve integrated all the creative powers invested in me by the Universe into this brand. I haven’t allowed myself to become stuck within just one facet of my Universal gifts, for example, the studio yoga. I’ve expanded and evolved and created a beautiful line of designer fashion wear for women that uses my fine art paintings to create gorgeous printed boho blouses and scarfs, purses and bags, a bathing suit and beachwear line and a line of yoga pants with my collaborators Vida design studios (California). Read more>>

Shakyla Petty

The time I take to break things down for each and everyone of my clients is what makes me different within the industry I am in. I put hard work sweat and tears into my clients and not only do I focus on their businesses health but their mental health aswell. I allow them to express their ideas and goals but I stand firm on holding them accountable. I pray over my clients and their businesses day and night. That right there is what makes a huge difference! Read more>>

Lauren Grant

WellCapped is America’s first wig rental subscription company. In the fast-paced world we live in, personal style is ever-evolving. Buying a high-quality wig can be a significant investment, and not everyone is ready to commit to one style. That’s where WellCapped comes in – we provide a variety of high-quality wigs at a fraction of the purchase cost, offering our customers the freedom to experiment and change their look as they please without the prohibitive expense. Read more>>

Piervalerio Vignola

Every day, more and more I realize how difficult it is to eat well in the United States. Walking through the shelves of supermarkets, just for a moment try to take a product that you normally use and focus on the ingredients list. Then try to do a quick search of the additives and ask yourself, do I really want to feed myself and even worse my kids with Disodium diphosphate, glyphosate, sorbic acid and the list keeps going? Read more>>

Reina Cornelius

I think approximately 75% of our operation is different from the industry standard. Large corporations have massive infrastructures in place that produce their product in mass quantities. Having such a large output invariably impacts the quality negatively. Being a small and local business, we have the luxury of roasting our coffee beans in small batches with complete control over roasting levels and profiles. Our product is sold within weeks of roasting, unlike coffee from corporations that may sit on a store shelf for several months. Read more>>

Richele Silva

In general the greeting card designers tend to be young women. Being a woman of “a certain age” my perspective sways older, as do my sentiments. It’s taken me a while to sort out my voice in the copywriting but having an older view has helped set me apart from other independent card designers. Read more>>

Sabrina Hadnot

I opened my business when the spa industry reopened in February 2021. I honestly was fairly certain it would fail on the heels of a global health crisis, and being a single mom, I needed to be conservative with how much money I invested into my business. Because of that, I decided to open without starting a website or ordering business cards. I began to tell what clients I did have that I was working for myself now and accepting clients full-time. Read more>>

Stef Parker

Many wines offered on store shelves today are produced with fining agents. Fining agents are chemicals used to clarify and clear wines quickly. Some of these are clay based, like bentonite while some are animal product based, like isinglass. I prefer not using fining agents of any type in my Wikkid Eden wines. I only use what nature provides. There will be some sediment as a wine ages. That’s completely natural. And in my opinion enhances the flavor by retaining it. My wines are free from chemicals and animal cruelty, which makes me feel great about the product that I’m offering to my customers. Read more>>

Seshu Madabushi

mKonnekt bring data driven marketing and AI trends to small mom and pop restaurants. We started the company in 2015 and have evolved over time as to how we were able to optimize customer engagement strategies using latest technology trends that is elusive to small business owners. We have done this with a mix of product and service strategies and have got successful results client after client. Read more>>