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.

Sam Boccuti

Let’s be honest, a lot of catering companies take the easiest route possible when preparing food for you. I prefer to walk 10 miles, ride a donkey, and take 3 boats to give you food that’s amazing. Something that sets me apart is that I love to take familiar food that everyone loves and elevate into something that leaves you impressed. A lot of the menu is naturally gluten-free and vegan. Focusing on sourcing locall ingredients and not using a lot of processed products. Read more>>

Kim Henderson

Yes, we create high quality content for websites and niche book editing services. Read more>>

Tina Karras

My vodka’s only ingredients are spirit from organic, non-GMO corn and purified water. That’s it and that’s the way liquor is supposed to be. But most consumers don’t know that many brands, especially the corporate brands, are adding sugar, food coloring, glycerin, high fructose corn syrup, just to name just a few additives, to their spirits and if they stay under the allowed threshold, they do not have to disclose that on their label. Read more>>

Air Gustafson

When it comes to the pet industry, I firmly believe in the power of prevention as a long-term and sustainable solution. It’s fantastic to have products and services that address immediate needs, but wouldn’t it be even better if we could avoid those problems altogether? That’s exactly how I approach my work and how my brand stands out from the industry standard. Read more>>

Michele Hundley

A good portion of our business is in the wedding industry. We also provide services for film, production & corporate events. Read more>>

Kristen Benson

Doing work pro bono tends to be frowned upon in the industry. Many photographers/entrepreneurs will tell you that you should never work for free, which is understandable, but I think it’s something you should do especially when you are first starting out. Most people assume that that means I accept jobs from people who reach out to me and ask if I would work for them for free, but that’s not what I mean. Read more>>

Julie Neira

Every day I am able to live out my passion and my purpose through Real Estate and serving my Clients. The Industry standard is to generate sales, numbers, portfolios, and profit but, through my faith, I have decided to create my own Industry Standard. My clients are treated with honesty, faith, and integrity above all. They are not here to serve me, but I am humbly here to serve them. Read more>>

Christine Martin

The interior design industry has been known to be trend driven like fashion or music. There’s the Pantone color of the year, what’s out, what’s in. One year it’s neutrals and timeless styles, the other it’s saturated tones and bold statements. This is part of what makes design fun to follow-the creativity and evolution. And, while the role of an interior designer is to personalize a client’s home, the aesthetic element is highlighted. Read more>>

Madison Deaton

Within the world of women’s fitness and nutrition, it feels like there’s such a big emphasis on physical appearance. But what if movement & nourishment could be tools to help us feel good from the inside out, instead of something we use to change the way we look? Read more>>

Claudine Charles

Fashion as an industry has lent itself to prioritising conceptual value versus worth for many years now. Examples are how relatively low-quality handbags can have a brand logo stuck on the front to triple the price tag. Je Suis Claudine is different. Read more>>

Paris Jeter

Industry standard in my world is very cut throat, harsh, and matter a fact. I’ve modeled since before covid, and watched the industry get even harder as we came back out into the public. We’re not used to talking to real people outside of screens and zoom meetings, that we forget models are still real people, who go through real life. Read more>>

Corian Love

The With LOVE Fitness brand strives to be different and to stand out from the norm that is within the fitness world’s society. Read more>>

Jackie Pipp

At RSDC I do everything to keep my costs for students and families as low as possible. Our classes are no more than $30 per month and there’s no hidden fees, extra requirements or astronomical costume fees. As well as striving to maintain a full family atmosphere. When you’re here your family not just another tuition being paid. Everyone deserves a chance to dance and to feel at home when they walk in the studio. Read more>>

Summer Young

I think running a small law firm provides us with the opportunity to truly cater to our clients. My personal caseload never goes above 50 clients at one time, and that’s done intentionally. I want my clients to feel like they can email and call me, with the security knowing that I will get back to them as soon as I can (at the latest the next day). I have worked with opposing counsel from large law firms and trying to get in touch with them, at times, seems impossible. Read more>>

Sarajane Maples

In essence, I’m a hairstylist and a fully licensed cosmetologist, and I do hair full-time, but I am not behind the chair like most Hair Stylists. It never really felt like home behind the chair, and I always struggled to build a clientele in a traditional salon setting. I found my home in the world of styling that, including bridal and special events. Read more>>

Tyler Daehn

Tailored Technologies stands out from other IT providers due to several key factors. One of our defining features is our emphasis on a personalized approach to IT services. Recognizing that each business has unique needs and goals, Tailored Technologies works closely with each client to develop customized solutions that specifically address their requirements. Read more>>

Allysah Durrant

I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to capture the special moments in their lives. One thing that I do differently is provide my clients with all images from their sessions. Unlike most photographers, I do not limit a session to only 5-20 photos. I see the small moments in photography sessions as some of the most valuable and memorable. Seeing the chaos, amidst the perfect photos that will be displayed on your wall, is unique and one of a kind. Read more>>

Emily Goodin

Commercial photographer, Ashley Hylbert and I joined forces and launched our new imagery agency, Linebender. I am the Creative Director, Producer and Stylist while Ashley is the photographer and painter. Together, we strive to create unique imagery that speaks to a client’s brand. Whether it be a commercial ad campaign or custom art for a hotel, we use a combination of photography and paint to create eye-catching imagery. Read more>>

Brittney Oddo

Social media marketing and content is a saturated field where we are always tasked with figuring out how to differentiate ourselves. One way we stand out is by focusing on building content systems. The creative part of social media and content marketing is often the first and most important piece of the puzzle for content agencies. Read more>>

Tyler Reese

Just try to be as authentic I can in my music. The local music scenic can be so exclusive that I try to be as inclusive as I can be. I always try and do a freestyle at the end of my set and invite anyone in the crowd that makes music! Read more>>

Marissa and Casey Fuline and Lemieux

At The Scoop Creative, we aren’t structured like a corporate social media “agency.” We don’t generate cookie-cutter content or ideas for our clients. We aim to provide our clients and members with unique experiences and simply do not “copy and paste”. Our newest venture was launching our Social Growth Collective Membership where we provide our members with monthly content calendars, courses, social media updates, and more. Read more>>

David Weglarz

We have a strong sense of independence and firmly believe that this is our one life to live and we are hellbent on living it to the fullest. This manifests in many ways at StilL 630, but specifically in our gin production. Rather than using the typical gin botanicals used globally by most gin producers, Read more>>

Kristin Marquet

As a PR firm, there are a few things that we do that set our firm apart from the competition. Read more>>

Sam Hobson Fairman

After owning a social media agency for almost 4 years, I came to the realization that I actually wouldn’t hire an agency to manage my social media accounts. I found that when agencies would fully take over a brand’s social media presence, they would lose their “essence”or their representation of company culture. Read more>>

Dawn Freeland

My agency differs from some in my industry in this one major aspect. We focus on making the clients experience easy, simple to understand, and based on their specific need. Read more>>

Brandon Creighton

One of the things we strive to do at Coastal House Media is be inclusive. We respect and accept people of all nationalities, beliefs, genders, color etc. We expect our writers to have that same level of respect and appreciation for all humans. With that, once accepted as part of Coastal House, we consider you more than a team member. Read more>>

Elizabeth Cumberbatch

One major thing I do differently within my industry is I still make everything from scratch. I always like to highlight to my future customers that they are truly getting a custom cake. I really want my clients to get a one of a kind cake, so I take the extra effort to make my own batters, buttercream, brown butter, toffee, caramel, etc. I’ve even begun to make my own cake/cupcake toppers as much as possible. I believe it’s extra special when a client can feel as though their cake was made specifically for them. Read more>>

Amber Massey

Weddings are expensive. Read more>>

Alex Crawley

Standard practice in the fashion industry is to copy trendy runway outfits quickly at a much lower cost and quality. Also known as “fast fashion.” Read more>>

Teri Blais

Winter Park Pie Company hand crafts all of our pies with homemade, hand rolled dough and fresh fruit, nut and cream fillings that sets our pies apart from commercial, mass-produced pies. Our homemade dough is the foundation that bakes into a buttery and flaky crust that surrounds our delicious, homemade pie fillings. Read more>>

Tomm Becker

We are one of the only hoophouse or high tunnel companies that both manufactures and installs these structures. Because our roots are on the farm, we understand that the work of farming is continual triage. From planning and soil prep to seeding, planting, irrigation, cultivation, harvest, and delivery, growers take on more than they can handle every year. Read more>>

Erica Morales

In the beauty industry, it seems like most nail salons and some esthetic salons tend to rush services and do not take their time with their clients. At Double Polished Beauty Bar we take our time with our clients. We ensure we have time to connect with our clients, as well as making sure our clients are satisfied with the services. Read more>>

Fernanda Mussap

When I started studying aesthetics, I thought of the expatriate women like me who arrive in the country many times without speaking the English and the lack of this care, so common in Brazil, messed with the self-esteem of these women. In addition, I saw the need for a differentiated and more affectionate care within this area. Read more>>

Kenty Lichtenberg

In the marketing industry, several standards are considered important to ensure effective and ethical practices. These standards help guide marketers and creative minds in their strategies and interactions with consumers. Here are some key industry standards: Read more>> 

Cari Schmoock

We are in the Business of Standing Out Read more>>

Sarah Daya

At Blue Velvet Bunny we offer customers a chance to express themselves through vintage fashion that differs from the standard. We specialize in eccentric and unique pieces that can’t be found elsewhere. We have also created an environment in the shop that is fun, colorful and inspiring. We love to support local artists and makers, as well as vintage vendors. The shop is all inclusive of size and gender. Plus, our prices won’t break the bank. Read more>>

Dan Reeves

We work one-on-one with each customer. When you message us, you aren’t getting some automated response, you’re speaking directly to me. I think the real human interaction is something our clientele really appreciates about us, along with quick response times and timeliness in shipping out packages. Read more>>

Katrina Barakat

I take so much pride in the work I do for my customers. Each product is made to order with soaps being the exception since they do take 6 weeks to cure. Each order is packaged beautifully and uniquely, I love adding in random free products to orders to give the customer a little thank you from me and to try a product they haven’t yet! Read more>>

Brandon Still

In 2017, I had no intention of opening a coworking space… let alone helping others open coworking spaces. Read more>>