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.

Brandon Puckett

As a Creative Director and branding professional, I continually explore innovative approaches to differentiate my branding strategies from those of other companies and industries. A significant revelation I had, which was not a part of my undergraduate and graduate education, centers on the profound influence of psychology in branding. Read more>> 

Carol Shih

Qode Space stands out as a web development agency led by women and minorities, focusing on e-commerce expertise while nurturing emerging talents. Our vision is to serve as an incubator for minority and female developers, ultimately uplifting eCom businesses. Through engagement in substantial projects, junior developers and project managers gain invaluable experiences, which they then contribute to community initiatives, all at affordable rates. Read more>>

Chris Kregger

We set ourselves apart from the corporate and industry standard by providing high quality material and labor, communicate openly with clients about cost, innovative in our custom designs, and we use materials new to the industry. We’ve learned many things through the years. A few key lessons are: Do things correctly the first time because you will have to redo them later, and use high grade material to makes things last longer and hold up over time. Read more>>

Michelle Granger

The wedding industry is filled with a lot of beautiful people and artists. It’s also filled with a lot of pressure, comparison, sales, and saturation. It’s taken me a while to distill what my brand is and can be, and how it can remain true to who I am as a person – in that, I’ve found that wading through the noise of the wedding industry, especially on social media, is crucial. Read more>>

Lubna Najjar

In our business, as a boutique brand development agency, we have worked with over 100 different fashion brands across the country and Europe over the last 10 years. The way we see business is not just about the bottom line and about growing the business financially by way of new contracts, we see our success directly tied to our clients success. From working with public municipalities, helping them grow fashion districts and open up retail stores to help grow their local economy to working with Start up to mass market brands, helping them create more eco-friendly and environmentally conscious manufacturing practices are really the core competencies of what we do. Read more>>

Connor Henkle

I see generalist freelance creative services as somewhat ‘corporate’ in style. I considered for a long time whether to be a generalist vs a specialist outlet to the clients I’d serve. My rational fear was if I were to go the specialist route, the Well of Work would run dry, and it would get stuck in a feedback loop of boring similar work. Read more>>

Burak Ozcan

Firstly, we focus on our team and the people we hire as part of the Ferah brand. The restaurant industry has a pattern of high turnover, and while we’ve seen some, we have also had team members who have been with us since our first year of business, including peak pandemic. At Ferah, we believe in helping our employees grow their skills and industry knowledge and do our best to promote within whenever possible so that our team members have a better understanding of various aspects of the business. Read more>>

Leah Ellis

Most scrub stores/businesses do not cover most areas when it comes to medical apparel. Most stories have unisex items, We cover both men and women. we also carry things such as ID badges lab coats, nursing jackets, and even gift cards Read more>>

Chatejah George

As a young Black entrepreneur, I made the bold decision to establish a film studio at the age of 23. The journey commenced when I successfully produced my first series at the age of 21. Fueled by my passion for creating television shows, I took a leap of faith and ventured into the world of entrepreneurship by opening a film studio. Read more>>

Mecca Williams-Muhammad

Thank you for asking. I own a boutique entertainment company, named 5 Oceans Booking. Our services include: hosting special events, booking talent for entertainment events, and management & PR services. Most entertainment companies that are successful in the entertainment industry. They have been in business for over fifty years and are big conglomerates. I manage to diverge from this fact, by being a small business. Read more>>

Ashli Stockton

Sunday Forever was created with the idea of breaking the corporate mold. We differ from industry standards in every part of the business – we have a tiny team that we’ve maintained since the business started, I’m involved in the day to day doing everything from watering plants to making product, we go out of our way to offer a personal touch to our customers by keeping our customer service in house with our tiny team and packing each of our orders ourselves by hand in the studio. Read more>> 

Kayla Walls

Within the bartending world it is easy to stick to the “rules” of how to make a drink. There are classic ways to make drinks and traditional flavor profiles we are taught to replicate, however I choose to shake things up a bit. While I do agree with the traditional ways of bartending and greatly appreciate the art of making drinks; I decided to have my own twist to it. My “niche” is Adult Capri Suns as well as creating my own juice blends rather than using the store brands. Read more>>

Alice Nickels

Photography is a luxury market for storytelling of experiences. With the rise of cameras that fit in your pocket, and the desire to showcase what you’re doing on social media, many people have switched from being in the moment and capturing what is, and now manufacture moments that aren’t real, all for the sake of “getting the shot” and posting it. My photo packages are centered around experience and connection so the photos people are receiving are more than “pretty pictures”, but rather memories and moments to recall, to share with their families, or to be transported back to when they see it hanging on their wall or in an album. Read more>>

Samantha Dong

ALLY Shoes is on a mission to disrupt fashion with functional beauty and a more sustainable business model. We firmly believe that women don’t need to compromise between style and comfort. Our all-female leadership team, led by Samantha Dong, and with the help of podiatric surgeon, Dr. Roxann Clarke and designer Sara Jaramillo, passionately designs stylish options for women while addressing fashion and fit challenges head-on. Read more>>

Dana Hopson

Dana Hopson Modeling Agency llc was established after I, Dana Hopson, found it very difficult to find a modeling agency to represent me. At that time, I was having a hard time finding an agent in my area that would balance my Christian beliefs with the demands of the modeling industry. I knew how important it was for the two to be in moral alignment with each other. So in 2018, I decided to open my very own modeling agency which is located in Bowling Green Kentucky. Read more>>

Evelisse Flores-Baez

I believe that I differ from a corporate or industry standard because what I do can be very personal for a client. They could have an item in their household that is sentimental to them but no longer suits their style or needs. The amount of effort that I put into my work is done with understanding, love, and care. My projects are one of a kind restorations that you won’t find anywhere else and they are also personal. Antique furniture is also better made than new furniture. Read more>>

Kalli Fedusenko

All of our products and services are custom to our clients. We never produce white-label, stock content. We have experience in the financial industry. We livestream every Monday! Read more>>

Molly Wallwin

I started in the fashion industry back in 1993 as a runway model, I was booked for many shows and I enjoyed it a lot. But, it didn’t pay the bills, so I left and started in the corporate world as a Full life cycle recruiter and I left fashion. Fast forward to 2020, several years later obviously, I thought maybe I could try the fashion industry again and see how things have changed from the 90’s. Read more>>

Gabrielle Reed

Unlike conventional berry companies that follow a one-size-fits-all approach, Detroit Berry Company takes customization to the next level by providing completely custom designs and flavors. We understands that individual preferences vary, and our approach reflects this understanding. Whether it’s a special occasion, corporate event, or personal celebration, customers can tailor the appearance of their berries to suit the theme or message they want to convey. Read more>>

Emily Frick

I love that my business has the ability to offer a variety of price points, styles, and products. At Frickin Fab you have the ability to shop new furniture, used furniture, vintage furniture and repurposed furniture. This approach to business has allowed us to be an approachable shop for a variety of customers, we attract people looking for high end products and customers looking to furnish their college dorm. Read more>>

Kristen Muehlfeld

Ren Nail Studio offers a fresh and new alternative to natural nail care: Waterless, Clean and Gentle. All services are waterless meaning instead of using a tub of water, your hands and feet are wrapped in a luxurious hot towel. It’s a cleaner process as it eliminates the most common pathway for germs to spread in a salon. The cleaning and disinfecting protocol for tools and surfaces are meticulous. Read more>>

Allyson Rosemore

Where I farm, in Northern Illinois, it’s still the norm to grow vegetables for the summer season only. A typical CSA season runs from June through October and season extension for vegetable farmers around here usually means May through November. But as we think about how to build effective local food systems, we must consider how to grow and distribute food year round because people don’t stop eating in January. Read more>>

Ken Scheer

We truly take the time to get to know our clients. From the start to the finish we strive to learn their goals, aspirations, expectations, and more. We feel that since our agency is metric based it is important to know what our client goals are so we can not only meet them but exceed their expectations. We are very involved and do our best to be engaged as much as possible to make them feel they are getting the best when it comes to marketing. Read more>>

Antonia A Estall

At Creatives for climate we offer tangible solutions for the Climate crisis. The Climate crisis is inherently daunting as the implications are felt globally, most often by those with the least resources to combat effects. The Climate crisis is inherently daunting as the implications are felt globally, most often by those with the least resources to combat effects. Read more>>

Kimberly Wand

When an infant is demonstrating feeding struggles,I truly believe that it is so important for us to look at the whole picture and help families find the root cause of their symptoms. Too often families are dismissed and told that what they are experiencing is “normal” or that they will “grow out of it.” Just because something like reflux or colic may be common in infants, does not make it normal, nor does it help the family. Read more>>

James Arrington

20 years ago I was introduced to a man 8 years my senior, from the country of Mali, West Africa. He was determined to return to the land of his birth and lift the poorest out of poverty. He said, “I may need America, but America does not need me.” I was impressed by his sense of love and duty for his people and I, with a handful of others, decided to begin setting aside a part of our earnings to move a cause forward, that for a year and a half went nowhere. Read more>>

Jennifer Anderson

As a pet groomer and business owner, I grew beyond wanting to just be at the top of my field’s expertise. I wanted to create businesses that not only served as a good living for myself, but also served an underserved client group. I was very successful in this as a mobile pet groomer for many years. But I saw a significantly underserved population in cat owners that needing grooming services. Read more>>

Trent Esser

At Printerior, we take immense pride in our ability to diverge from the industry standard by pioneering sustainable mass production 3D printing services. While the manufacturing industry has long relied on conventional methods like injection molding and large aluminum mold making, we have harnessed the power of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Stereolithography (SLA), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), and Large Format Additive Manufacturing (LFAM) to chart a new course for production. Read more>>

Caitlin Fowles

Something I do differently from Indusrty standard is I work with upcycled materials. Every fabric I use has been secondhand sourced and that has pushed me both as an artist and a designer. I know the material I have is it, there’s no going to the store to get more if I mess up. It’s pushed me to expand in my thinking on how to mix textiles and how to cut pieces while utilizing all of the material I have for minimal waste while also trying to create something unique and fashion forward. Read more>>