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.

Heather Hansen

I believe our differences can be our strengths, and that’s certainly true for me. For 25 years I was a trial attorney, and that’s a very logical, concrete and conscious job. But I’m also a certified hypnotist, which is very intuitive and focused on the subconscious. I teach people how to build beliefs by combining the tools of an attorney with the tools of a hypnotist. This is not the norm for either field, but the perfect combination for me and my clients. Life is full of tension and duality, and recognizing that can be very beneficial Read more>>

Cari D’angelo

There are not many regulations in coaching as it is a fairly new field. However, I have put regulations on myself. I have personally experienced divorce 3 times in my life- my parent’s divorce and two of my own. I also have professional experience as I earned my master degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and have been working with children and their families for over 20 years. I am also a certified divorce coach, not just one with minimal experience. Read more>>

Tawny Rodriguez

I wouldn’t say that I do anything “differently”. There are many ways to separate your photography from others, but it is important to find your own unique voice and style. I try to focus on a specific area of photography that I am passionate about, such as weddings, family or maternity sessions. I am definitely not a posed photographer; my photos are always more candid, interaction-based and will not always be perfectly centered or framed. I truly love to embrace the chaos and capture the raw love and happiness! Read more>>

Daniel Musto Lani Lupton

As a company, we focus on the heartbeat of our customers by treating them with a premium customer service experience. We create an interactive shopping environment that we feel is often lost throughout other current retail environments. We believe that our customers are just as important to us as our founders, as we learn so much from them through every interaction, online and off. Read more>>

Charles Berger

Arcane Arrangements stands apart from the traditional floral industry by embracing the beauty of darkness and the allure of the macabre. While most florists focus on bright, cheerful arrangements, our designs are rooted in the rich, moody aesthetics of the Victorian era and Gothic culture. We craft each design with a deep appreciation for the dramatic, the mysterious, and the romantic, blending dark-hued flowers with unique, unexpected elements that evoke a sense of timeless elegance and subtle melancholy. Read more>>

Mariam Lenkman

What makes us stand out from other salsa companies in the PNW? We’ve gone with glass packaging for our salsas! When you stroll through the refrigerated section of your local grocery store and reach the fresh salsa spot, you might notice that most salsas come in plastic deli containers. But not La Oveja Negra! We picked glass because we really care about our customers. Glass keeps our salsa fresher and tastier for longer, without any of those pesky chemicals that can leach from plastic. Plus, we’re all about helping Mother Nature, too! We have a jar return program that rewards you with free salsa when you bring back a certain number of jars. By joining our jar recycling program, you not only get to enjoy a higher quality salsa but also play a part in protecting our planet! Read more>>

Mackenzie Mckinney

I started Offset Marketing as a way to support small to mid-size businesses with quality branding and marketing. I often have clients who come to me, saying “having a full brand is to serious for them, its only something a big company like Nike needs.” This can’t be further from the truth. It’s the small to mid-size businesses that need a unique well thought out brand with guidelines and messaging. When all these brand pieces are put together with purpose, it saves entrepreneurs time and money when it comes to marketing their company. I believe that strategic and quality branding should be accessible to any size business. Just posting on Instagram isn’t a strategy, it takes work, research, and passion to create a brand that is going to work in your favor. Read more>>

Missy Albrecht

One of the things we do differently at Invincible versus other physical therapy clinics is we assess the ENTIRE body, ensuring that deeper structures like the organs, nerves & blood vessels are moving well along with the surrounding muscles and joints. We see a lot of people in our clinic who have been to many movement providers (physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists) and haven’t fully reached their goals because there was, for example, an organ restriction from years ago causing the body to protect the area. Their past providers probably gave great care, but there were deeper structures that needed to be addressed to allow the body to fully heal. Read more>>

Mourdjana Batcha

My goal is to bridge the gap in the fashion industry by creating a safe process for meeting people’s needs. I am providing customized garments to help people with their style preferences. Regardless of their size, and ethnicity. I aim to empower people to feel their best and confident in my collections. Read more>>

Stephanie Mckenzie

At Girl Who Glows Salon and Salon Suites, we pride ourselves on breaking away from the traditional norms of the salon industry, particularly in the Black salon community. One of the most significant gaps we’ve noticed is the lack of strong leadership, mentorship, and guidance when it comes to building a truly scalable and sustainable beauty business. Read more>>

Amanda Davis

“In my photography business, I focus on creating an authentic and personal experience. Unlike many photographers who may upcharge for additional photos, I provide all the photos from the session without hidden fees. I also take the time to connect with my clients, especially kids, by getting down on their level and building a relationship that allows me to capture genuine moments of connection. Additionally, I love surprising my clients with small thoughtful gestures, like bringing their favorite Starbucks drink to a newborn session or a treasure box to help reward those sweet toddler smiles. My goal is to ensure every session feels personal and comfortable, with a focus on capturing true, heartfelt moments.” Read more>>

Deshaun Diggs

I would honestly say one of the main things that I do that differs from the industry standard is making clothing items from tapestry blankets. There are not many brands that design custom tapestry blankets, get them printed and then turn them into articles of clothing. Besides from taking these steps with my business, I complete all of this by myself. I feel as though this also helps me stand out as a clothing designer and shows a certain level of hard work and trust through my marketing videos. Read more>>

Claudia Raupach

Me and my co founder founded SWAI one year ago. SWAI is a user generated content platform and creator ecosystem. We connect brands and user generated content creators in order to build powerful, authentic content campaigns. Having worked for almost a decade in different marketing agencies, we started SWAI with the intention of reshaping the idea of classical marketing. What happens in classical marketing processes is that the creative campaign idea is born and shaped by the creative team. What we at SWAI do differently is that we let our content creators develop the creative idea, the creative script and they will also shoot the final content. Of course, we brief them beforehand according to the brands ideas and needs. We believe that they are the ones who know best what works for their audiences. In that sense that we give the creative power to our content creators. And it works! Being almost 1 year on the market, our campaigns outperform classical campaigns, resulting in over average click through rates and conversion rates. Read more>>

Steven Anthony

What if you wanted to celebrate one of the most unique and special moments of your life? Once-in-a-lifetime events like getting married, turning 40 or having loved ones around that you haven’t seen in a very long time. What if you wanted to truly be present and enjoy the moment with them, without worrying about feeding everyone? Let us be real for a second, everyone has to eat! This is where I step in. I curate lavish moments around the table for exactly these types of events. My focus is for you to celebrate and enjoy the time around people who matter to you while having a hassle-free taste of luxury. But what makes my food different than other private chefs in the area? For starters, I work exclusively with local growers and producers in the area to showcase the innate beauty of local agriculture. Read more>>

Karsia Slaughter

When young people think about dance, many of them think of reality television. They see uncaring and overly ambitious dance teachers wanting the win, dance parents disagreeing with each other and the teacher, dancers fighting to be placed in the front of the formation, dancers half-clothed and sometimes dancing to inappropriate music and themes, and disharmony in the studio environment. This may be true at some studios, but not all of them; specifically, not mine. Volume Performance Center in Indianapolis, Indiana is a family oriented “village” and a hub for all things dance. It does take a village to run a community and that includes our studio community as well.. We are not the “perfect’ studio, but our families view all of the children as their own. We are a competitive studio and competition companies often give our studio the SPIRIT AWARD; the studio parents fully embrace the idea that ALL of the children at the studio matter and feel it is their responsibility to nurture them all. Read more>>

Danny Russo

Absolutely! One of the things that sets my brand apart is how we blend boldness with accessibility. In the design world, especially in high-end interiors, there’s often this unspoken rule that luxury means being untouchable or overly formal. I wanted to break away from that idea. When I work with clients, I’m not just creating spaces that look good in photos; I’m designing environments that people want to live in, feel comfortable in, and express themselves through. My approach is rooted in the belief that luxury can—and should—be livable. I mix cutting-edge, bold aesthetics with functionality that fits real life, not just a showroom. Read more>>

Erika Martinez

I believe every business needs to do something different in order to stand out and grow. In my case, I mix the beauty with the beast. The visuals are the pretty part, the things that grab peoples attention. The beast is the marketing and sales part. Most businesses focus their marketing budget on the strategy and while that is great, a well written message will not be read if it’s displayed incorrectly. For example: Royal families use their outfits to deliver and portray the message they are delivering although we do not see the words written on them. We apply the same concept to businesses online. My job is to design things that attract online sales for my clients without sayin “BUY ME”. Read more>>

Natalie Grun

Empathy Nutrition Therapy differs from other traditional nutrition approaches by emphasizing a positive relationship with food. Unlike standard medical nutrition therapy, which often focuses on diet restrictions and weight loss goals, Empathy Nutrition Therapy promotes a non-diet approach with food and positive body image. Here’s how it differs: 1. Promoting a Healthy Relationship with Food Traditional medical nutrition therapy frequently centers weight management. It often operates within a framework that can inadvertently foster negative relationships with food, such as through restriction or guilt associated with eating certain foods. In contrast, Empathy Nutrition Therapy prioritizes nurturing a positive and mindful relationship with food. This approach encourages individuals to listen to their bodies’ hunger and fullness cues and to appreciate food for its nourishment and enjoyment, rather than solely for its impact on weight. Read more>>

Riley Ruiwen Ruan

I believe rejecting self-doubt and continuously exploring new things is essential for ongoing creativity. Don’t overthink or hesitate—take action and turn ideas into reality. Avoid holding back or playing it safe. Be open and flexible to new things. Don’t let external factors influence your decisions; maintain patience, and take the time to refine and polish your work without rushing. In the past, I felt constrained by rules and limitations, which led me to believe I didn’t have the opportunity to explore and experience new things. My curiosity was suppressed by fear and hesitation. It wasn’t until I grew up that I could finally go wherever I wanted. This “freedom“ brought me a sense of excitement and joy I had never felt before. Even when I didn’t have the necessary conditions, I took action to create those conditions for myself. Read more>>

Jay Reese

As an artist who writes music and performances frequently, I’ve began the journey of orchestrating my own events to push my music and perform, as well as giving other artists an opportunity to perform. With little to no money in my pocket, I’ve been blessed with being able to throw a few shows without paying anything and the results have been phenomenal. The support that has come with it has given me the confidence snd courage to pursue more opportunities for myself and any other talent I may come across Read more>>

Ashley & Michelle Ferguson & Nemirovsky

At Pasta Night Club, we’ve taken a unique approach that deviates from traditional relationship enhancement tools commonly seen in the industry. While many focus on conventional counseling, therapy, or challenges meant to be ticked off a list, we incorporate the everyday act of sharing a meal—preferably a cozy bowl of pasta—as a medium for couples to connect and communicate. Our approach is about embedding relationship enrichment into the couple’s lifestyle, making it as fundamental as dinner itself. Read more>>

Harrison Mark

I cut my teeth in the creative industry through commercial photography. In fact it was a lot closer to documentary style work, under the masquerade of commercial advertising. There was an expectation to capture billboard worthy imagery with an incredibly small crew, in remote locations for a brand synonymous with world class imagery, Deus Ex Machina. I carried these developed creative skills into my advertising work and found myself not only steering creative, but often times also being the one to put together the pieces of the puzzle in order to achieve results. Read more>>

Lesley Nase

Teach somatic instincts for clearer decision-making. Read more>>

Nat Lopez

Oh, absolutely! I’m really excited to share what makes us different in the digital marketing space. You know, one thing we really focus on is helping our clients explore all the free options out there first. It’s just the smart way to use resources wisely before diving into anything costly. I’ve seen so many places that jump straight to selling expensive services without really considering what’s best for the client. We prefer to keep things simple and genuine, providing true value from the get-go. Read more>>

Morgan Conner

For decades, perfumery has been this mysterious, elite art, with entry gates guarded by formal education and big fragrance houses in France. It’s always seemed impossible to break into, thanks to high costs and strict regulations. As a self-taught perfumer, I’m all about breaking those barriers. I create fragrances from a personal, artistic space—no chasing trends or playing by industry rules. Each scent is my way of expressing emotion and creativity, like a painter with a canvas. While commercial fragrances have paved their way, indie perfumers like me bring something totally fresh and authentic to those craving something real. Read more>>

Ann Koppuzha

In reviewing contracts for creative professionals, I’ve noticed something quite surprising: many contracts, particularly in the wedding industry, aren’t up to par. This is a bit of an eye-opener, considering that your contract is often the final touchpoint before a client decides to work with you. It’s especially unexpected in the wedding industry, where attention to detail and aesthetics are paramount. We’re talking about packages that often cost thousands of dollars, centered around one of the most important days in a couple’s life. You’d expect the contracts to match that level of importance and polish. Read more>>