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.

Chandler Probasco

I think one thing I see in my own work that I often don’t see from others in the wedding industry is the fact that I consider myself the least important person at a wedding. I often tell this to my clients and they will start to interject, saying of course I am important! And I have to explain this part of my heart for my business- your family, friends, and loved ones are the people who have seen you through this life. They have made you who you are today and brought you this far! It is so much more important that you feel seen by everyone at your wedding than me stepping on people’s toes or standing in their way to get the shot I want. Read more>>

Jenny Crawford

An incredible backyard transformation is dependent on more than good design. Execution and logistic management during the build phase is essential to completing a project on time and on budget. I only build up to two projects at a time and love the construction and build phase. I dedicate a good amount of my weekly time to site visits and project check-ins. This ensures the success and outcomes my clients desire and prevents costly mistakes. I have been told by the builders that I partner with that is rare to see a designer stop in at a project as frequently as I do. Read more>>

Krista Lee

I began Helix Soap Co without interest in industry standards and with little expectations of the future. As I began building and making decisions about the products and direction of the company, I stuck with issues close to my heart, keeping it natural and sustainable. That led to many differences between us and the commercial industry, specifically in regard to using local ingredients, minimal packaging, no preservatives and using only natural colorants. Read more>>

Brett Ellis

From the start of my career coaching business in 2017, I set out to shift mindsets of talented professionals. Most people approach job searching from an “I need a job.” perspective, when they should be approaching it from a “You need me to work for you.” strategy. It’s a shift from reactive job searching to proactive career marketing. In other words, “Stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready.” Read more>>

Shea Gerhardt

Our listening habits have evolved drastically over the past several years, podcasts and audiobooks weren’t even a thing when the ipod came out, and while devices have evolved, the earbuds have not – until now! Hard plastic earbuds are painful after one episode, and simply don’t work for those of us who binge listen to audiobooks, consume multiple podcasts and make damn good use of our time entertaining ourselves on the fly (see what we did there?). So we went ahead and designed the world’s most comfortable earbud, optimized for voice and, in the process, revolutionized the industry. Read more>>

Dorothy Hood

Yes! Soap making itself is nothing new and you can find a range of makers that vary from the large corporate manufacturers to your nice neighbor whipping out a few bars of soap on weekends. One of the ways we are different from most of them is our focus on historical recipes and methods with the idea of preserving the past. We happily use vintage recipes, updating them occasionally or tweaking them for a specific goal, and we love to educate the public on how their ancestors could have done it themselves. Speaking to youth about how and why people made these products has been a lot of fun for us. Read more>>

Sailboat Lewis

One of the major things that we do differently at Sailboat Supplies from a normal sneaker business is create customized sneakers. While many are used to seeing sneakers painted and customized with different surface level techniques, the sneakers that we create utilize different components that have been removed from different pairs of sneakers and combine them to create a “Frankenstein” sneaker of sorts. One of the most popular customization projects that we traditionally complete is a Sole Swap Hybrid. Read more>>

Heir Jordan

Definitely. When it comes to knowing when it pivot, it’s one of the things that’s helped me maintain longevity. First thing that comes to mind is understanding the importance of timing and leverage as an independent label owner and talent manager. Speed to market is something that people romanticized, but I learned that what’s even more important is knowing what’s next – and being in position for it. Read more>>

Joslyn Marks

Indie Love was created to connect Independent Black Authors with their readers. These authors are publish their work in the non-traditional sense. They are not signed to the big publishing houses, therefore they work extremely hard to get their work noticed. My focus has always been to get them the same notoriety that traditionally published authors receive. The difference is I provide a more intimate setting with a limited number of authors at a time. Read more>>

Davier Godsey

If I were to do something differently from the industry standard, it would be catering to kids. Being a mother of three, I completely understand the need to bring your child to a service when necessary. I would have a waiting area for those who have to bring your child for the duration of your service. Read more>>

Carrie Martin-Haley.

In most typical retail stores that carry household and personal care goods, you’ll find lots of packaging, plastics, and often ingredients that research has proved dangerous. That’s where we differ at Summit Sustainable Goods. With our focus on environmentally friendly products and zero waste packaging, we provide the everyday essentials you need without compromising a clean, healthy environment. All the packaging our products come in can be recycled or composted through the proper channels, and some of our products even come package-free. Read more>>

Tony Lewis

Christian Bible Institute & Seminary helps to pave the way for graduates to recoup the cost of their education relatively quickly. We have connected more than 1000 students and alumni with jobs and other opportunities to generate revenue. Many of our recent graduates have partnered with us to offer training at their churches through CBIS, some even teach for our school, and we’ve helped some to start their own schools through the CBIS Affiliate Program. We do this because have a vested interest in the success of our students after they graduate from Christian Bible Institute & Seminary. Read more>>

Koi Digital Media Co.

We set ourselves apart by not being afraid to experiment and think outside the box. We feel like coming from the world of skateboarding culture, it has endowed us with a certain level of steez and originality that we fully embrace. Also Laura and I can offer each other a separate perspective to our work, which has been a tried and true method since day 1. Apart from that, we always push each other to be better than we are and mix in the fact that were both very competitive haha. I personally feel like my work wouldn’t be as good without input from Laura. so I guess what sets us apart is our refusal to become complacent. since day one, we’ve understood that we are not going to stand out unless we’re actually good at what we do. Read more>>

Mandi Duong

I love watching craftspeople work. As a kid, we would often visit a historical gold rush town and it was so fascinating to watch the blacksmith forge horseshoes and other pieces. There is something about being in the presence of passion and creativity that fills the soul. I fell in love with the imperfectness of handcrafting. No two pieces are exactly alike. There is always a bit of personalization and uniqueness to each item. Read more>>

Autumn Simone

Miami’s first EVER hair delivery truck HAIR ON HAND at all times. Hair will be delivered the same day. This luxury hair company provides a variety of hair textures and lengths Order now and I’m on my way  Barbielengths goal over the years have been to stay authentic and organic! What separates our luxury hair experience is the quality hair and fast delivery! Shop the Brand today Read more>>

Victoria Castellano

I got into massage specifically to help people who are in chronic pain and reduction of mobility. I went to school for injury rehab and do mainly focus area work. there is something to instant gratification that I love and seeing my clients achieve relief and mobility is truly something I am grateful for. Read more>>

Monica Mendoza

I have been an entertainment journalist for more than a decade. When I realized that the line between journalism and being a star in this part of the industry was very blurry, I decided to step away from that and do my job in my own style. No posturing, genuinely and from the heart. I learned a lot from those years, but in my forties, I started to give more space to what fills me now: telling stories at my own pace. I switched from journalism to film directing. Doing that, I found my purpose. Read more>>

Robert Kenyon

The answer to the question would necessarily be two-fold, since it was First Cabin Travel, a touring company, which I began in 1989 that led me into the magazine publication business. With First Cabin Travel, although not unique in the sense that no one else offers this method of travel, certainly the number of companies doing so at a high level are few. We offer luxury-styled itineraries with private car, private driver, and private guide on all of our tours. A client might choose from our selection of itineraries or create an itinerary that suits their fancy. Read more>>