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.

Angel Trinidad

I have been cooking hibachi since 2004 til now. I’m proud of being the first Mexican, from Guerrero,Mexico, that opens a hibachi food truck in Denver, Colorado, and made it a success. This was only possible thanks to the customer approval. As business we provide a catering business directly to the comfort of their home. What I believe that seperates us apart from other foodtrucks/restaurants is that we serve for guarenteed the quality in every a plate of food that every client takes to their home. All the food that is produced in the food truck is cooked at the moment fresh And nothing is premade. Read more>>

Liron Erel

As a photographer working in the luxury wedding space, I’ve always been drawn to a more organic, inside-out approach; one that’s less about staging moments and more about being quietly immersed in them. I intentionally reject the hyper-curated, externally directed narrative in favor of something more intuitive and emotionally rooted. Rather than executing a shot list or chasing perfection, I approach the weekend with openness, welcoming whatever beauty, tension, or intimacy naturally arises. I work with film not as a trend, but as a deliberate choice to slow down, to be present, and to honor the timelessness of each frame. There’s something deeply honest and emotional about how film responds to light, movement, and touch; it gives weddings the visual poetry I believe they deserve. Read more>>

Courtney Otte

One of the key ways The Modern Hive diverges from the industry standard is in how we approach design through a completely comprehensive and deeply personalized lens, especially in new builds and remodels.

While many firms or drafting services focus solely on space planning or surface-level selections, we treat each project like a living, breathing experience tailored to the people who will live there. From custom cabinetry details to architectural millwork, tile layouts, lighting plans, and full furniture integration, we don’t just decorate, we design every detail with long-term functionality and aesthetic cohesion in mind. Read more>>

Mia Barnes

You can’t be an artist and be “corporate”. There I’ve finally said it. Being a “corporate artist” is an incredibly juxtaposing statement that I never understood. Look, I’m a small business owner, I obtained my LLC at 20 years old, so believe me when I say that I understand business very well. However, I will never be corporate, and frankly never strive to be. Systematically, it burns out creatives’ imagination for the creative process by molding them into the very box that ‘corporate’ itself chases to get out of. A prison of its own creation. “Corporate and industry” standard perpetuates a level of perfectionism that I have witnessed kill many of the artists I know- metaphorically and literally. Read more>> 

Neena Jay

One of the ways I diverge from the industry standard as a tattoo artist is by choosing to work as a traveling tattooer and putting deep love, patience, and intentionality into every single design I create. Unlike many studios that focus on volume, speed, or repeating trendy flash designs, I take the time to connect with each client and craft something entirely unique—something that truly tells their story. Read more>>

Stephanie Long-Sims

When it comes to the food industry, I see more and more businesses taking shortcuts to lower costs and product faster. This leads to the use of lower quality ingredients and in turn, lower quality products. I strive to ensure that my business stays true to the values I set when I first started ten years ago, everything is made from scratch with real ingredients. Too many times do I see a bucket of buttercream where the first ingredient is usually a word I can’t even pronounce. The first ingredient in my buttercream will always be butter, they way it should be! Customers are also so shocked when the buttercream actually melts in their mouth. By using real ingredients, I am able to make sure my product is sold at the highest quality and my customers get the real eggs, butter, and extracts they should expect from a bakery item. Read more>>

C.J. Wilkins

Often I work with leaders who are skeptical about the role of emotions in the workplace and holy smokes, I get it. Earlier in my career I even had a policy with myself that I didn’t make friends at work because it was every person for themselves. It wasn’t until I became an entrepreneur that I learned how important the complete person is at work. Read more>>

Christina Flynn

We do a couple things differently that we really take pride in, versus the more corporate Pilates studios in the area. The first thing we do differently are the really personal touches when it comes to our clients. Our clients are at the forefront of our business model. When someone new is coming to our studio for the first time, for example, we send them a studio tour video to get them acquainted with the space, where to park, where to put their things when they arrive, etc. This really helps relieve the “newcomer” anxiety that comes up when visiting a new place for the first time. With any new client we aim to really get to know what’s going on in their body and what their goals are so that we can help modify for any pain and injury and also help them reach their goals through our classes. Read more>>

Lilia

One of the things I do differently from the industry standard is that I intentionally blend analog and digital techniques in my photography and videography to create work that feels timeless, soulful, and deeply human. In an industry that often prioritizes speed, trends, and overly polished perfection, I slow down and focus on storytelling, emotion, and authenticity. Read more>>

Pangea Carpio-Evans

I started The Pangea Special because I could not find the type of skin and hair care products I wanted that were, 1. locally made. 2. available for bulk refill, and 3. in my price range as a lower income person.

1. Shopping local is something that I highly value, as I believe in a local economy. Because of that, I am not offering sales of my products out of state. However, I do offer local delivery on the weekends (MSP area). I purchase many ingredients at my local co-op and other ingredients are ordered from a regional, small business based in Illinois. Read more>>

Rajnarind Kaur

Typically, a SWOT Analysis is conducted on a company, but in my classroom, I ask my business school students to submit a detailed personal SWOT analysis on themselves in order to identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. As a concept, strategic management is quite theoretical, so my twist to make a difference and have an impact in the lives of my students for just one semester is to personalize the content for them as individuals. I knew I needed to make it relevant and specific to them. What better way than for students to think about their post-graduation plans? They would be forced to articulate their competitive advantage and unique value in upcoming interviews. They would need to spin their distinct stories to land the positions they covet. Read more>>

Amelie Polk

Yes, I definitely do things a little differently than what’s typical in the astrology space. My entire brand is built around helping people “glow up”—but not just in the surface-level way that word sometimes implies. To me, a true glow-up is about becoming who you were always meant to be. It’s about aligning with your purpose, your natural energy and your gifts so you’re not just chasing trends or trying to be someone you’re not. Read more>>

Michael Jacobson

At French Florist, we want to change the culture of buying and gifting flowers in America, by getting Americans to appreciate a flower’s ability to literally improve and enhance a life. We believe that flowers are vital to our happiness and our ability to connect better with others. Sure, we buy them on Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day but we’re missing how valuable and important they are in our daily lives. In Europe, people buy flowers for themselves and others weekly. They see flowers as nourishment and we believe that attitude can be adopted here. So we’ve completely changed the way flowers are bought and sold to make sure that the customer experience is so incomparable that our consumers want flowers in their lives on a continual basis. Read more>>

Pamela Anticole

The wedding photography industry certainly follows trends- in both photography style and editing style- but throughout the years there is a general expectation of structure to the wedding day: posed portraits and orchestrated shots. As a documentary photographer with a photojournalistic background, I have a unique approach.  Read more>>

Sierra Campbell

One of the cornerstones to my creative family business is paying our artists well and on time; up front when it’s possible. When I first began in the industry as a model and actor, signed to a reputable agency, and booking notable clients, I was shocked and endlessly frustrated with how long it took to get paid as talent and as a crafts person. Personally, I loathe the hassle of asking for money that I’m owed, it taints the energy around the production itself. So, when starting a business of our own we wanted to make sure our team always felt fairly compensated and considered. Read more>>

Caroline & Victor McCandless & Oliveira

We founded Concentric Jiu Jitsu Fitness Wellness with a holistic and authentic approach in mind. This is where we diverge most from the fitness and martial arts industry standard, which too often preys on people who feel uneducated or overwhelmed about their health. That confusion can make people vulnerable to being taken advantage of or misled. Read more>>

Aixangela Caballero

Corporate America thrives on overconsumption; on selling a solution to a problem they made up themselves. This can be, and often is, as simple as deciding that you, the consumer, are lacking value and status if you don’t own whatever the company is trying to sell. One of the major ways we see this play out in real time is the overconsumption of clothing and the accelerated rate at which fast fashion brands are growing and expanding. This growth is unsustainable, unhealthy, and has detrimental effects on almost every group involved in the business process. Read more>>