Doing things your way is one of the best parts of being your own boss and when done right seems to be highly correlated with outsized success. So, we wanted to gather real-world examples to shed more light on how the best artists, entrepreneurs and leaders differentiate themselves from others in their respective industries.

Jacob & Brandi Bondesen

When it comes to wedding or event videography I think most people have this idea of a guy with a camera right up in your face, bright production lights, and a likely behind-the-scenes feud with the photographer (haha). Our take on all that is the exact opposite. Being an introvert will do that to you though, I suppose. Our goal is to be the fly on the wall and film inconspicuously. It’s entirely possible to “get the shot” AND maintain peace with the photographer (i.e. stay out of his way), not blind your subjects, and keep a healthy distance. Read more>>

Cienna Rose

I think my approach to skincare differs from the industry standard because it’s not focused on “fixing” or “anti aging” I’m pro healthy skin and pro aging gracefully. I don’t think my guests need fixing but I do believe they can change the relationship they have with their skin. I think the way we think about ourselves and treat ourselves, can drastically shift the way we see ourselves. I know this because I struggle with body image and skin challenges too. Read more>>

Leroy Hite

Everything we do is different than the industry standard! The firewood industry standard for is called “seasoned” firewood. To season wood, providers typically let it sit outside on the ground for 12 months to rot and “dry out.” Over 12 months, any number of pests make their home in the wood, and mold and fungus can grow on or between any logs that have moisture. When you buy firewood at a grocery store or gas station, you likely don’t know what type of wood you are buying either. Read more>>

Emily Avdem

Yes! At Brandakin Social Media, we focus on developing quality, meaningful relationships with our clients. I want to be a cheerleader for my clients through their entrepreneurial journey – every step of the way. I want to be there for the celebrating of successes business wise but also personally. It’s extremely important to me that my clients feel that I am more than a service provider. For example, when my client had her baby all she had to do was text me and I was immediately on top of it and taking over multiple different tasks to ensure that she didn’t have to worry. When my client completed her first Ironman, I sent a bouquet of flowers to congratulate her. Read more>>

Michael Goldberg

In a world with record-setting rates of resignations and quiet quitting, it’s never been a more important time for leaders to bring personality and humility to the corner office. There’s a secret culture in every organization that’s not shared with leadership; imagine knowing yours. Organization culture is critical to the success of any company and the reality is that yours is different from what’s believed to be in the executive’s corner office. As an early adopter of social media for professional purposes, I created an account to connect with thousands of team members with the sole purpose of sharing news and events, but what happened over the years surprised me. There’s a real power to social media when embraced by leaders. Read more>>

Silke Henstebeck

Kitchen Door Landscaping is setting out to be an industry disruptor. We are working on not only offering accessible quality design, but also managing the project all the way through completion of install. Those two differentiators build off of our larger goal to make a vast ecological impact on the residential scale, and correcting course from the traditional view of residential landscapes. We’re seeking to accomplish this mission by residential landscaping at scale, and growing into other spaces in the industry to grow our impact. Read more>>

Kevin Greene

We know taking God’s next step for your life is not easy. We also know that sometimes a church is the last place you look for support. We want to change that. Sometimes churches want to share their mission with you and give you enough information for you to decide if the church is the best place for you to join. We created a church that wants to get to know you and partner with what God is already doing in your life. We realize you are in a situation that is unique to you and we believe that God has something next specifically for you. As we get to know you we want to help you: Read more>>

Robin James

BlueSmokeATL represents an award-winning luxury accessory line based in Atlanta and sold worldwide. Robin James is an influencer, brand owner of lux jewelry brand and brand ambassador cigar brand and an industry speaker. BlueSmokeATL, is the vision Robin James, Founder and CEO. BlueSmokeATL, is a timeless collection of handcrafted luxury products to include cigar pokers, cannabis clips, jewelry and other awesome things. Since 2019, BlueSmokeATL’s a 2-time award winner is redine traditional and inexpensive accessories into a beautiful, luxury brand with exquisite craftmanship. Read more>>

Emily Mazaris

In 2015 my sister, mom, & I started creating custom gourmet cupcakes like red velvet, cookies & cream, and German chocolate, along with elaborate cakes! Before covid, what stood us apart from the industry standard was our delivery service! We bring custom cakes & other bakery goods right to your home, school, or office! We are a family business, so we hold each other up to a high standard & want all of our guests to feel like family! Read more>>

Misty Lynch

The financial service industry typically focuses on numbers and results. My process focuses on how people feel because that is the basis for all of the decisions they make. We spend, save, invest, and give money because of the way we think we will feel once we do it. The motivation behind why people behave the way they do with their money has always been fascinating to me. If feelings were not involved we would all spend less than we make and invest for the future but the truth is most of us do not do that. Read more>>

Jonathan Richards

Sea Salt is the purest and least processed form of salt, obtained naturally from the sea waters. Unlike table salt, they are not iodized and are produced by filtering evaporating the salty water from oceans and lakes. Contrary to popular belief, sea salt is extremely beneficial for our bodies. It helps in keeping us hydrated, and balances our electrolytes. The amount of minerals including magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc, and iron in sea salt also satisfies our thirst for a longer period of time and keeps us holding on to fluids for longer. Read more>>

Don Saunders

I provide a very personalized experience and I believe that is not always the industry standard. The menu I write for each event is crafted after consulting with the client, finding out what they love and don;t love, and of course using seasonal ingredients. Besides bringing over 20 years of high level restaurant chef experience to the table, I want to bring personality to each event. When clients hire me to cook in their homes, they are getting a fun, very interactive, personalized experience with me and their guests. Read more>>

Bill Duvendack

Part of my mission is to bring credibility and professionalism into my industry, and I do this by incorporating professional tricks I have learned over the years in corporate America and professional life in general. This includes incorporating as a business, keeping office hours, being careful what I post on social media, advertising, marketing, networking, and timeliness. Read more>>

Ophelia Childress

I would say yes. It’s cliche but it’s real. One of the best compliments I received from a client was that “she thought I was her only client”. I am all about being professional but very transparent and relatable amd reliable! In the Event Planning / Wedding industry. A client can become just a number quick and I try my best to make sure that is not the vibe you get from me. I recently discussed this with a few vendors at a wedding . While having multiple events during a weekend may be great financially. Read more>>

Allison Katz

Before I opened Ali Katz Kitchen, I knew that in order to make a small business work in our North Fork of Long Island community (that pre-COVID used to be VERY quiet in the Winter months), I would have to have a business plan that had multiple ways to earn income. Living in a resort community has both it’s positive and negatives and one of the positives besides the beauty of the area), is that from May-December we are really busy but there was not really a large all year round customer base to support a lot of businesses. Read more>>

Luis Felipe Torres

At OnePlus Strength and Conditioning /OP CrossFit we do unique type of approach to Fitness industry. A few things: – We don’t follow the standard commercial gym approach as a Business Organization. We aim for excellence of results for members vs. having more clients that wont come to the gym. Our profit is Results made by our members. Read more>>

Krysten Brown

This could be because my photography business isn’t, currently my main priority, as I have a full time job but what I do differently from the industry standard is that my pricing of my packages. I get so excited for the photos that I take that I have a hard time charging so much for only a certain amount of photos. So what I do is I charge for the session along with access to all of their edited photos. Read more>>

Jamaal Na’im

Safe and Sound Stewards, has the tag line “A one-of-a-kind Accounting firm” for a reason. As a firm located in downtown Camden, NJ our mission is to combat financial illiteracy in our communities in order to bridge the wealth and socio-economic chasm that currently exists. Which is why our partnerships with Community/Economic Development Organizations (EDO) and local governmental entities are so vital to what we do. Read more>>

Dr. Alicia Sloan

Our Center is a place for kids to come, not just for classes/lessons, but to be part of a community. Many of our students come from afar just for the sense of community they feel when they are at the Center. People have come through the doors, both children and adults, and have found their new best friend at our Center. Read more>>

Kara Laferty

This is such an interesting question because I feel like I personally go against the norm a lot based on what is expected of me in general. I don’t know that this is necessarily different from the photography industry standard, but I do know that I go against the expectations and dreams that many other photographers have and that’s that I’ve never wanted to do photography full time. To expound on that, my background is as a Social Worker- I have my Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan and for the past eleven years, Read more>>

Kelsey Gordon

Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word that breaks down to “Ayu” meaning life and “Veda” meaning wisdom. From the ancient Indian cultures, Ayurveda could be thought of as “Life for Dummies”. Ancient wisdom was documented to include recipes for healthy eating, meditation tricks and tips, and daily habits for a long and happy life. Ayurveda is a sister science to Yoga. Read more>>

Dan Sherman

We try to beat the industry standard at everything we do – our biggest claim to fame has been our engineered photography process. Our process takes 6-10 photos to make one finished photograph – each photograph is hand-blended to make the space bright, big, and as similar to the way the human eye would view it as possible. It’s the new way of doing things and we are excited to be able to bring it to market and offer it to our clients. Read more>>

Madison Kozoyed

The industry of interior design has historically focused on luxury homes, with large square footages, and an emphasis on custom work. I love that the emphasis on custom work has supported local and small vendors who are masters at their crafts. But interior design can be used for SO much more than creating bespoke spaces. I’m proud to be using interior design as tool for change by infusing my values into my business structure, operations, and design process in a couple of ways: Read more>>

Grace Garay

I think so – our attention to ingredient sourcing creates a clear divide between our products and what most folks associate with when they think of sourdough bread or pastry; products that are inexpensively produced and sold through grocery store chains that offer little to no nutritional content and result in a lot of gut discomfort. I wanted to make bread on a human scale with a focus on fermentative qualities that would be fulfilling, nutritional and comforting to eat. Read more>>

Anna Grace FitzGerald

One thing that sets my business apart from the others is our sole focus on houseplants. Many garden centers in our area carry both indoor and outdoor plants; however, at Copperline Plant Co. we specialize in indoor plants only. We also have a commitment to education and setting people up for success when it comes to their new plants. At Copperline Plant Co., our main priority will always be making sure that people leave knowing just a little bit more than they did when they walked in. Read more>>

Chris & Angelica

We believe that great food and great service should compliment each other. We did not start this business to be “vibey” or to serve mediocre food. We want people to have the best food they’ve ever tasted and receive great service. If you read our reviews on Google and Yelp I believe that’t one thing that sets us apart from others in the industry. We don’t get it right 100 percent of the time but we’re continuing to do our best. Read more>>

Christa Stephens

Transparency, Empowerment, Ease, and Mentorship – heavy on the ease, is how we’re different from the industry standard. Leading a team of creative women of color, giving them the tools that they need to complete projects in a timely fashion, be with their families, AND discuss what they’re going through in this human experience – comfortably while empowering the clients with the tools AND knowledge that they need…I don’t think you’ll find that in any industry. Read more>>

Twyla Grider

Stellar Creative Collective is truly a collective of independent artists. We respect the value of each artist and pay them their worth. We never haggle with them on their rates. Some consultants work with freelancers and the agencies often tell them what the client is willing to pay. But because our approach to always respect the art and the artist, we make sure that both the client (artist) and the contracted artist have a relationship that is fair and valuable for both parties. This creates an environment of trust and allows us as consultants to get the best results for our clients. Read more>>

Chris CPANDFEELS” Pitts”

I do not consider myself to be a poet. I started writing poetry as an outlet. I did not have a healthy way of expressing myself and leaned on poetry when I needed it the most. As men, we’re almost not allowed to show emotions. So if anything, I want to be labeled as any other person who did not know what to do with his emotions and found a healthy outlet. I do not want people thinking I’m above anything or different from the next man. Writing is therapy. Read more>>

Juliana Aguiar

In my industry, it is quite common to have a sovereign chef who is responsible for all creative content for a restaurant or group. Often, a group is able to have a multidisciplinary I+D team. (usually made up of cooks and scientists) creating content. I work a little differently. Normally I am hired for a specific project. Example: Renew the menu of a specific restaurant or create a new look and experience. Read more>>