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.
Angie Manson
From low-income housing to CEO of Elevate Addiction Services, Angie Manson started using drugs and alcohol at the tender age of 11 years old. Growing up in the 24-hour town of Reno, Nevada, she had easy access to substances, which led her down the road of addiction. An intervention by her family on her 16th birthday landed her in jail again, followed by her first experience in a treatment center. Instead of getting clean and sober, Angie learned to manipulate the system. At 18 and with no one to hold her accountable or bail her out, her addiction and criminal behavior worsened until she was facing a 10-year term in prison. Read more>>
Cory Sargeant
Working in Public Relations for over a decade now, it’s always been important to me to not feel pressure to fit the stereotypical Publicist mold. Before leaving my last PR agency job to start my own PR business, I didn’t feel I fit in. There is a lot of pressure to be forceful and demanding to “make things happen” but I take the approach of building long lasting, quality media relationships whether that is being aware of when you are pitching too much/giving editors a break, investing in relationships with media contacts I genuinely connect with regardless of our working relationship or prioritizing transparency and realistic expectations with clients. At the end of the day, building authentic and quality relationships with my media and influencer contacts and clients is what I value most and I think leads to the best results while making my work all the more enjoyable. Read more>>
Jessica Meunier
There are two prominent gaps in the financial advising industry: price transparency and a focus on financial wellness. Advisors in this space charge a % of assets under management (AUM) and often won’t work with clients if they don’t have a certain net worth. In my opinion, that is unacceptable – and a huge reason I started this business. Everyone should have the opportunity to manage their money and grow their wealth. While I don’t manage wealth, I provide education and support and I charge my clients by the session, so they know exactly what they’re paying for. Read more>>
West Foglia
I’m a phone person. Or even a zoom person? When it comes to making reservations, I’ll always call before checking an app. I try to treat my clients/brides the same way. It really blows my mind that so many wedding vendors will resort to email or etsy chat (cringe!) to gather information from their clients. I’ve found that getting on the phone almost always leads to a more successful project and often times results in getting me repeat business or expanding the scope of the initial inquiry. It’s a great way for me to explain more about my services and I think brides enjoy being able to tell me about their vibe, aesthetic, or even totally digress and chat about their fiancé and love story. Read more>>
Angeliki Papadakis
Yoga provides a mechanism for healing, not only physically but really deep healing from within. I continue to be mesmerized by yoga and marvel at its magnificence daily. The instructors that work with us feel the same way and are the most dedicated and gifted instructors I have met in our South Bay community. They are experienced and have devoted their lives to the service of their students. Unlike some of the corporate entities, at Kefi, we value them and make sure they know it. Read more>>
Lucy Ahrens
At Alta Aprés, we believe in the art of a great celebration, and in order to truly pull off a great celebration, it is all about bringing the WOW factor to your event. The event industry is ever evolving with new ways to captivate and engage your guests with experiences that can range from hiring a mixologist to whip up fancy drinks or the ever popular champagne wall. In an effort to stand out from the rest, I decided to fall back on my experiences in my favorite kind of party scene: aprés-ski. I took one of my favorite elements, the shotski, and turned it into a mobile bar that specializes in signature cocktail shots. I also am working towards offering a ski chair photo booth. What truly sets us apart is our commitment to infuse the traditional shotski concept with a modern and personalized twist. Read more>>
Tenley Fabian
In the medspa industry, the emergence of new trends is a common occurrence, often leading many medical spas to quickly embrace these trends without sufficient consideration for their long-term viability. However, Starr MedSpa’s approach stands apart from this common practice. We prioritize a thorough and meticulous evaluation process before integrating any new trends into our service offerings. Read more>>
Jules Wortman
Honesty. Always be honest and forthright in everything you do. Stay true to your convictions and know that you will sleep better at night. It is easy to fall into corporate speak and ideals that often times do not match your beliefs, but in order to “tow the company line” you find yourself not being able to sleep at night. Remember, people respect those that lead, not follow. So be a leader in all that you do. I say this is different than the industry standard, because for the most part, it is. Read more>>
Pam Sandy
At our store and farm we try to put ourselves in our customer’s shoes and think like a customer. versus thinking about what is most convenient or profitable for us. We are a business of course, but we think about our customers and vendors first. What would we find helpful, convenient, or comforting, would make their lives easier? My family and I work really hard to source products from small businesses in our community and state, or other small family operated businesses. It is definitely time consuming to do this and sometimes a bit more expensive, but the fact that we are helping to support another family or small business matters a LOT to us, and to our customers as well. Read more>>
Vincent Bellino
We differ from the industry standard in the sense that we do not design our gardens with plants from all over the world. We limit our palate by only using plants that grow naturally in California. We put a massive emphasis on re-creating natural environments and attracting birds, bees and butterflies. The industry standard today (while going drought tolerant) is still stuck on the idea of making landscapes look fixed and finite. That is to say, they sort of look the same from the moment they’re installed and for years moving forward. They’re not focused on emulating the natural seasons and cycles of our unique and diverse Mediterranean climate. Our designs on the other hand, take inspiration from God’s design in nature. We think true California nature is some of the most beautiful landscapes in all the world and we want to pay homage to that by bringing a piece of it to your garden. Read more>>
Deborah Tillman
Understanding the importance of how the brain develops in the first five years of life, we are intentional about creating experiences that not only impact children but also plant seeds of greatness so that children have every opportunity to reach their full potential. At Happy Home Christian Leadership Academy for Early Learners, Inc. Our parents must be involved in our parenting university classes. We understand that leadership starts in the home and since that is the case, parents are empowered to connect not just communicate, to respond not react and to create an environment for children to grow and thrive during the formative years. Our children are provided opportunities to become entrepreneurs not just employees. Read more>>
Ann-Suhet Kamffer
I am in practice for a few years now and I am quite involved in my community, including the communal social media platforms. We as a company receive many of our instructions on a word-of-mouth basis, as we truly pride ourselves on rendering exceptional client care and diligent services. What is notable from the word-of-mouth referrals and the social media enquiries that are constantly referred to us, is that whenever a member of the public asks for a referral to a lawyer, or any legal advice for that matter, 70% of the times the member of the public will ask for a ”Pitbull” of a lawyer. This has been something that I have noticed to be a trend in our profession. Read more>>
Jason Axtolis
The main thing we set out to do when we started the company was to provide exceptional quality with higher dose options than most companies all while keeping prices affordable so all people and pets could benefit. Many times, doses are too low to have a therapeutic effect. This is especially true with pet products. If you are a pet parent of a medium or large size dog you know how challenging it can be to find a product that is strong enough or affordable long term. Read more>>
Meredith Pominville
One of the things I figured out early on is that whether you are designing for homes or businesses, you are involving yourself in their personal maelstrom of passion and finance—two very tricky and potentially fraught emotional spaces to inhabit. Too many designers provide some sketches and color boards and walk away, leaving the heavy lifting of how the design gets implemented to fabricators who weren’t a part of the design process and don’t know the whole story. Clients get overwhelmed with the details left unfinished and don’t know how to bridge the gap between the design drawings and the finished work. Frustratingly, it’s left to contractors and fabricators to make decisions that often short-circuit the design, and Clients feel defeated and frustrated that the project the designer “planned” didn’t turn out the way it was promised. Read more>>
