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.

Ali Denton

The biggest difference of what sets Intentional Goods apart is the quality of ingredients we use in our candles. We do not skimp or go for the cheaper option because top quality and safe ingredients are so important to us. We use all-natural oils, cotton lead free wicks and top grade soy wax. We have had so many people come up to us saying they are so scared to buy candles because of what has come out in the news lately. We are changing that and have been for the past four years. I have so many repeat clients say that what we do is magic. Our scents are not over powering but they still get an amazing fragance that fills their home. Its the best! Read more>>

Shane Stanton

The last twenty years have and solidified the “new” version of the recording/studio industry today- The changes since COVID have rapidly accelerated the current model of the recording industry even more-so. In the most general sense we’ve seen the trends- more autonomy for artists to make music own their own, and a rise of budget to prosumer to semi professional studios that have adapted passed a lot of older studio models. Read more>>

Zhaoning Lyu

In my role as a director and producer with an academic background, I firmly believe that the fusion of artistic and commercial elements is not only natural but also integral to any successful video production. Consequently, I hold myself to the standard that each of my works should blend both commercial viability and artistic merit seamlessly. Read more>>

Nicole Diefenbach

Within my work, I collaborate with many actors throughout the specialty coffee supply chain. Specialty coffee is considered to be the “top 1% of coffee” produced in the world. While the issues within this sector are systemic, vast, diverse, and overwhelmingly unfair to communities in producing countries, we are doing our small part to iterate equitable trade models. Read more>>

Ross Kay

Snap! Outfitters is set apart from other companies in the industry because we offer more custom work, everything is built by hand, and customer service and quality are our two top priorities. We are also one of the few, if not the only, company making truck campers on the East Coast – most others are in the Midwest or Western states. Snap! Outfitters started in 2017, making it one of the first of its kind in the industry! Read more>>

Matt Silliman

(low chuckle…) Yes. At Trade School (www.tradeschool.works), we’ve essentially rebuilt the advertising agency and production model to better align with the needs of modern marketers. My partners at Trade School and I grew up in the traditional agency world, where work moved through the agency in a very siloed, very linear (and often very sluggish) path, where concepting and making were done by different teams. Read more>>

Adrienne Moumin

I still work in a traditional B&W wet darkroom, while the vast majority of photographers shoot solely digital. The wide availability of digital capturing devices and instant results has pushed darkroom work into a niche category. Many people who see my work for the first time are moved to share about their high school or childhood home darkroom, or are inspired to investigate analog photography or handmade collage. Read more>>

Heather Boddy

A lot of people get into fitness from a negative place. There is a desire to change the body with the hopes that it will change all of our problems. However, when we approach fitness from this negative place filled with shame and self-loathing, it doesn’t feel good. We feel crummy and we start punishing ourselves and/or our bodies. Then, fitness becomes less about health and more about shrinking yourself to fit a societal standard. Read more>>

Kaya Obee

With the floral industry, there can be a lot of pressure to stick with tradition. I have never been someone that gravitates towards tradition/traditional designs. I have always loved unique designs and art. With my background in art and painting, I knew I wanted to incorporate that in anything I ended up doing. Before I opened my business, I was very lucky to work in a flower shop that allowed me to be very creative. Read more>>

Melissa Keklak

I absolutely do. I think it is very important to humanize the relationships between artist/athlete and potential management as well as set the precedent at the beginning that you are an indispensable asset for them. That being said, when I have interest in managing an artist or athlete, there is a “courting” period if you will where I am making myself a visible part of their structure while enhancing it. Read more>>

John Johnson

In the residential remodeling industry, many say they provide great customer service. However, even with good intentions, many do not. At CSR, we have set into place processes and systems to not only say we provide great customer service but actually back it up. Our focus is providing our clients with a superior client experience when doing a remodeling project or new custom home. Read more>>

Avy Jonsay

I believe any standard wants to remove ideas of deviating. When a process becomes streamlined and used by the entire field, there’s a danger where ideas of innovation or creativity can fall away. Something in the tech world that I have noticed is the idea that imitation tends to trend. If Apple or Meta or Amazon create a design system, people like to follow suit. Because I live within the world of tech design and animation, I look to see where heart and emotion can be infused within apps. Read more>>

Daniel Martinez

In the dynamic and creative space industry, I’ve found that breaking away from the prevalent mindset of intense competition has been a game-changer for me. Rather than fixating on what others are doing, I’ve shifted my focus inward, concentrating on continuous self-improvement. The results have been remarkable—more clients, enhanced outcomes, and a deepened sense of loyalty from those I work with. Read more>>

Trever Ahing

I think our novations practice is definitely a deviation from the norm in real estate, as well as our passion for bringing this strategy to other creative financiers. Our Buyer Beater team is composed of those who have worked in commercial real estate, residential real estate, wholesale, and ultimately we’ve all found that the novation strategy is by far the most profitable and ethical practice. Read more>>

Whitney Mortenson

I am focused on making my company Bootiful Enchantments all vegan, non-toxic, and organic. A year ago I was a makeup artist and started having major allergic reactions found in all beauty, skincare, and fragrance I was selling. Once I started Googling my symptoms I went down the rabbit hole of just how terrible most products we all use daily are. The chemicals in our every day items cause hormone imbalance, respiratory problems, endometriosis, cancers, and more. Read more>>

Diane Perry

We license artwork from artists for our wallcoverings, Our whole company is artist-driven and many of us at Area Environments are artists as well, so we are particularly sensitive to their work and the percentages we pay for royalties. It seems most products that are using artists artwork run in the 3% – 5% royalty rate and we are double that. We also focus on the artists stories and their practice. Read more>>

Holly Strawn

The floral industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that relies heavily on imported flowers, chemical pesticides, and unnecessary landfill waste. There is a small, but growing, movement to change this by using locally grown, seasonal flowers. I focus on growing unique luxury flowers to use for weddings, events, floral designers, and to bring joy to every day life. Customers are always surprised at how long my flowers last and how different they are than what can be purchased at the grocery store or a typical florist or wholesaler. Read more>>

DARREL Maxam

In my industry, many owners of short-term rentals (STR) (i.e., Airbnb’s) have not accounted for the continued change in the market. Very early on as I got into this business, my wife and I knew we needed to set ourselves apart. Instead of just building beautiful structures, we also knew we needed to create an experience for guests. Read more>>

Marquissa R. Williams

Elevate Leadership Enterprises stands out in the industry due to its unique approach and broad audience reach. Unlike the standard industry model, we extend our services beyond corporations to encompass church and faith-based communities. What sets us apart is our ability to bridge the gap between the business and ministry sectors, recognizing the need for leadership development and strategic guidance in both realms. Read more>>

Ray Padilla

Yes. One of the main things we pride ourselves with most is our decision to not be like your typical law office that wishes to and/or attempts to corner the market and seeks to be hired by as many clients as possible. In other words, we don’t believe that more is always better. Yes, we do want to help as many deserving people as possible; however, we know that there’s a point where it becomes counterproductive and ultimately the clients suffer because their lawyers tried to take on too much. Read more>>