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.

Shon Christy

When I started the first social media agency in Ohio 14 years ago we were innovators in the marketing field. Today, social media is the top marketing medium out there. Our company continues in its tradition of crafting social media strategies, handling social media management, and social media consulting for companies that need expertise while they use their internal resources to manage social media. In addition to those traditional services we have innovated in our space over the last two years. Read more>>

Olivia Andrade

Before we owned our own business, one of our favorite things to do as a couple was visit different bars, restaurants, coffee shops, etc., and take in the environment, product, and service. What did we like, what didn’t we like, what would we do differently and why, etc. It became sort of a game. When new small businesses open or come under new management, it seems that a lot of the financial investment goes toward the atmosphere and look of the place. That is an important piece for sure but we believe that the majority of the time and money investment, especially at the beginning, should go toward product and service. Read more>>

Rebecca Ridner

While I have deep respect for the coaching industry, I found that the title didn’t quite align with me. Being a muse felt like the perfect role. It resonates with me more than traditional coaching because it allows me to tap into a different kind of inspiration and support for artists and creatives. While coaching is valuable and important, I found that the term didn’t fully capture the essence of what I aim to do. As a muse, I can offer a more tailored and personalized form of encouragement and inspiration. Instead of purely guiding individuals, I thrive on igniting their creative spark, being their biggest cheerleader, and offering a unique form of inspiration that aligns more closely with their artistic vision and aspirations. Read more>>

Elizabeth Miner

Businesses are not your entire life! I know that sounds strange coming from a business coach but if there is any mistake I see time and time again is that people start businesses like they start a new job. They know it will be work and they are prepared to work hard and make sacrifices but that is where the similarities end. When you build a business, your own business, it is more than a job, it is a complete shift in lifestyle and mindset. All of a sudden every decision you make, every purchase of a pack of post-it notes carries a different weight. Read more>>

Aleisha Johnson Cook

The mission statement for my company, AJC Business Solutions (AJC), is to empower our clients and support their growth and sustainability using a people-centered, data-driven, and process-oriented approach. As an Operations and Management consulting organization, it is important not only to provide solutions for my clients, but to ensure they are able to successfully implement and sustain improved performance results. This story begins with a young black female straight out of her Global Supply Chain Management MBA program, moving to a big city for her first corporate job. Read more>>

Dara Quick

We’re already breaking the standard by having a hybrid Hair Salon and Costume Shop! But, what makes us different is that we cater to all humans, and really try to make the experience comfortable and special. You can come in wearing your normal clothes and get transformed into an otherworldly creature all in one place! We offer services from head to toe as well as costume options and a photo studio to capture the magic and finish things off before hitting the town. Most of all, we make sure our clients feel safe enough to play and try new things. It’s what it’s all about, Read more>>

Jaclyn Albergoni

Everyone knows that meditation is important for their mental health. However, what most people don’t know is that meditation is one of the most powerful ways one can truly change their life. Meditation provides a unique and effective method to access and influence the subconscious mind, and this is where true healing happens. Now imagine going from depression to happiness, lack to abundance, self-loathing to self-respect. This is the power of meditation. What I do that differs from everyone else is that I design meditations specific to an individual’s needs. Simply put, I design custom meditations. You can think of it as meditation therapy. Read more>>

Natasha Frazer

As a Black woman owned Nail Studio/Spa we are different than most of the usual, local nail shops. The Studio was created to reflect a relaxing, inviting, place where customers can come for their self care needs and still have a sense of community, We believe in providing great customer service, using quality products, pamering our clients, educating them on the products/services, collaborating with other small business owners, and treating our providers fairly. We have had many nail clients that have talked about how they have not felt valued at the local shops, treated poorly, and the health of their nails have deteriorated. Read more>>

Meghan McMurphy

In the laser hair removal business, it’s difficult to find a place that isn’t a large chain or giant corporation. I had the opportunity to work for one early on in my career. Everything we did and sold there was a curated script, it felt scummy at times, deceiving most times. We’d sell people laser hair removal services at an outrageous price and assure them that if they didn’t have all the money right now, we had a credit program at their service! I felt drained, it felt wrong. That’s why when I started my laser business, I wanted to make a point of not treating people like a number or a stack of money. I wanted to be the person who would truly help them, improve their lives, not increase their financial stress. Read more>>

Vonyetta Watson

Always be yourself! Social media tends to create an illusion of what people think is acceptance. Read more>>

Melissa Hulsey

My Business focuses on making Chemical Free Handcrafted all natural line of products. We want to make sure that everyone can afford to purchase and use. In the Corrupt Corporations they fill everything with chemicals it is almost impossible to buy or eat anything chemical free. So making something knowing exactly what is in it gives me some happiness. Our process is already carbon neutral also our process doesn’t release any type of hydrocarbons. And making it affordable to everyone is even better. It is the smiles,laughs,and positive stories from my costumers that make it all worth while. Read more>>

Christian Nelson

The entire Cryptocurrency is a very intimidating and overwhelming space for new comers, but whether you like it or not, blockchain will be a part of our every day lives in the next decade. This presents a lot of opportunity and excitement. It draws a lot of new people in, but they get discouraged because of how many different avenues you can take within crypto. You have basic trading, NFT’s, actual projects with actual utility and innovative technology with DeFi (decentralize finance), Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Storage, Metaverse’s, Privacy, Digital Identity and so much more. Read more>>

Erin Gehring

At More Than Style, we set our selves apart from store based and subscription based stylists because we create a truly personal experience. We are mostly concerned that our clients feel really great and confident. We want the outfits and clothing that we select to bring out the best in them. We are not motivated by making commission on there purchases and we definitely do not push our aesthetic on our clients. Occasionally someone will try something on and ask “how does it look?” For us, it’s obvious in looking at their body language, that they aren’t comfortable. We challenge them that the more important question is how do you feel? Read more>>

Jessica Soderman

At The Hub we believe retail is much more than a sale. We have the ability to inspire each person who walks through our doors in so many ways. Our goal is to have each customer feel welcomed and inspired. Compared to industry standard, we purchase and merchandise our products in a fresh and curated way. When we build a collection we focus on what we want the customer to feel when they walk into the space. With that focus, we build our product line very intentionally. We also change up our displays every 3-4 weeks to keep it fresh and new. Read more>>

Humberto Barroso

One thing I would change about my industry is the education to the consumer. Many know about real estate and many know it’s good but do not actually no the specifics on why or how to manage real estate. Real estate how shown time and time again it is the most reliable asset one could have. I like to take the time to educate all my clients on all the benefits of their purchase/investment. Read more>>

Matthew Johnson

It is often easy to have confidence in the products you are receiving regarding a new car purchase; yes there are different models to choose from but you have consumer protections such as lemon laws and manufacturer coverage for a set period of time after you purchase. What about if someone wants a used car? There are many people who have experienced or have heard a horror story about a used car dealer. Oftentimes you hear stories where customers have been taken advantage of, lied to, or were sold a bad product. What we often here the most though is that the used car industry as a whole lacks a superior customer buying experience built off of honesty and respect for the customers. Read more>>

Sean Zauhar

This is a brief summary about the use of force program that my colleagues (Chad Malmberg, Tom Menton, and I developed in St. Paul, Minnesota. We did this well before death of George Floyd in Minneapolis just right next door. The training results in amazing results that reduce the level of force used by officers. Now the training is being delivered to police agencies across the midwest. In 2014, SPPD began to re-evaluate their use of force training curriculum following several incidents where officers appeared to use more force than necessary to gain control of resistive subjects. While these actions appeared unwarranted during administrative review, they were in line with the SPPD’s current training and practice. Read more>>

Renee Rose

Advice for authors usually focuses on the nuts and bolts of the business: honing your craft, developing your social media and newsletters, launching a book, but if you haven’t mastered your own energy, nothing else matters. Becoming an energetic match for a bestseller, for success, for a huge readership, for hitting the New York Times list–that is the secret to pulling those things in with ease. For aligning with the future you want to create. Read more>>

JoAnne Garrow

At Caught Dreamin’ Therapy, we are different than other practices. We are a team, functioning much like a family supporting one another. I believe in our industry, therapists/clinicians are overworked and underpaid – often leading to burnout. At CDT I have been striving to focus on the care of my clinicians first so that they can care for our clients. It is a win win. They are employees vs. contracted workers and we function as a team. They are paid on a commission, which allows them flexibility to their schedule. They get paid for what they work. Each clinician has been allowed to create their own space where they work (decorating). Read more>>

Justin Lee

Ay Papi is truly a craft cannabis brand. We are self funded, have taken zero capital investment and do our absolute best to stay in our lane. As an authentic craft cannabis company, we do not adhere to the standard corporate structure or model of business, which is often profit motivated over quality. This is why Ay Papi only focuses on Solventless hash rosin, using exotic rare cultivars from legacy craft cultivators that only use regenerative farming practices (the highest quality cultivation method). As a Solventless brand, we feel it’s important that even the material/strains we source are completely organic and regeneratively farmed. Read more>>

LASI

In the music industry, larger labels get a bad rep. There’s articles everywhere about how big labels become predatory and artists lose out on millions of dollars for their own work, or not being able to own their masters and are at the mercy of the label for years. For Bolo, we wanted to create a music label that is run by artists FOR artists. Ruby and I are artists and the team we selected to support our signed artists are pro-artist. In order for us to build community and elevate the talent we have seen, our mission is to treat artists fairly and allow them to express themselves in their truest way. Read more>>

Jonathan Machen

I’m an independent Artist who believes in making every genre of music to bust the stigma of one platform. I also break the mold of a typical Artist in the industry because I write real music about real life tangible things, memories, and passions. Read more>>

Andy Bowlin

I believe that wedding photography should be an art form that captures the essence of the moment in a unique and creative way. My approach is to stand out by incorporating creative flash photography techniques, utilizing unconventional angles, and playing with light in an intriguing manner. I like to experiment with color gels to craft scenes that are visually captivating and go beyond what the naked eye can perceive. This innovative approach sets me apart from other photographers in my local area and allows me to create wedding images that are truly one-of-a-kind. Read more>>

Ash Patiño

My team creates and distributes movies and TV shows independently. We have had a lot of success handling independent project. Niche fan bases are what we feed off of. Creating quality streaming content for established influencers and storytellers. Read more>>