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.

Liz Mosley

I have recently been on a journey with rejection and I think it’s something that we don’t talk about as small business owners and designers especially at is something that we all experience. Over the last few years I set myself a challenge to pursue rejection in my business. It all started when I invited Chris Do to be on my podcast and he said no and I felt so embarrassed that I had asked him. I immediately caught myself thinking, ‘This doesn’t feel good, I’m not going to ask anyone of that level or reputation to be on my podcast’. Over a few months I pondered on this and realised there must be so many opportunities I was missing out on because of my fear of being rejected in my business. I love to gamify things in my business and so I set myself the challenge to get 100 rejections in 6 months. I absolutely failed this challenge and got no where near that many rejections but this set in motion a series of events that has totally transformed my business. Read more>>

Richelle Fredson

When aspiring authors first feel the pull to write a book, they’re often overwhelmed by the process, especially if they want to publish a book traditionally. I specialize in non-fiction, so I’m often having conversations with folks who feel they aren’t “expert enough” or “credentialled enough” or their story isn’t “worthy enough.” These are some of my favorite conversations because I know it isn’t true, and I’ve honed the skills of helping them realize that there’s a place for them on bookshelves. So yes, while my work is centered around book ideation and helping people craft a marketable book proposal–there’s an emotional component to this work that I take very seriously. Creating a book is an intimate process that brings up many fears and vulnerabilities in writers–I like to make sure I’m a comfort to my clients as much as I’m a strategist. Read more>>

Shelly Floyd

One of the things I do differently is the tools I use to create my art. Instead of traditional painting tools, I use implements my grandmother once used to decorate wedding cakes—palette knives, piping bags, and piping tips. My grandmother’s cakes were works of art, full of intricate textures and beautiful detail, and those memories have shaped how I approach my own creative process. In an industry where precision brushes and smooth finishes often dominate, I embrace texture as an essential part of my work. I weave layers of paint to create tactile, dimensional pieces that invite viewers not just to see, but to feel the art—emotionally and visually. Read more>>

Alec Taylor

Over all my years as a Training Consultant and Manager of Training Consultants in the Insurtech industry, there was a common theme that carried a negative effect for numerous clients. From the perspective of the industry leading software company, the simplest way to deliver products and educational content was to keep things generic and broad. Doing this allowed for quicker and easier project implementations. Very early on in my career, I picked up on the disapproval for generic solutions and worked tirelessly to provide my clients with a much more tailored experience. This simple fact led to my being the most requested consultant by the company’s largest clients. Read more>>

Roberta Murray

Studio r is an intimate Design firm that specializes in collaborating with the Clients to create a space of their own that defines the Clients lifestyle. Roberta Murray, Principal Designer is proud to have the title of Interior Architect and was trained under many great Architects including her late brother William Murray. This being said Studio r is capable and includes many services depending on the project – not just Interior Design and Decorating but Interior Architecture, Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Studio r is multi layered creating multifaceted, experiential residential and commercial designs. Creating timeless luxurious atmospheres that are also relaxed and livable spaces with combination of different materials and patterns that have character. Our projects grow and become an overall collaboration with our clients to achieve even more than the home or business they envisioned. Roberta has been blessed to work through word of mouth for the last 25 years and has become like part of the family with many clients, getting referrals through multiple members and coworkers of client’s families. Read more>>

Bridget James Ling

When I started my company in 2021, I didn’t have any money. I was in thousands of dollars of student loan debt. I was living in New York City, had just quit my job, but I knew that God had a bigger calling on my life. When I started the company, I began using my free Instagram account and connecting with real women behind the screen. I began by hosting weekly sessions and then offering my services at the end of the session, and people would buy them. I didn’t really know that I was “selling”; I just knew that I wanted to make a bigger impact in people’s lives. I wanted to help other women go for more and find out what they were really capable of. Read more>>

Robin Higgins

I’m obsessed with getting the “social” back into social media. Creating content is often lonely and discouraging! I lead small group classes and accountability groups so you can feel good as you’re creating content. In an industry without significant history or regulation, much of how we learn about social media is scattered and unorganized. When companies do hire experts, they’re often totally in the dark about what works on social and how their brand fits in. If you like learning, if you like art classes, if you like solid frameworks, you’re going to love my classes and accountability groups. Read more>>

Romik Hacobian

At Media City Design, we pride ourselves on doing things differently from the standard industry approach. While many design and marketing firms focus solely on delivering projects within a transactional framework, we aim to build meaningful, long-term relationships with our clients and community. One way we stand out is through our dedication to personalized service. We take the time to deeply understand our clients’ unique goals and challenges, whether they’re small businesses, non-profits, or political campaigns. For example, during the rebranding of the Burbank Chamber of Commerce, we incorporated feedback from various stakeholders to ensure the brand authentically reflected the community’s spirit. Read more>>

Kate Keith

In the florist world, the industry standard is to hop over to the local wholesaler and grab what’s available. It doesn’t matter if these blooms are grown locally, dyed with color chemicals or organically grown. Florists may even use the phrase “we use what’s in season” but that doesn’t necessarily mean what is in season to your local region. At Kate’s Flower Farm, we use what we grow. We spend the depths of the winter (and even the Fall season before) planning in advance what blooms we will be growing. Seeds, bulbs, corms, bare roots are all purchased in advance to have proper planting for optimum production (did you know Snapdragons should actually be planted in Fall and covered in SE Michigan for 4′ + long stems?) We take pride in being able to properly plan for a productive season. Read more>>

Camille Zenobia

My background is as a PhD in Microbiology. My interest is in how and why some people, exposed to the very same pathogen, can get really sick while others seem protected. My journey into health & wellness landed me in the oral cavity where we are learning real time how our immune system is learning from foods we eat, microbes that live in us, and environmental impacts. During COVID there was a LOT of evidence coming out to show that comorbidities like CVD and diabetes were impacting our health outcomes. Oral health was one of those comorbidities. Patients with periodontal disease had worse outcomes than patients with healthy mouths. And since then, vaccine research has implicated a healthy oral microbiome is associated with a better vaccine response. All this evidence is pointing to the oral cavity as a place where our immune status can impact our health outcomes.  Read more>>

Shannon Brown

As I started Fiore D’Amore Florist, I focused on the education that I would need as a floral designer. There is so much work behind the scenes from sourcing flowers, learning the care for hundreds of different types of flowers, keeping the flowers fresh from prep and storage. That education process took over 6 months and is still ongoing daily. After I felt comfortable processing flowers, I quickly fell in love with high-end trees and silk flowers. I started sourcing from all over the world to find quality manufacturers. This took a while, as I wanted to create a relationship with someone that could incorporate my vision. Soon I ordered my first two 8ft white cherry blossom trees. These trees brought me into the world of wedding and event design. Read more>>

Kristin Kienzle

At Utopia Modern Salon Suites, we do more than just rent space—we provide a thriving community and unwavering business support for beauty professionals. While most competitors stop at offering a workspace, we prioritize building connections, fostering collaboration, and equipping our tenants with resources to succeed. Utopia is a place where beauty professionals aren’t just independent; they’re empowered to grow and supported at every step of their journey. This commitment to community and success sets us apart as more than a salon—we’re a launchpad for thriving businesses. Read more>>

Lune Wynyard

In many ways, an Intuitive Dry Cut is unlike other haircut experiences most people have ever had. In fact, I need to prepare each of my new clients for this at the onset by explaining that I intentionally get them to their “worst hair day possible” during the course of their haircut, as a result of combing their dry hair and moving it around until it is at maximum volume and frizz level. My logic is that if both myself–a perfectionist–and they–anxious about looking good–can agree that we are mutually happy with the end result, it’s almost guaranteed to only look better with even minimal effort. Read more>>