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.

Forrest Glover

Real world innovation doesn’t always show up a TED Talk. Sometimes it looks like a stack of fabric bolts in your dining room, a pile of rejected estimates, and twenty somewhat polite “no’s” in Spanish. Before relocating to Guadalajara, I operated my custom drapery and furniture fabrication business in California, working with some great workrooms in and around the Bay Area. But by 2020, a number of mounting challenges were making the business unsustainable: fewer skilled tradespeople, pricing that even my high-end clients were starting to side-eye, wildfire disruptions, and a serious loss of affordable housing that pushed out the very people who made the work possible. Read more>>

Chase Smith

Starting out in event medicine, I worked as a medic for sports and events across the Twin Cities. I began with various companies that provided little to no training—some allowed me to jump into shifts the following weekend, at just 14 years old. It didn’t take long for me to notice the norms of the job: clock in, find a spot to sit, scroll on your phone, clock out. There was no sense of professionalism or standardization. Uniforms ranged from hoodies to short-shorts. Some medics brought fully stocked trauma bags—others showed up with a personal purse or a half-empty backpack. It wasn’t just me who noticed—clients did too. After working with dozens of event organizers, I kept hearing the same thing: “We never know what we’re going to get.” Read more>>

Carri Degenhardt

Prior to starting City Swipes , I owned a Wall Street retained search firm for over 20 years. These two careers couldn’t be further apart in skill sets and clientele but my ambition remains the same. I attend many artistic functions now as opposed to steak dinners and it’s awesome to be invited to the cool kids table on either said. That said,I do think about things totally differently and reflects in my artwork. The first thing people will say to me is that “Your work, it’s very different” Wall Street is definitely a sink or swim venture and as turns out art is also. Many artists will only entertain those that have a degree in it and are quite pretentious about that aspect. The good ones don’t though because they recognize that different is actually good. My mindset has always been “how can I up my game”. Read more>>

Colleen

At our spa, wellness is more than a service — it’s a relationship built on trust, care, and personal connection. We pride ourselves on creating an experience where every guest is known by name, remembered by preference, and welcomed like family. Thoughtful touches — such as reserving a favorite locker, offering a supportive pillow, or accommodating unique needs with genuine warmth — distinguish our approach. We are especially honored to care for guests navigating the early stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s, providing a familiar, comforting environment that helps preserve precious memories and dignity. Read more>>

Yvette Wyatt

There are many metaphysical stores around Michigan – what makes The Motown Witch different is that we are more centered around African Traditional Religions. We have many hard to find items, or items folks have only heard of. We also offer tarot reading and spiritual counseling. Read more>>

Christian Mclaren

I started my brand, McSizzle Edits, because I knew everyone has a camera these days. Every small business owner has a phone full of footage. They just don’t have the equipment and expertise to edit it into a shareable advertisement. That’s where my business comes in in. I take the amateur footage and polish it up professionally. Read more>>

Kati Cahill

At Humanex Academy, we intentionally and proudly diverge from the traditional educational model in several foundational ways. Our entire philosophy centers on creating an environment that sees each student as a whole person—valuing their strengths, individuality, and personal growth as much as their academic progress. Read more>>

Lydia Pierre

Absolutely. One of the most defining ways my brand diverges from the industry standard is in how we strategically merge luxury lifestyle with legacy-driven branding. In a space where many branding firms focus primarily on visuals, trends, or cookie-cutter strategy, Pierre Branding Group goes several layers deeper. We believe that branding should be more than a polished look – it should be a soulful, strategic extension of who you are and what you stand for. Read more>>

Lisa Harst

“Consulting” has become a catch‑all, often code, for repackaging the same playbook.

I do the opposite: listen first, design second.

Every team, goal, and constraint is different, so I map what already works, then build structures that bolster performance and scale with the org.

When a recent client of mine encountered growth pains that strained culture and processes, I built custom workflows, decision matrices and communication cadences that matched their reality. Change stuck because I helped ensure that leadership communicated to staff and stakeholders at every step, turning uncertainty into trust. Read more>>

Callie Jenschke

Traditionally, the design industry has not been rooted in technology. The pace moves slowly and the process is by hand. Supply’s focus is to bring fabric and wallpaper to the forefront. We were the first boutique showroom to have a fully shoppable sample website. Our latest feature is online sales quotes, and we are working on having the ability to order every customizable option through our website. Look for that experience soon! Read more>>

Jamie Hess

I started my career in Public Relations, spending 17 years as a high level PR executive representing brands like McDonald’s, General Motors, W Hotels, LinkedIn, and more. When my own personal Instagram account took off (I call myself an “accidental influencer”), it quickly launched “Act Two” of my career as an influencer, and eventually I was able to leave my full-time agency job to be a full-time content creator. Read more>>

Tyron & April Harper

One of the most important ways we diverge from the industry standard is by centering wellness as a necessity, not a luxury reserved for the few.

In an industry where self-care is often packaged as a trend or a high-end experience with little thought to impact, Harp Vision was created to disrupt that model. We’re a luxury vegan body care brand but we go far beyond selling products. We’ve built wellness experiences into schools, corporate spaces, and underserved communities that typically get overlooked by the beauty and wellness industries. Read more>>

Kimberly Maska

While the coaching and online business world often leans heavily on bro-marketing tactics, urgency tricks, and formulaic launches, I’ve intentionally created a business that operates at a much higher frequency.

What sets me apart is that I integrate sacred alignment and divine strategy into every aspect of business. Instead of teaching people to hustle their way to six figures or follow someone else’s blueprint, I guide purpose-driven leaders to build legacy businesses in alignment with their Divine Assignment. That means we focus just as much on inner clarity and spiritual integrity as we do on practical marketing, automation, and structure. Read more>>

Elaina Ellis

One thing that sets me apart from the industry standard is my commitment to being a jack of all trades. I don’t believe in limiting myself to just one craft. With a background in fine arts, I’ve naturally developed the ability to work across multiple mediums—each one informing and enriching the other. I can draw, shoot film photography using vintage cameras, and confidently navigate modern video editing software. I thrive in versatility because I believe that the more knowledge and skills I acquire, the more value I can offer to my clients. I don’t like being pigeonholed into a single lane—creativity doesn’t have borders, and neither should I. Read more>>

Cooper P

A pilot’s dream is to own their own plane at some point. Renting is nice because you fly and leave it but knowing a plane is always available when you want to leave on a whim is magical. I have been searching for my dream plane for the past year. I did not know the process and it can be quite overwhelming looking through all of the aircraft for sale, knowing if the price is reasonable and differentiating optional equipment. During my search, PacTex Aviation owner contacted me about becoming an aircraft broker. At first I thought, “how could I be a broker when I was already overwhelmed as a buyer?!”. Read more>>

Mariam Nuga

When I was first starting out after graduating with a First-Class Honors degree in Computing, I made the decision to join established firms rather than start my own company. My very first professional experiences were with major organizations like IBM and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Read more>>