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.

Bianca

One of the things I’m most proud of at BMRPR is our ability to deeply understand that no two clients are the same. While we operate within the professional standards of public relations, our approach is anything but one-size-fits-all. Each brand, individual, or company we work with has a unique story, a different set of goals, and their own definition of success, and it’s our job to honour that. Read more>>

Ruby

At La Casa Frida, I don’t just sell products, I tell stories, honor culture, and create connections. In an industry where fast fashion and mass-produced designs are often disguised as “artesanías,” I choose a different path: authenticity over shortcuts.

I partner directly with talented Mexican artisans, designers, and family owned workshops who pour their heart and soul into every piece. My collections reflect real craftsmanship, real heritage. Read more>>

Alison Conway

I started Strange Bikinis in 2012 with the mission to help average or curvy women feel amazing in their swimsuit. When i started making swimwear one of the first things i did was base the designs of my body which was a Large and curvy figure compared to the industry standard. Beyond the actual designs i set out to show women on my website and marketing campaigns that had cellulite or stretch marks or maybe were larger than what had been shown as a swimwear model. Read more>>

Hope Bolstad

One of the biggest ways I’ve stepped away from the industry standard is by choosing to leave social media completely when it comes to my business. Back in 2021, I spent about a year hustling to be seen in a sea of photographers, constantly posting and pushing just to keep up. But somewhere in that hustle, I lost sight of who I was. I found myself creating out of comparison and chasing a version of “success” that didn’t feel like me at all. Now, I pour that energy into my website—a space that’s fully mine and intentionally crafted to reflect who I am. From the colors and buttons to the way I structure my navigation, every part is chosen with purpose. I want people to want me, so we’re already starting from a place of connection and trust before we ever meet. Read more>>

Matt Miller

We try to be wide open, meaning we share to a fault. We try to explain as much about our process as we can with our clients. I tell all of our people to never feel like they can not be 100% honest with clients about how the process works, what to expect, and even how cost vs billing works. Read more>>

Paul McGroarty

I think with Higher Education there is a real lack of understanding to change quickly, adapt to the evolving landscape, and take inspiration from other fields. When I came into my role at Montclair State University, my main strategy was how do we begin to think different than what has always been traditional within Higher Education and Higher Ed Marketing? Most of the work I do is inspired from the Creator Economy and the creators in the field of social media who are innovating every day and trying to find new ways to engage and story tell. Read more>>

Olivia Cehic

What most people don’t realize is that they dictate how their love life unfolds for them based on what they believe deep down about themselves, about love, and about what they think they are worthy of. Most of these beliefs are subconscious. For example, consciously you might think you’re very confident and adored but the underlying subconscious belief of not feeling worthy or good enough shows up in sneaky ways you’re not aware of such as constantly over explaining yourself, accepting poor treatment from others, seeking validation from others, or feeling like you have to be something you’re not to be loved. Read more>>

Lindsay White

We always say we’re a brand that empowers, educates and advocates first… and we sell a product second. I think most brands really focus on selling selling selling. Here at TLMB we focus more on creating content that’s educational, relatable and empowering. We like to tell a story before highlighting a new product. We connect with our customers emotionally first, before ever trying to sell them a product. Read more>>

David Chiorini

The After School Music Academy offers dynamic music and movement programming in the after school enrichment space. I’ve been a music teacher for most of my career and when I was building my business, I decided to make my teachers a top priority. I had experienced every kind of employment scenario, good ones where I felt supported as well as bad ones where I was way under paid and it was painfully obvious that the business that I was working for was only looking out for profit margins. Read more>>

Wick

We are completely custom. From linens to stationary to ceramics. Every detail of our events are custom. Read more>>

Zach Friedensohn

We communicate better then anyone in the industry and answer when the phone rings. Read more>>

Yemi Oluseun

Yes — most of the industry focuses on top-of-funnel growth: more leads, more traffic, more ads.

At The Change Hive, we focus on what happens after the sale, where most of the leaks are.

Instead of starting with marketing spend, we look at delivery, onboarding, and retention. We map the customer journey, identify where value drops, and fix the gaps behind the scenes. That work often drives growth faster — and more sustainably — than new acquisition alone. Read more>>

Zoe Kromer

I am a business coach for multifaceted female entrepreneurs who want to start or grow a business that is aligned with their unique passions, gifts and talents.

What sets my coaching apart from others in the indsutry is that I show you how to create a thriving, profitable business by being 100% yourself (no need to pick a niche!) – and WITHOUT sacrificing your joy, rest or self care.

My approach is a feminine lens of business that is rooted in honoring the cycles of life, womb and business. Read more>>

Yael Margalit

One of the things that sets my practice apart from the traditional design industry is how I integrate NLP—Neuro-Linguistic Programming—into the architectural design process. While the standard industry approach often focuses on aesthetics, functionality, and trends, I work with clients on a deeper, more emotional level. I guide them through a meditation journey designed to tap into their unconscious mind—the place where our most authentic desires, patterns, and memories live. Read more>>

Rachel Morgan

One of the biggest things that sets Pampered Pooch Events apart is our mission to build deeper bonds—between pooch and parent, parent to parent, and pet parents to the professionals who care for their dogs. In a time when most events leave people scrolling through their phones instead of being present, we create experiences that are designed for connection. Our goal is simple: when guests leave, they’ve made a new friend, scheduled a future playdate for their dog, and met at least one trusted pet pro in their area. Read more>>

Misti Long

One thing we do differently is that we create our own ceremonies. Our company has a coordinator and two officiants. Read more>>

Jusmine Martin

Though the aesthetics vary, newly engaged couples are only ever presented extremes. There’s sleek hotels and estates, or destination celebrations, or $150k tented parties disguised “backyard” weddings. For those who cannot (or will not) spend a house deposit on their wedding, well then the options are the courthouse or Vegas, baby! Read more>>

Shawnae Neujahr

One of the things I value most is capturing my client’s authentic selves. This is huge for me so I’ve developed systems to really get to know my clients before we start photographing.
This is been so influential in how I work because I’m able to really work with my couples and nail down exactly who they are and what they are like as a couple.

In my questionnaires there some deep dive questions about the couple, but there’s always things like what’s been their favorite date, or how do they like to spend their time together. Their answers not only help me plan their session but get a feeler who they are. Read more>>

Samantha Southerland

At FYR and through my photography brand, we do business differently because we start with who you are before we ever touch what you do. That’s not the norm in consulting or photography. The industry standard is: fix the surface. Create the logo. Shoot the smiling photo. Build the campaign. But what if you don’t know what story you’re telling? What if the photo looks good but doesn’t feel like you? What if the marketing works, but it’s building a business you don’t even like? Read more>>

Lauren Taylor

I built Le Fleur around the idea of fixing industry standards that are broken or are no longer working. I leverage my 15 years in law and business to see blind spots before they become problems and see opportunities before they pass us by. This has been instrumental in making Le Fleur a success. We bring a level of service and attention to detail that is just not available currently. Read more>>

Katheryn Coleman

In the past, I used to get just about all my projects (commercial) from the newspapers and business journals because of their articles that had been written about local businesses. Also, I knew a lot of people in my business (this was in Germantown/Memphis area) that sometimes did not want projects, and those would be passed onto me. Plus, I was one of the few interior designers in that area that was licensed and was a professional member of the interior design organizations, while I had also passed my professional exam. Business people like to deal with professionals, and the architectural firms preferred to work with someone who was licensed. Read more>>

Steve Taylor

The “industry standard” in education is simply to make money. Education is a byproduct of that standard. I had to walk a tightrope as an educator to maintain students in a non-traditional course. If I didn’t have enough students my program would be shut down. If I didn’t prepare my students for real world jobs, I couldn’t keep teaching. That balance never became easy but as I diligently worked to not only prepare students for work but started getting many of them jobs, the classroom enrollment blossomed. I recruited heavily, worked with industry non-stop, learned on the job with my students and ended up with a program that was highly successful in training and placing students in jobs within the television/film production world. Read more>>

Nneka Ibeabuchi

Yes, I just create and post whatever I want without feeling like there’s a trend behind it. This mindset has gotten me this far and grateful for it. Read more>>

Brooke Tonnesen

At Walk Fusion, one thing that sets us apart from the industry standard is the community we’ve built and the completely original movement experience we offer. While we do have a variety of classes—including strength and HIIT—our treadmill dance workouts are something you won’t find at any other studio. They were created here, and they started here. Read more>>

Iana Karpusha

Absolutely — and it’s the foundation of everything I’ve built at my studio.

In the U.S. beauty industry, it’s common to see fast, impersonal service: no one asks how you want your coffee, there’s no cozy welcome, no aftercare explanation — just “next.”

At Karpusha Beauty, I do things differently.

I brought the European beauty culture to San Diego — where every client is treated like a guest. Read more>>

Connor Steen

I believe that keep things “Unique” is a big part of being different form others in your industry, I strive to always stay ahead of the ball, weather that’s new ideas, new ways of doing things and listening to others what they would or wouldn’t do. I believe that listening to those you hire is always a good part of running a successful business. Try something new and if you fail try it over but learn from the first mistake. Read more>>

Victoria Rico

There is a type of jewelry in the industry, gold chains, that is associated with a music genre, rap. With my project, i decided to create a new style of jewelry through playing with scale, materiality and form in order to associate certain design and aesthetics to the contemporary jazz music genre, more specifically the song symptom of life by Willow. Through my project, which aimed to translate and capture dancing onto jewelry design, I hope to jump into a market that hasn’t been explored beyond the rap music genre. Read more>>

Melissa Wright

We are a diverse group of performers in cultures and talent styles. We cater to the communities that surround the DC metro are and beyond. If A client envisions it it’s our goal to achieve it to the best of our ability. Read more>>

Mimi Perez

Bridal Closet was born out of the realization that the wedding industry in the U.S. often pressures brides into spending thousands on a gown they’ll wear once—and that just didn’t sit right with me. I saw a clear gap in the market: there were no real options for stylish, quality, in-person wedding dress rentals. Most brides either had to buy a dress outright or gamble on a questionable online purchase. Bridal Closet set out to challenge that. Read more>>

Jon Gorman & Bianca Rosa Jon Gorman & Bianca Rosa

Yes, and honestly, that’s the whole reason Spirits Marketing exists.

Most agencies approach this industry from the outside looking in. We built ours from the inside out.

Before Spirits Marketing, Bianca spent years behind the bar and on the field working tastings, leading ambassador teams, and listening to customers firsthand. That’s where I started to see the disconnect. Great products were getting lost because the marketing didn’t match how this industry actually works. Read more>>

Lavonne Adkison

Lavonne’s The Agency takes a personal interest in all talent represented by the company.

All talent has met with their agent in person and receives personal feedback and guidance on what it will take to advance their acting career.
Some talent comes into our office without knowing anything about the entertainment industry. Some of them have never even been on an audition. We take a special interest in talent, guiding them and teaching them every step of the way. Read more>>

Reina Choi

What truly sets me apart is not just how much I work but the fact that I’m able to handle a high volume of clients while consistently delivering stable, high-quality results.

I’ve worked with countless clients over the years, often seeing 6 to 7 clients a day, and sometimes even more. That level of hands-on experience has given me an intuitive eye. The moment I see someone’s face, I can immediately identify what design would complement their features best and what areas need enhancement. That kind of instinct doesn’t come from theory or training alone. It comes from doing the work every single day across many different faces and skin types. Read more>>

Kristian Thomassen

One thing I try to do differently – and intentionally – is bring humanity into every layer of the creative process. A lot of industries I’ve worked in (fashion, branding, hospitality) tend to focus on image, speed, and performance. And while I understand the value of excellence and polish, I believe real impact comes from emotional truth – from making people feel something, not just see something. Read more>>

Nick Goltra

Tulsa Comic Con Halloween will be Saturday, Nov. 1st 10am-8pm. $10 admission. 12 & under are admitted free. We’ll have Comic Creator Mario Wytch, car groups outside, full lock drift okla, skaters grinding rails, food trucks serving & more. Spooky decorations/vibes will be all around the con! Tulsa Mobile Bartenders! Be sure and bring your best Halloween spirit! Artist Alley Card Packs will be available for purchase. Free Giveaways! Raffles! Come and dress up / cosplay for our annual comic book convention! Our website has pop culture/comic book vendor info. Read more>>

Brian & Christy Kearney

We decided early not to compete in the industry on prestige (many studios are named after their founders who are accomplished professional dancers), quality (while our staff is top tier, we don’t depend on them being better teachers than ones at other studios), or price (the only reason we pay attention to what our competition charges is to make sure we are not the cheapest). Read more>>

Stephanie Hopkins

1. A Boutique Experience with Big-Picture Vision
Unlike larger planning firms, Pretty + Planned offers a highly personalized, boutique approach. Clients work directly with lead planners from day one, receiving hands-on attention and curated guidance tailored to their vision, style, and budget. Read more>>

Dr. Erica Folker

At MVMT Performance & Rehabilitation, we proudly break away from the cookie-cutter, insurance-driven, volume-based model that dominates much of the rehab and healthcare world.

The industry standard? It’s often a revolving door: 3-4 patients per hour, one-size-fits-all treatments, and burned-out clinicians operating like robots. You’re lucky if you get 10 minutes of actual time with a provider. That’s not care — that’s a factory. Read more>>

Emma Conrady

One of the biggest ways I diverge from the industry standard is by centering my photography work entirely around dogs and their humans. While traditional photographers often focus on weddings, portraits, or family sessions with pets as occasional add-ons, my brand is built with the belief that dogs are family — and they deserve to be celebrated just as much. Read more>>