Doing things differently often leads to outsized results and so we connected with some of the most inspiring leaders and trailblazers we know and asked them to go into detail about what they do differently relative to others in their industry.

Fay Nourani

I have a passion for beautifying spaces and bringing peace and tranquillity to the life of others, while being sustainable and eco friendly as much as possible. This is the idea behind my business model/mission. With this being said, Event Flouret is not a cookie cutter business but every design we make is unique to the couple and the environment surrounding their wedding. Read more>>

Erin/Samantha Saba/Dawson

At Ohana we are so much more than just a fitness studio. One of the biggest things we pride ourselves on is our community we have built. We believe one of the most important things to focus on is surrounding yourself with positive people in an encouraging environment. Our community is truly unlike any other. They not only support each other through the ups and downs in life, they are also so welcoming to each new client who walk in the door. Read more>>

Radhika McDiarmid

Our hearts are with the medium of film. While the introduction of digital cameras to the mass market in the 1990s meant that most photographers left film behind, we think the process and quality of the resulting photos is an important marker of our work. The practice of slowing down, being present with our subject(s), and taking the risk of making mistakes that aren’t immediately rectifiable leads to galleries that are more dynamic and unique, and that we are undoubtedly more proud of. Read more>>

Eric Hunter.

We see too many businesses with underperforming video content. The industry standard has videographers creating videos for companies without a marketing strategy, which means the business owner pays for a quality video that no one will ever see. We aim to change that. Each video should not only have a specific purpose within the company but should also speak directly to their ideal customer. Most business owners don’t know how to properly use video which is why a Video Strategist has a broad view of the company they are working with so they can spot the gaps in communication. Read more>>

Lauren Thomas

The term Modern Hippie is a tribute back to a simpler time when people prioritized a slower pace of life, and prioritized sitting together as a family at the dinner table. This cookbook is different from most because, although it offers over 70 delicious recipes, it also aims to take the angst out of having company over by offering tips for the hostess, such as tablescaping and setting the scene for a beautiful evening no matter how big or small the gathering. Read more>>

Katie Greenstone

We humanize brands. So many companies miss the mark when they are trying to leverage social media to gain clients and brand awareness because they’re too focused on their image, rather than the way they communicate b2c, the way their content makes people feel, and they forget to present themselves as human beings running a business. Read more>>

Molly Bean

I can’t claim that everyone in the woodworking industry doesn’t try to work sustainably, but I can say that it is something I go out of my way to do. With this goal in mind, I have ended up (almost by accident) creating very unique pieces of art in the process. When starting a project, I will always look to incorporate scrap material from other projects, even if it means extra work for me to make the “scrap” what it needs to be for said project. Read more>>

Jamie Rau.

Absolutely! That is the main reason I started Refinery Skin and Body in 2021. I was so disappointed in how my colleagues and myself were treated over the years, at various salons in town, that I decided I needed to open my own space where everyone is treated like their own business, and with respect, because that is how this industry operates. We as individual service providers are building connections with each client that comes to see us for a service. Those connections are so important not only to ensure the client comes back for another service, but to make sure that the client is getting the correct service custom to their specific needs. Read more>>

Sash Moreaux

Almost every product if not every single product is custom made, small batch curated and hand packaged. The bases are purchased from holistic natural sourcing agents and the formulas are esthetician envision and chemist advised. Which provides estheticians and their clients with professional grade transformative skincare products with out the risk of developing long term damage. Read more>>

Brandy Mayweather

I feel every artist is different and each individual does business in a way that works for them. I would like to think me incorporating science and random objects into a hand made canvas is unique compared to the industry standard. The fact that my artwork is not only interactive, but always has a hidden message is something that sets me apart from a lot of people in the 3D interactive installation category. Read more>>

Beth Milan

As a small business owner, I’ve always enjoyed offering rentals as a service. I’ve rented real estate, luxury backdrops, photography studio space, and now neon signs. As far as I know, we are the first in the area to offer this service. It just makes sense for special events. Why pay full price for something you’re only going to use once? It’s very important to me to offer affordable solutions. Read more>>

Stormi Leonard

We believe that Rustler Hat Co. has touched a market in Nashville that was not formerly being targeted. We are able to offer high quality hats at a price point a large group of people can afford and enjoy. It has been so rewarding to see all our customers walk away with a piece of Nashville. We love being a part of the city and becoming a must-stop attraction for visitors and locals alike. Read more>>

Jeff SIMILIEN

Lowkey is a cannabis lifestyle brand established in 2019 with two retail stores and a cultivation facility in development in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. Our brand seeks to inspire, motivate and connect with our customers who are cannabis consumers. The Lowkey brand is all about living Lowkey.WHAT IS A LOWKEY LIFESTYLE? It’s all about learning before you earn, getting things done, having faith, being consistent, having urgency, being accountable and lastly, always having fun & integrity. Read more>>

Terri Campbell.

Each event is unique. For every event, I think of ways to elevate the presentation and service, which in return, elevates the experience for the guests. Creative cocktail names, custom menus, layered cocktails, and unique garnishes are just a few touches that take our services to the next level. Read more>>

Anna Zlotnicki

Yes – we’re completely mobile! We’re independent opticians with an entirely mobile operation. We don’t have a brick-and-mortar location, but instead we meet our clients right where they are. When you think of purchasing glasses, you probably picture, for example, going to an optical retailer at the mall, buying from a private practice, or shopping online. Each of those options have pros and cons – we wanted to offer the best of both. Purchasing eyewear from a specialty optical retailer or your doctor’s office offers the benefit of having an optician on hand to talk you through the process and ensure you get properly fitted, but can be extremely expensive. Read more>>

Adriana Castro.

Absolutely. Unlike traditional companies that fear empowering clients, at Dbuiltek, we contribute to the construction & design industry from a decentralized perspective by developing services and tools that give clients control over the process and results of their projects. This approach aligns with our vision to help people to enhance their lives by improving their spaces.[1] [2] Read more>>

Jaquana Howell

As a boutique owner, I don’t overcharge my customers.. I will never pay $12 for an item “wholesale” and charge $80 because it’s “trending”. Or because I have 14k following! I try to provide my crowd of customers with affordable trending clothes & accessories. Read more>>

David Alan

There are so many rules in writing children’s books – word count, formatting, age levels, etc. I’ve kind of thrown all of the “rules” out the window and just produce books that feel good to me, and in return, hopefully to the readers. Read more>>

Felecia Parks

Lip Print Beauty Bar was birthed to be different. We set out to do something unique and outside of the box within the cosmetic industry. Our business is for all lipstick/lip gloss lovers who seek to create their own lipsticks/lip gloss from start to finish. We like to say, “The freshest lipstick/lip gloss you will ever have!” Our customers or “Lip Print Beauties” get to experience mixing and blending their own lip products. During our lipstick/lip gloss workshops, each customer selects multiple pigment colors, mixes and blends the colors together to create a custom lip color/shade. Read more>>

Rachel Napoli

I don’t maintain an email list. I know a critical part of a small product-based business is building that core customer base, and the industry-standard way to do that is through an email list. To put it bluntly, I don’t have time. Said a better way, it’s something that I have chosen not to prioritize, in favor of focusing on other parts of running my business. I work full-time, in addition to running my maker business, and this business started from hobbies that I enjoy. Read more>>

Stuart Shoemaker

We choose not to max out our employees. It’s all too common in the landscape industry for people to work 10-12 hour days through peak season. Base pay in the industry is not particularly high, and many companies, and employees, make up for this by working 60 hour weeks. We’ve found that by staying relatively small as a company, and by offering specialized services we can pay our employees better than average wages that in turn allow them to get by without having to work excessive hours. In the end, we’ve found that this helps with long-term employee retention, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and overall health and sustainability within the company. Read more>>

Shenandoah Nieuwsma.

We do a lot of things differently from the industry standard, but one thing (among others) that I think really sets us apart is that we are driven to provide our clients good, solid data so that they can make the most rational decisions at every turn. There is so much bad data out there – in real estate especially – that it would be easy for people to think they have reliable data when they don’t. Read more>>

Erin Massie.

Although there’s not really an “industry standard” in photography because all art is subjective, my white-studio style sessions are definitely unique to my market. There’s a tendency in newborn and child photography to use a lot of props, textures and colors. I’ve always viewed those as distractions from what you really want the image to focus on- your child! I do sometimes still use minimal props and textures, but I keep the white color scheme consistent to highlight the child. Read more>>

Bartley Blume.

We’re quite different from the industry standard in the products we produce. Most breweries make only beer. We also make liquor, cider, honey wine, and cocktails. These offerings ensures that we have something for everyone. Read more>>

Judy Lee

One of the things I do differently than other photographers is to process their portraits with them in person using prints. Photographs can be such powerful tools for self-reflection and the process I take my clients on facilitates self-acceptance and self-love. The session experience involves three main steps starting with mentoring, then the portrait session day and finally the reveal. In the reveal, I present 20 prints total to clients reflecting different sides of them from their light to their shadows. Read more>>

Rick Heinz

I have multiple lives as a creative, and adding business owner to this list is certainly different. When it came to creating Storytellers Forge Studios, I noticed several Tabletop Gaming Industry trends and the treatment of freelancers… and I’ve also been on the receiving end of them. We build a creator focused studio, while still preserving a bottom line focused business so nobody is running into debt. Read more>>

Sheana Mosch

Well over 90% of all basketball trainers are men. One common issue that many of these trainers get wrong is training girls the same way they train boys. The way I see this taught the most incorrectly is men who teach girls to shoot the way that NBA men shoot. Example: most high level male athletes begin their shot by bringing the basketball up to the level above their head before extending to their release. Read more>>

Mark Folkmann

Yes, absolutely! The Kumon program is very different from most educational centers you see in western countries. This is a program that was founded in Japan in 1958 and has successfully grown all over the world with 5 million students worldwide. Many students in the United States seek private tutoring when they are struggling in school, but sadly this is ultimately a band-aid approach to solving academic issues. The Kumon program doesn’t focus on tutoring, it focuses on building independence through mastery. By “mastery,” we mean speed and accuracy combined. Read more>>

Chris Gulley (Fury stage name)

My show covers entertainment news and geek related news from a POC perspective.. The difference with my show is that I’m creating an inclusive and safe space for minorities that either work in the entertainment field or geek space. When I refer to the geek space I mean anything from comics, television, film, wrestling, gaming, etc. I also showcase POC creatives to shine more light on various projects. Read more>>