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.

Sarah Lawrence

Everything we do is different from the industry standard. The amount of phone calls where I’ve had people say “well the other bartending companies all do it like this”, after I’ve told them that what they’re asking is not efficient or the best way to do it. I don’t care what “the other bartending companies” think is ok. Read more>>

Michelle Reyes

I teach Christian leaders how to have gracious conversations on race in order to achieve impactful racial change. When it comes to race-related issues, we don’t know how to communicate well. Everyone wants to be an educator, but people rarely want to be a conversationalist. We talk at each other instead of with each other, and then we wonder why we can’t seem to bridge the divides across cultures and race. Read more>>

Elizabeth DeVoe

Most times when you think of getting your yearly family photos done, you start to get anxious. Planning, finding a location, buying new outfits, getting everyone on board, packing a bag, loading up the car, and getting somewhere on time with everyone in high spirits. Then you have to spend the whole session awkwardly posing and making everyone smile. Read more>>

Helene Van Manen

My business has grown and thrived by the mere belief that if I do what is right for me ( personally and professionally), then my business will be wildly successful. And it has. I’ve run my own coaching/consulting/training company for 22 years and summers off are something that are important to me. I live in Colorado and I have a lot of winter each year. Summer is the time when I feel my best so I work with my clients to create a format that allows me to be off during June, July and August but still support the in achieving their professional goals. Read more>>

Raegen Davis

In a very traditional and at times dated industry, we strive to put a focus on inclusivity. Instead of offering one “sample size” to try on in each style, we typically have 2-3 sizes so that brides of all shapes and sizes can have a confidence boosting experience. Read more>>

Richard Wagner

6 Years ago, While service in the Canadian Armed Forces. A really good friend of mine came up with the idea of starting our own business. The goal was to sell Tactical gear to other members of the military. Anything a soldier would need from winter hats, gloves, boots, and backpacks. Everything from head to toe minus the guns. Read more>>

Christian Johnson

When it comes to buying a home, the first questions I receive are usually; “How much can I afford?” and “Whats your rate?”. While these are wonderful questions and easily answered by a bot or an online resourse they truly do not serve the customers real need. Most customers need a professional who will tailor their next loan to meet their current need (housing) and future needs (financial gains). Read more>>

Jessica Cross and Nikel Provost

Not only is does our Market provide a modern experience, but we also highlight our exclusive vendors and businesses that attend our markets. We post each business with a customized announcement for each market. Not only is does our Market provide a modern experience, We continue to market, post and help promote before during and after each market. We provide table set up and make attending a breeze. We are known for our highly organized markets and our highly sought out venues. Expanding over multiple HOA properties North DFW in the last 2 years. Read more>>

Nikky Starrett

General: Pomp & Sass Turkish towels are a high quality towel with 3X social impact. (Ethically made, sustainable and we donate a portion of our profits to the Canadian Women’s Foundation) Direct to consumer sales: When selling our line of towels online, we work towards making sure that everyone feels welcome. Representation in size, ability, age, gender and skin colour matters to me. Especially as a formerly disabled person who is non-binary. I know we have a long way to go in our content but the effort is being put into it. Read more>>

Lauren Taylar

I pride myself on combining the design and tech of websites. I infuse my professional background in SEO in my website design projects and make sure that each website is optimized correctly. I see many designers who serve online business owners similarly to me but disregard SEO as part of their process. I believe that SEO is a non-negotiable for website design since it directly impacts the user experience, not just the ability to rank a website on Google. Read more>>

Tera & Jason Starr

Experience is what people want and at Treadwell we are different from the rest in the combining of services we offer and experience. We are very paritcular in who we hire to give our clients the best services but we also make sure our clients look good and feel good from the inside/out. This is where the wellness piece plays into the inside/out at Treadwell. Treadwell means to move thru live looking and feeling your best. Read more>>

Ashley Mejia

Tumble Method LLC differentiates themselves given that we are one of the only mobile tumbling and cheer companies that come directly to your house the teach the essentials to be a stand-out tumbler, cheerleader, and/or dancer. We offer in-home training for athletes whether it be for skill development, skill refinement, mobility, stretching, or strength training. Our method, The Tumble Method, instills a work ethic, encourages athletes to perform at their highest altitude, and makes them better athletes all around. Read more>>

Natasha Antonioni

From as long as I can remember, I have felt a calling to be of service to others. It’s hard to explain that exact feeling. Since I was a small girl, I found great pleasure in helping people achieve their best. As a kid, I remember walking my friend Marissa around the soccer field in elementary school. She wanted to be more popular. We had a discussion on what steps she could take to make herself more friendly to her classmates. Read more>>

Bethany Abeln

In my industry, often times designers will create a suit based on a conversation and a few requests from the client, and often times the client has no idea exactly what the finished product will look like. I developed a system of creating digital sketches of each suit, with details about the materials that will be used so that my client knows exactly what to expect to get as a finished product. Read more>>

Kristi Adkins

Many people, homeowners and guests, think that working with a property management company means less personal interaction, more automation, longer response times, and a lack of care for a property in general. This is where StayEasy is different – we have proven time and time again that we are available nearly 24/7, our response times are within minutes, and we check on our properties whether it’s through our eyes, or our trusted vendors. We pride ourselves on the service we provide for both or clients and guests. Read more>>

Jack Baldwin

Bridging the gap between custom home design and construction is a challenge we have faced in our business from day one. Traditionally, the design and build teams are disparate and segmented. Architectural design, interiors, landscape, and even engineering are essential professional services required to design and build a custom home. Yet, these professionals often move with different silos resulting in varied time frames and agendas. Read more>>

Russell + Ashelyn = Party With Russelyn

EV-ERY-THING! Our entire business approach is to look at how something is currently being done and considering different solutions to elevate the process while integrating trends in the industry and serving the market’s constantly changing needs. Read more>>

Amy Novak

My business is one that thrives on a high level of customer service and communication. I love to talk to customers, and to find out exactly what they envision when it comes to custom apparel, hand-curated gifts, or simply spoiling themselves with a few new accessories from our shop. Once I have their vision in mind, I love to get to work researching and offering options for their order, and then actually creating their items. Read more>>

Diana Jakubcova

When I started Deeply Rooted Studio almost 3 years ago, I truly leaned into providing the best client experience for anyone who signed up to work with me. These days, this is something everyone knows about in the industry, as it has become one of the most crucial parts of your business’ success and growth. However, 3 years ago, this is what allowed me to build up my brand and sustainable network of clients that to this day support my business. Read more>>

Jason Cage

Photo booths are a popular choice for events, but the barrier to entry for starting a photo booth company is low, which means that the market is flooded with operators using mass-produced, generic booths from cheap manufacturers. Many of these companies are run as hobbies by individuals with limited business or even basic photography know-how. They often offer a subpar experience that relies on customers like you, not knowing any better. Simply put, we felt most were ugly, low quality, and frankly ripping you off. Read more>>

Victoria Henley

Following my appearance as a Top 5/6 finalist on the reality competition series America’s Next Top Model, I always knew that I wanted to expand my modeling career into more entrepreneurial endeavors (a “Model-Prenuer”, if you will), and using my newfound platform, I created Magnifique, my own fashion, production, branding, and development company. Through my company, I have trained, developed, and mentored over 6,000 models and around 800 designers/retailers, creating organic opportunities for networking and opportunity. Read more>>

Eve Liu

I think I belong to a very different genre in the mainstream illustration market in the U.S. I always choose more gentle and feminine themes in my personal genre in the East Asian atmosphere because I was deeply influenced by Japanese city pop culture and yaoi manga culture when I was growing up. However, I once wondered why the girly genre was always considered “not great enough” but afterward, I figured out that this is the aesthetic I truly like, and I will always stick to this kind of depiction until I am bored of it. Read more>>

Nicolas Hogrefe

As the premier brand of wild-fermented mead, we started off as a different sort of meadery. With no sulfites, sorbates, or chlorine our meads are off to a roaring fermentation with nothing but honey and our natural well water. Further separating us, we went into our venture with a strategic partnership with a Black-owned apiary, Mother’s Finest Family Urban Farms, Read more>>

Alicia Cook

I am not sure if I do things totally “differently,” per se, but I am not nearly as active on social media when you compare me to my peers in the poetry/writing community. I do not post more than a handful of times a month, if that. When I was first starting out in this space, definitely between 2015 and 2017, I posted nearly every day. Read more>>

Kathryn Dickson

Yes, absolutely! I have designed medical apparel that incorporates a stethoscope holder on the pants. This is completely unique and there is a patent pending on my design. As a medical professional, I found an important void in the functionality of scrubs on the market today. I have always had an interest in fashion design, so much so that I designed and created all my own formal wear during high school and considered going to to design school. Read more>>

Gabrielle Simmons

I do things VERY differently from the industry standard. In fact most of my practices are completely unheard of or even frowned upon by most other Wholesalers and Investors in the real estate industry. To clarify, we are not real estate agents/ realtors. A real estate agent is hired to represent and assist the seller of a property or buyer who is looking for a property. As real estate wholesalers and investors, we are not licensed individuals who represent anyone with a fiduciary responsibility. Read more>> 

Mia Bradford

My goal of redefining self-care to include financial well-being is how I uniquely contribute to my industry. No one I’ve ever spoken to has heard of self-care and finances coming together. And money can be a stressful point for some. I’ve created an experience for women to have a better relationship with their finances and themselves. To be whole and well we must approach wellness from an integrative standpoint. It’s not just mental, just physical or just financial. Read more>>