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.

Alina Joukova

Photography is an art that captures moments and emotions that can be cherished for a lifetime. Photography is more than just capturing images. It is a way of expressing oneself, telling stories, and making an impact. Hi, I am Alina, a photographer with a keen eye for capturing the essence of my clients. Read more>>

Chelci Schroeder

At Wylder Trading Company, people always come before profit. One of the things that matters the most to us is that each and every item is ethically made. Our values and standards for the items we source sets us apart from others (but we hope that other businesses will also be inspired to support fair manufacturing processes as well!). Read more>>

Josselyn Amparan

I started going to concerts and taking photos of the artists with just my phone, so I decided to edit my photos differently by writing and drawing on top of them. Over time, I decided to get a professional camera. I consider this; a personal project dedicated to my love for music and concerts. I like to reflect the lyrics of a song through lettering, expressing, and transmitting the mood and feeling. I experiment and play around with the space or things in the surroundings. I also do graphic design and motion graphics, and I’m innovating my work and creative process. Read more>>

Christian Proscia

I am a Photo-Journalist and writer for New Era Prep. New Era Prep is a local sports media company based out of South Florida that covers high school, college and professional sports. We cover high school sports throughout Palm Beach County, the Treasure Coast, Broward and Miami Dade County. This upcoming 2023-2024 school year, we are expanding our coverage into the Orlando area. Read more>>

Shiva Abadi Mortazavi

We are breaking industry conventions right now with our new product! We have innovation in the Ready To Drink (RTD) category beyond flavor and alcohol style – and while our unique recipe is delivering all the positives that consumers are embracing and asking for – it’s the retailers that are trying to keep up with so much change and new entrants in to the RTD segment. Read more>>

Tim & Beth Couchoud

It never gets old, convincing someone who says they don’t like honey to try ours and watching their eyes widen in delight, or seeing the shocked expression on the faces of people who thought they knew what honey tasted like, til they tried ours. When we started keeping bees, we weren’t aware of just how nuanced and complex the flavor of each apiaries’ honey would be, but we fell in love with the wonder of the way honeybees capture the essence of time and place and preserves it long past a season’s end. Read more>>

Kasia Bosne

We are 100% women owned small business located in the heart Manhattan NY. We handcraft fresh daily small batches of delicious premium quality artisanal energy & truffle bars. They are plant based, vegan with clean ingredients. Purest bars on the market without any additives. We take a big pride in focusing to create premium quality snacks and treats with functional ingredients. Read more>>

Thelma Espina

The fashion industry is an economic powerhouse that keeps our society ecstatic and changing. However, it´s one that has proven to have a negative impact on our environment, as well as our society’s inclusion. For the same reason, my mission since day one, has been to fuse my Guatemalan heritage with modern techniques. Read more>>

Huston Sonhouse

Big ensemble bands have been a staple in country and rock and roll for years, with a minimum of vocals, guitar, bass, drums, and a soloist – either electric guitar, slide guitar, fiddle, banjo, etc. Big bands have been the norm for decades. As a solo musician that uses a loop pedal to record myself live to build my own backing band, I create a live show that is anything but traditional. Read more>>

Dasha Denger

As with all industries, Fashion Photography is a fairly unique but somewhat cookie cutter craft. A lot of photographers copy and create the same ideas as they’ve seen in other magazines, while others take their own path but still maintain that streamline attitude to creating work that will please the masses because they have after all, paid very close attention to all the technicalities of the project. I on the other hand have always felt that photography and the craft of photographing as well as retouching can only go so far. The rest of the magic truly does come from that human connection. Read more>>

Anna Lazarides

At Beauty by Anna, my mission is to make my clients feel beautiful and give them the opportunity to have fun and get creative with me. That’s why I offer both photography and makeup artistry as a sort of “one stop shop” I knew that in order to give my clients a full service experience, I needed to learn both and it has taught me so much about the industry. It’s also a more stress free event for my clients, because they know I will take care of everything they need that day whether it’s a wedding or a photoshoot Read more>>

Gwan Chow

I really try to differentiate myself from other hairdressers by taking the time to get to know my clients and what their hair needs are. I look at body language and how they use their hands to push their hair around. For example, if someone wants a fringe but I see that they always brush their hair away from their face then having a fringe will probably annoy them. Read more>>

Goar Hovhannisyan

In the real estate industry, it’s common for agents to be focused on closing deals and ensuring client satisfaction. However, one thing that sets me apart is my willingness to tell clients “no” when necessary. While it may seem counterintuitive, I believe that being honest and transparent with my clients is crucial, especially when it comes to purchasing a home. Read more>>

Shawnda Williams

I have had a few different starts and stops with how I should approach providing design services. I, initially, had a more traditional approach akin to a boutique design agency. Although the results and the spectrum of clients were positive, the business concept was always glaringly half-hearted for me. The passion was there, but I was thinking more specifically about success. Read more>>

Autumn Evans

At AutumnMarie.co, we pride ourselves on taking a unique and effective approach to branding. Our philosophy is rooted in the psychology of a brand, which we believe is essential to creating a strong foundation that is honest and authentic. In today’s market, consumers are savvy and demand genuine connections with the brands they choose to invest in. Read more>>

Azhelle Wade

Funny enough, my entire business model is a diverge from the industry standard! The toy industry is known for being secretive, and not being that easy to break into. When I created The Toy Coach and started my podcast Making It In The Toy Industry I created an open space where insights and lessons from the toy industry could be shared. Read more>>

Lauren Castro

My reason for starting Made Scents is completely tied to my desire to diverge from the industry standard — I have always loved candles, but over the years I had grown tired of spending copious amounts of money on uninteresting fragrances in cheap vessels. So, I decided to make my own. Then, as I dove deep into researching the world of candle making, Read more>>

Carissa Chappell

5 years ago I took over my gym when it was a fitness boxing franchise that was struggling and about to shut down. During the Covid shut down I started realizing that the way we were being encouraged to sell “health” wasn’t sitting well with me. Then I started taking some courses that really opened my eyes to how toxic gym culture and diet culture really are- and how much of these things we had been doing just out of habit and because we “always had,” and we were calling it health. Read more>>

Karl Twomey

In the picture framing and wood working communities, there is a lot of waste generated from materials deemed ” unusable ” or ” too flawed / too small “. We as a company strive to cut down and reduce waste wherever and however we can. To do this, we utilize the flaws as design elements for our larger projects, and produce small usable items like coasters from the small lengths that are no longer suitable for picture frames or furniture. Read more>>

Jose Banuelos

Urbano Mexican Kitchen in Pasadena is a small minority-owned and operated restaurant that fuses traditional and contemporary Mexican cuisine. Our flavors have evolved from the ranches of Zacatecas, Mexico, to the beaches of Baja, and now to the streets of Pasadena. Read more>>

Karl Twomey

In the picture framing and wood working communities, there is a lot of waste generated from materials deemed ” unusable ” or ” too flawed / too small “. We as a company strive to cut down and reduce waste wherever and however we can. Read more>>

Andria K. Brown

One of the biggest things setting this concert series apart is that 100% of the ticket price goes directly to artists. I began presenting shows in my home, and passing along 100% of the door is standard protocol for house shows. I didn’t want to lose that benefit to our performers when I started hosting shows in public spaces, but I had to figure out a way to support our increased costs. Read more>>

Danielle Halbert

There are a few things that make me different than a typical stylist but I think one of the biggest is I work to build a connection with every client. There is never a person who sits in my chair that I don’t try to get to know. My clients refer to me as a friend or even family and I feel the same way. I have people tell me about their lives at the highest and lowest moments. We laugh together, cry together and sometimes pray together. Read more>>

Cynthia Kaiser

As a communications coach, I work differently than most coaches, therapists or counselors. As I begin relationships with my clients, I do not say how long the coaching process will take because I do not know and I rarely respond to questions of “will this work?” also because I do not know. I provide tactical tools and strategies for each client(s) for candid conversations around conflict as opposed to reliving past issues without providing a pathway for positive communication behavior. Read more>>

S.B. Pearce

With the shift of literary publishing moving from Agent/Publishing House to independent models, I thought long and hard about the direction I wanted to go with all of my creative endeavors. I decided to create a hybrid situation that allowed me to maintain creative control of my books, cover art, marketing, and related projects. I am very goal-oriented in everything that I do. Read more>>

Maura Walters

I have a very different way of going about submitting proposals to new prospects. It’s a 3-part strategy that places equal emphasis on what I do before and what I do after I submit the proposal. I find that where most people go wrong is submitting something very standard that doesn’t take their prospects’ needs and challenges into account. Read more>>

NIKEL STEPHEN

Carib Auto is a client focused car buying/ leasing service. We are able to supply any make or model vehicle, new or used. Sales, lease, or finance. In addition, the vehicle is usually delivered to your door. Each deal is customer tailored to fit each client’s specific needs. Payment budget, down payment, vehicle type, and even delivery time. Unlike a conventional dealership. There is no surprise pricing, no in person wait time. No pressure transactions just happy customers. Read more>>