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.

Sharon Hamilton

At Healthy Real Estate & Associates we guarantee our buyers and sellers will never have to work with a new and inexperienced agent, leaving them to handle things on their own. Read more>>

Ellie Redders

Revolutionizing the world of interior design, our St. Louis-based firm stands at the forefront of innovation as one of the pioneers in offering a truly immersive design experience through Virtual Reality (VR) using the Oculus headset. Imagine being able to step inside the dream home before a single brick is laid or a paintbrush touches the walls. With cutting-edge technology, we transform this vision into a reality for our clients. Read more>>

Liz Ross

I have bascially always been self employed. Seduced several times by the corporate world, with a travel budget health insurance and perks, they sought me out for my creativity and original ideas. It was so flattering to be sought after. I held desgin director positions at three major high end home and tabletop retailers. Once “on board,” they would tie my hands and legs to a chair and cut off any of the spark or initiative I had. Read more>>

Sergei Rozhko

My niche is unique – creativity in business. I help people to find creative solutions for their businesses in such aspects as marketing, strategy and risk-management. Latter is becoming more and more relevant with all the changes in economics. Moreover I put effort and attention to personal mindset of the business owner to truly empower people to act free and be free in life and business. Read more>>

Lauren Ing

Unfortunately, I think our industry is motivated by the bottom line and maximizing profits. The space is very crowded especially with almost every celebrity, influencer or dermatologist having their own cosmetics or skincare line. What the public doesn’t know is that many of these skincare lines are all made from the same factory, using the same poor quality ingredients and ineffective formulations, except with just a different label or bottle design. This is called white-labeling. Read more>>

NekoMeda

In my journey from being a social media influencer to working in TV production, I’ve noticed a significant difference from the industry standard. Most of my initial content was geared towards the more organic and relatable nature of social media, while TV production requires a highly scripted and detailed approach. I embraced this challenge and through my training and experience, managed to bridge the two content worlds. Read more>>

Erica Arrechea

At Cinqe Matchmaking, we stand apart from the crowd in the matchmaking industry, embracing our unique identity with pride. Our agency is not your conventional, run-of-the-mill agency. Rather, we distinguish ourselves by operating under a novel model that puts every team member on an equal pedestal. We eschew the traditional model where there is a single person at the top, calling the shots. Read more>>

Dennis Svoronos

The interesting thing about my industry is that there really isn’t one. Artist Operation is an organization of artists that works with other artists, designers and creatives to help them achieve their vision, which is very unique in the field. Whereas most companies specialize in one process or media, Artist Operation’s key to success is being able to accommodate a multitude of needs from our clients all in one place; from welding to computer programming, digital modeling and electric circuit design to laser cutting and woodworking. Read more>>

Joseph Tsedaka

MyGarageFloors.com has revolutionized the entire garage floor coating industry. Read more>>

Chayla C. Jackson, Esq.

One thing that attorneys can attest to is that the legal industry is not an industry that changes quickly. COVID showed that many of the challenges to virtual lawyering were overcome when there was no alternative. Read more>>

Felisha Carrasco

I think being who I am as an individual and the way I express myself alone is completely opposite of the industry standard. As a gay, biracial, masculine presenting woman, just the way I look differs from the standard we look for in corporate America. As a freelance photographer I can get away with dressing more freely, however, I rarely see anyone in my field who looks like me, capturing the types of shoots I capture. Read more>>

Shelli Bradley

I am a Los Angeles Stylist in Fashion and Interiors, but I’ve recently started a rental showroom where stylists and designers can come and rental items for commercials, promos shoots, tv/film and editorial. There are many showrooms in Los Angeles, but not many, if any, that are size inclusive. Most showrooms sizes range from size 0 to 4, 6 if you’re lucky. My showroom caters to all many body types, size 0-3x. I think it’s important to ensure one can make as many people as you can to feel confident and beautiful. Read more>>

Mary Ellen Kramer

Our Company’s mission is to keep people everywhere safe when driving at night or in low light conditions. When we say people, we mean every day drivers as well as professionals. NightRide has developed itself as the leader in vehicle mounted thermal cameras. This niche has historically been served by big corporations like FLIR/Teledyne, Autoliv and, in the early years, Raytheon. Read more>>

Mel McVeigh

I wholeheartedly believe that everyone should be able to use the internet easily, no matter their abilities. That being said, I prioritize delivering an exceptional experience by focusing on user experience, accessibility, and performance optimization into every web design and branding project I undertake. Inclusive design is a big deal. A well-designed site doesn’t just help those with disabilities; it’s better for everyone. Read more>>

Dinara Baizakova

I prefer naturalness, originality and simplicity in photo industry. I feel that’s a real art. Art isn’t about over photoshopped faces and bodies and always happy faces. I prefer to show real person through my lens. I use minimum of photoshop when I edit photos. And I even like to take photos of person with no makeup at all. I wanna show every little detail which makes us unique and special. Read more>>

Danielle Desrosiers

At The Green Plate, we are not only a 100% Gluten Free cafe. Our goal is to provide healthy, flavorful meals using whole food ingredients. Preparing everything from scratch, while using whole food ingredients has allowed us to better inform our customers of the ingredients in our items. We have a fast casual concept, so people can dine in, or “grab and go”. Our diverse menu includes items such as Smoothies, Salads, Wraps, sweet treats and more. Read more>>

Katherine Dow

Bay State Merchant Services distinguishes ourselves in our industry by providing each and every client of ours a local payment professional to service and grow an ongoing relationship. We are a relationship based business. We provide a level of customer service that you will not find in our industry by focusing on our local communities and growing life-long relationships with our merchants. Every merchant has a direct line to their representative within Bay State Merchant Services company that they can call or text, 24/7. Read more>>

Phil Circle

As a songwriter, I was always aware that my style was somewhat eclectic or at least very unique. I embraced this early and over the years it became what set me apart. It became something other musicians admired. This gave me confidence as I embarked on my career in teaching. I was comfortable with seeing things differently. I was fine with doing things in a way that sat well with me. Read more>>

Nathalie Yves Gaulthier

Le PeTiT CiRqUe® is vastly different from the industry standard. We seek out gifted youths in circus arts, martial arts, dancers singers and musicians, ventriloquists , specialty acts and visual artists and package them into jaw dropping live productions for the greater good. It’s basically Cirque du Soleil JUNIOR but with more variety and with pint-sized wonders, and of course, the humanitarian aspect of gifted youths utilizing their gifts to aid others, is globally unique . Read more>>

Christian Straka

What sets Maverick apart is the holistic and tailored approach we bring to the physical therapy and performance specialist community. We’ve built a space that is much more than just a facility with state-of-the-art equipment; it’s a sanctuary for innovation, collaboration, and excellence. We’re committed to elevating the practice of each professional who joins us, setting new standards in physical therapy and performance. Read more>>

Mary Hlastala

Variable Creatives aims to create a community art space for local artists in Portland, OR. We do this in a variety of ways including offering free drop-in studio space, a retail store where artists sell their work, and community gallery exhibits. Each month we have an open call for artists to display their work in our exhibit centered around a specific theme. There is no application to join or limits on who can or cannot display their work. It’s open to anyone. Read more>>

Brie Segota

We are tailored to accommodate our clientele. From 50K to 50M your purchase is an investment to better you, no matter your background or price. That’s our concierge program, to give the purchuser the most beneficial outcome, while making it a pleasurable experience. After all, this is personal transaction. Whether it’s for an investment or your home, it has to make sense to you, and be a choice that you will be happy with in the years to come. Read more>>

Maureen McDermott

My Officiant business is just one hat that I wear. I’m also a professional photographer and Reiki master and I infuse all of these into my weddings. My approach to wedding ceremonies is rooted in creating personal and unforgettable experiences for couples. The reaction from wedding couples has been overwhelmingly positive, with guests often remarking, “This is the first wedding I’ve attended where I truly paid attention to every word and felt sad when it was over.” Read more>> 

Mindy Mahy

Ah industry standards. This is a phrase I am no stranger to in hospitality. Primarily because within American hospitality, there has been an European oligopoly of Nestle and Danone brands (San Pellegrino, Evian, Acqua Panna) in place for 4-5 decades. It’s quite interesting once you think about it. When you are in Europe, you are served European water brands, in New Zealand you are served New Zealand brands, but here in America…a country rich in world-class resources, nearly all hospitality establishments serve European water brands. Read more>>

Kim Morrow

We have created a “hand poured” custom brand using 100% Soy wax, ECO wicks primed in “vegetable wax” and all of our scents are Phthalate Free, essential oil infused. Our products are free of paraffin, lead and dyes. We are also sustainable as we refill our vessels at a discounted price. Our customers have their choice of scent for the refill, over and over again. We offer refills to both local customers as well as those living across the map! We currently have refill customers across the U.S. as well as in 7 countries. Read more>>

Jennifer Smith

One of the things we at Laine Co Beauty do differently from all of the Corporate brands, and most independent brands, comes down to the ingredients we use. We source local & organic ingredients and will never skim on an ingredient simply because it is cheaper. For example, most soap makers will use a carrier oil that is cheap to keep costs down and have a higher profit margin; we don’t believe in using what’s cheaper; we believe in using what works well and has for hundreds of years now. Read more>>

Rachel Baumel

We believe that personal contact with our customers, and quickly responding to questions and requests, is integral to the success of our business. In a world where most companies rarely, if ever, call their customers directly, we regularly reach out by phone if a customer has a concern or question about their order or our product. We email back any day of the week and do our best to resolve any issues that might arise as effectively and quickly as possible. Read more>>

Mary Brown

There are a few different things I do to make Frances Design Photography and Studio different from the rest. First and foremost, I make each and every photoshoot fun, relaxed and a true memory. I’m not a fan of fake laughs, awkward poses or false narratives. Read more>>

Melissa Bell

Fit With Mel is known for training clients to overcome their own barriers within their fitness journey. Each client requires a different training method, nutrition plan, level of accountability coaching, and understanding. Building a bond and level of trust with each client is what makes our programs so successful. Health and wellness is a personal thing and we apply that mindset to each part of training. Read more>>

Raul Baltazar Mendoza

My current role is getting to be the Film Director at my local church here in Fredericksburg, VA. Within my role and also freelancing for other video productions; I have learned that caring for people is a core principle of mine. In a world where everyone is looking towards getting ahead of others. We often lose sight of the people we are servicing. A phrase my team and I always say is, “People first, art second”. Read more>>

April Field

As a business owner, I believe in building valuable partnerships first and services second. If you build a reciprocal relationship that has trust and both parties see eye to eye, quality service will come. It has been my experience that too often, people are eager to provide services without listening to the needs and goals of the business. If you treat a business like a number, it won’t last long. If you treat a business as a long term relationship, it is likely to succeed and both parties benefit. Read more>>

Laura Gisborne

What’s different about Limitless Women is that we are a philanthropy first organization. We host business training fundraisers and our private sector clients all donate the first 20% of their consulting fees to charity as a part of our partnership agreement. Read more>>

Shana Race

TalkTales Entertainment is a mixology-focused entertainment company. I have worked professionally in the bartending industry for 17 years and have experienced all sides of this industry. There are so many beautiful reasons to be a part of this industry that bring wonderful, creative, energetic, kind people to this industry. But there are some things that through my experiences I believe need to change. Read more>>

Venus Kohler

Our food industry is filled with so many preservative, artificial ingredients, and os very processed. I believe food Scott’s be natural free of artificial flavors and minimally processed. I started doing this because I was tired of reading labels on packaging that didn’t make sense to me, Our foods should be plain, simple, and made from everyday ingredients even if it is “just a treat.” Read more>>

Jordan Stauder

The cannabis industry is inherently unsustainable. We are looking to change that through my consulting company. Read more>>

Jennifer DeVries

Did you know that only 1% of authors are traditionally published these days? Read more>>

Rachel Page

We focus on self improvement and self care. Our platform provides unique classes for all shapes and sizes, to be able to add cardio, dance, martial arts and self defense to their daily routine. As well as we have a whole fashion collection that’s super dope. We love fashion from other cultures and diversity is a strong suit I have family all over the world, including in Nigeria, Germany, and France, on my birth mother’s side. Read more>>

Elisa Pittella

​​I was drawn to documenting families because I have always been a truth seeker. Rather than taking standard, posed portraits of families, I photograph them just as they are during a typical day in their lives. Depicting realism in an artistic way. Completely unscripted. Documentary family photography offers a legacy for families and future generations, creating a family’s unique story, by capturing THEIR reality, just as they are. Read more>>

Kalvin Myint

Industry norm – You need significant capital to start a business, especially a restaurant business. Read more>>