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.
Olivia Denton Thomas
I help my clients go from hustling to wholeness! While traditional brand strategies often emphasize catering solely to audience demands, my approach with black woman-founded and run businesses diverges significantly. I prioritize aligning the founder’s mission, vision, and values with audience needs. Read more>>
Ryan Griffith
The architecture industry tends to be a place for a lot of ego. It’s challenging and selective to get into a university for an architecture degree. There’s a mentality that you have to do whatever it takes so there is a lot of competition and all-nighters. I’d liken it to pre-burnout culture. Read more>>
Alix Clowser
You can throw a stone and hit 100 mortgage finance professionals, although we are not all created equal. With the everchanging market, and difficult times the industry has faced over the last handful of years, this is impacting not only the experience of homebuyers, but largely their opportunity to become homeowners. Read more>>
Trine Dahl Klubien
I believe that I provide a floral product that has the highest quality and a quality equal to that of the small handful of high end large floral companies in LA, that I consider my competitors in the business. But the difference is they only cater to and for people with the ability to pay top prices. Read more>>
Katy Ripp
I lead with heart. In a world where fear-based leading and where staff are sometimes viewed as the enemy, or the toughest part of business ownership, I believe quite the opposite. I have been able to use one of my superpowers to attract amazing team members who WANT to see us succeed, love being a part of a community-driven enterprise. Read more>>
Berangere Altier
That dull period during covid has made many of us photographers just either give up on their business or change it, make it evolve into something you could have never imagined it would be. I would say I am more the latter. When I lost all my clients I decided to redefine my business and look to adapt which has made me more open to change and more open to growing my business. Read more>>
Koura Linda
In my experience, there are a lot of people who work in the film industry who fall in the “industry” side of it. The focus is on the bottom line, politics (even just office politics), boardrooms and board meetings, number crunching, and a bit of (in my observation) driving in the ruts of “how it is done.” Read more>>
Ena Rodriguez
My background and experience in tourism and hospitality provided me with the knowledge and know-how that I now use as an independent service provider and owner of The Henna Studio which has been in business for nearly 20yrs. This allows me to pamper and hone in on my client’s needs and desires. Read more>>
Tiffany Foster
When I decided to start a wedding venue on my family’s ancestral property, I didn’t know anything about the wedding industry. As you can imagine, this was a blessing and a curse as I got started, for I had MUCH to learn! However, one of the blessings of being ignorant of wedding industry norms was that I didn’t approach pricing the way most venues do. Read more>>
Savage Parakeet
If you would not keep in a band someone with stage fright, someone who is legally mentally disabled, someone with arthritis, someone with autism, and someone who grew up tone deaf, you must not be Savage Parakeet. Every band has its challenges, but they often remove the misfit, the outcast, the other, which every band manager would advise. Read more>>
Morris Ellis Pablo Murillo
Something that differentiates Aguas Locas from the “industry standard” is our “for the community, by the community” approach to business. Having started Aguas Locas during the pandemic, we relied on the support of our community and fellow small businesses in order to grow into what we are today. Read more>>
Gregg McLeod
At Green Beret Fitness, we pride ourselves on being the most realistic military events company in the USA. Unlike others, we don’t shout at candidates; instead, we offer them respect and responsibility, allowing them to utilize it effectively or face the consequences. Read more>>
Ricardo Ramos
Unlike other nonprofits, GRACIAS is a fully volunteered-based 501c3 nonprofit. Everyone involved in our events and programs contribute to our growth and impact for the sole altruistic reason of giving back to our community and lowering barriers for the next generation of students. Read more>>
Kelli Wallin
These days, the marketing idustry is very AI-driven. Here at Ready. Set. MARKET., we strive to keep our efforts locally-centered, and people-driven. Every business, particularly local, small businesses, have very different needs when it comes to marketing. Read more>>
Travis Ayers
In the barbering industry the standard is the people working in your shop pays you x amount of money per week to work there then they can do whatever they want because they’re technically 1099 associates and that chair is their business. I treat everyone the same and we are all on the same level. Read more>>
joe mack
I am a photographer doing Real Estate and Music photography along with headshots and lifestyle shoots. I have a completely different business model than most Real Estate photographers. I don’t charge by the square foot as the rest do, I don’t limit the number of photos taken, I offer same-day turnaround, I offer FREE Photoshop for items in the shot that don’t belong, and I offer FREE blue sky when needed. Read more>>
Aidan Bristow
First take acting Studios uses a different methodology than any Acting Studio I’ve ever heard of or taken a class from. We believe that the idea of writing out your backstory or meditating on your backstory is as antiquated as sitting in a classroom and trying to learn from an instructor who solely uses chalk and a blackboard. Read more>>
Maria Henry
I establish standards aligned with those of the European Union. For my skincare brand, this translates to a commitment of transparency in my formulation process and the ingredients I select. In the EU, they have several thousand banned ingredients. Read more>>
Rebecca Avant
From the beginning of Mayfair, I knew it had to be a very personal reflection of my own creativity, and a place that brings delight to all who enter. For over twenty-five years, some of my best customers still visit, and now with children and grandchildren. Read more>>
Lisa Padilla
Ritual Realty is a real estate brand that leverages mindfulness and intention to assist our clients. The real estate industry has had a long history of big egos and stressful situations. Combining our decades of experience along with our holistic practices proven to help with calming the nervous system, Ritual Realty aims to bring a new gentleness and compassion to the real estate process for our clients. Read more>>
Julia Gustafson
From the moment I discovered the monument industry in 2001, I have longed to open the doors to a business that understands that this is a business of grief but that we can do something to help out in the healing process and that we can actually CELEBRATE LIFE!! That’s what Two Rivers Monuments is all about. Read more>>
Fornati Bedell and Dania Joseph
As the only wine brand owned by two black female physicians in the United States, The Danati Collection brings a distinctive approach to the wine industry. Our medical backgrounds inspire us to prioritize health and quality. We use our platform to educate our customers, sharing knowledge about certain medical practices within our respective specialties, urologic surgery and obstetrics/gynecology.
Cori Cauble
At JAi Just Add Ice Cocktails, our drinks are crafted, distributed, and stored entirely cold. This cold chain process helps retain the natural flavors and as many nutritional values as possible from our ingredients, from production to your glass. Read more>>