Most of the media often paints all businesses with a single stroke, but in our experience businesses are each unique and so many of them are focused on making the world a better place. We’ve highlighted a few such gems below.

Holly Freeman | Photographer

First, I’d like to thank you for asking this question because I think it’s an important one for any creative who cares deeply about their impact and legacy. I feel the gravity of this question when I hear about colleagues leaving the industry, disenchanted because they feel their work in family photography has only fed the social media machine that perpetuates false narratives about everyone’s perfectly happy lives. I have no desire to feed that machine myself, and yet the draw to create images—and not just any images, specifically family portraits—is so strong that I’m compelled to examine and acknowledge the true value of my work. I recognize that believing and purporting false notions about its value not only sets up unrealistic expectations in my clients but creates false hopes in myself that will leave me disappointed at best and shattered at worst when I realize they’re just not true. Read more>>

Tara Weber | Content Creator For Chiropractors

Over the last year, my business niche has been focused on serving chiropractors. I have been a chiropractic patient for over 15 years and worked for two different chiropractors prior to starting my business. I believe in the healing power of chiropractic, have witnessed it in myself, my family, and so many others who were patients at the offices I was employed at in the past. I also learned that chiropractors are SO busy treating patients and running their businesses that they often don’t have time or energy to dedicate to creating social media content, email marketing content, writing blogs, etc. That’s where Weber Creative Media comes in. We help chiropractors reach more potential patients and educate current ones on the benefits of getting adjustments regularly. So in short, Weber Creative Media helps chiropractors heal more people!. Read more>>

Veronica Tristan | Licensed Esthetician and Permanent Make-up Artist

Making an impact is one of my core values and beliefs I place my life upon. We can make this world a better place through our existence and ways in which we impact the lives around us. And I really don’t think the impact has to be all that extravagant either. A smile, compliment, holding space for someone to feel heard, reminding someone how great they are, making someone laugh, all ways we impact the people around us. Whether it be a stranger, a family member, friend or even one of my clients. I don’t believe people just show up in our lives by accident and that we all have so much to learn from one another. So much of what we do in esthetics and the beauty industry in general, is human connection. I always say being good at what I do is 10% skill and 90% you! Meaning your personality, your ability to build trust and connect with people in a genuine way. Make them feel better inside and look better out. Read more>>

Junko Kazukawa | Endurance Running Coach, Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, Ultra Runner

I am a personal trainer, endurance running coach, Fitness instructor. My business is to promote Health and fitness, active life style to everybody. I coach endurance runners, not only for running program but also strength and conditioning for all levels and ages. I organize Run club, and often am a part of many panel discussion to share my experiences on running races and also features on social media, magazines etc. I love to give some my expertise on coaching, training, and also motivations to giving positive effect on people’s life and help achieving clients’ goals. I am a 2 times breast cancer survivor so that I can keep giving lots of hopes and inspirations to the people who are suffering or demotivated in the community as long as I can keep on going. I would love to help and influence the community with positivity and fun aspect of being active and healthy through my knowledge and experiences of Health/ Fitness/ Training. Read more>>

Abbey Gesing | Licensed Professional Therapist and Mental Health First Aid

I teach Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid classes all over the US. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a national program to teach the skills to respond to the signs of mental illness and substance use. It is an evidence-based program used worldwide. Over 2 million people have been trained so far. Their mission is to make Mental Health First Aid as common as CPR. My interest in MHFA was born out of a desire to provide mental health education and reduce stigma on a larger community scale. I was noticing in my personal life and in my work with clients how much stigma and misinformation was really blocking people from getting support. People are often scared of saying the wrong thing or upsetting someone, however we need to be able to have these conversations with each other. This 8 hour course teaches people concrete things to say and do to intervene early or manage a crisis. I’ve done trainings with HR professionals, pharmacists, faith leaders, case managers, teachers and much more. Read more>>

Mariam Ejaz | Designer & CEO

Outlive Design’s invite tool helps anyone start at home by allowing friends and family to contribute towards an existing or future home project as a present for any special occasion. It makes gift giving simple, saves time and energy, and also helps eliminate waste. Home and family have become more important than ever in today’s world and we need to embrace them for our mental, emotional, and physical health!. Read more>>

Lauren Grube | Author, Educator, & Entrepreneur

This is the first book in a series as part of my vision for the world. I want to bring mindfulness to children. As a previous elementary school teacher, I saw what was missing in the classroom and after my journey through a Gratitude Leadership training, I was even more fired up to get a positive message out there! This book is meant to be a keepsake. I ask the children to use their imagination and draw what they are most passionate about. It is my vision to have the book be given back at graduation or in college when society may have changed their views, they can remember their true hearts desires. All ages actually have fun reading the book and wanting to capture their desires. It is such a fun read aloud with a great message. Read more>>

Holli Gibson | Apparel Industry Professional and Partner in Direct To Source, Sustainable Private Label Apparel Manufacturer

We built Direct To Source on a triple bottom line philosophy of people, planet, profit. It was important to us to look at our business and our impacts holistically. We went beyond creating good paying jobs in a healthy and safe working environment. We built on modular apparel production systems, which provide lots of flexibility for our customers by adding more to the human element for the employees. How do you positively impact the people who actually do the work? We set up our people systems by following the Golden Rule, honor people and treat them as you would want to be treated. The result has been increased productivity and quality, which in turn allows us increased profitability with which we can support local non-profits and faith based organizations doing more good work in our communities. Read more>>

Danica Donnelly | Birth Photographer & Family Bonding Photographer

We’ve had this message in culture that birth is something to be afraid of, “the worst pain you’ll ever experience”, an experience that should be medicated, numbed, a horror that we wouldn’t possibly want to experience. And that message in culture, in media, is damaging. And untrue. I bought into this message from movies I saw. I was terrified of birth. When I attended my first birth, in real life, it revolutionized my world. The moment I entered the home where this woman was laboring, I knew I had entered a sacred space. I knew there was magic here. And when I left that birth, I left with a feeling that if everyone in the whole world could see how beautiful birth is meant to be, they would be transformed, like I was, to see the innate value in every person, the miracle it is that any of us exist. I knew I needed to share these birth stories with the world so that people can see that our bodies were uniquely designed to create babies and to birth babies. Read more>>