Send us Fan Mail Sometimes business growth looks less like a huge breakthrough… …and more like admitting, “I don’t want to keep doing it this way.” In this episode of The Riley Black Project, John and Crystal sit down for a no-guest, real-life update episode about pivoting, product ideas, custom order stress, laser business decisions, and figuring out what actually feels sustainable. Crystal talks through her possible shift into custom laser engraved jewelry using Monarch Pine jewelry blan...

Send us Fan Mail Braden from GS2 Awards is back on The Riley Black Project! In this episode, we dive into the world of custom awards, sandblasting, UV printing, laser engraving, and the growing demand for premium personalized products. Braden shares how a simple shift into awards helped transform his business, why sandblasting remains one of the most powerful tools in the industry, and how the new Beyond the Beam Learning Center is helping makers, engravers, and business owners level up thei...

Send us Fan Mail She showed up wearing a mask... And somehow things got MORE chaotic from there. 😂 In this episode of The Riley Black Project, we're joined by none other than Emily That Mom with a Laser for a conversation that starts with Laser Maker Con 2025 and quickly turns into entrepreneurship, burnout, creativity, health, ADHD, community, and one of the wildest stories we've heard in the maker space. We dive into: 🔥 Everything you need to know about Laser Maker Con 2025 🔥 The incred...

Send us Fan Mail Want better content without spending hours editing, stressing over algorithms, or trying to go viral? In this special compilation episode of The Riley Black Project, we're bringing together two incredible conversations from Facebook Live appearances with Emily (That Mom With A Laser) and Will (Crazy Laser Dad). The focus? Content creation that actually works for makers and small business owners. As part of the launch of the new Content Creation Playbook Mini Course, we di...

Send us Fan Mail Life hit HARD this week. In this episode of The Riley Black Project, John and Crystal finally sit down after a whirlwind couple of weeks involving a totaled car, injuries, family loss, traveling to Virginia for Jamboree, teaching content creation classes, and somehow still trying to keep business moving forward. This episode gets real. We talk about: • Crystal’s car accident and recovery • Navigating grief, stress, and entrepreneurship at the same time • The emotional sid...

Send us Fan Mail Next Level is back… but this year, it’s bigger than lasers. In this episode of The Riley Black Project, John and Crystal sit down with Will and Mark to talk all things Next Level Maker Con 2026, the shift from Next Level Laser Conference to a broader maker-focused event, and why this year’s theme of “Refreshed” matters more than ever. We dive into: • Why the event changed from laser-focused to maker-focused • What “Refreshed” means for makers, creatives, and business owner...

Send us Fan Mail Running a business is hard enough… Now try doing it while your co-host is out of state, your kids are running wild, and you’re juggling multiple businesses at once 😅 In this episode of The Riley Black Project, John holds it down solo (barely 😂) before being joined by Srishti & Arpit from Esenay Digital — a global agency helping makers and small businesses scale online the right way. From Mexico City to Colorado to Florida, this episode is a true remote podcast experienc...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Riley Black Project, John and Crystal record from two different states while juggling real life, real business, and everything in between. But this episode isn’t just a life update… We’re joined by Sumita & Anuj to break down UV Ink Fest, a brand-new virtual conference designed to bring real education to makers—without the need to travel. We dive into: • Why UV Ink Fest was created and who it’s for • The growing demand for UV printing education ...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to scale a creative business… without burning out or losing everything? In this episode of The Riley Black Project, we sit down with Chantz from Custom Grains to talk about the real side of growth — the wins, the stress, the risks, and the lessons that come with building multiple businesses at once. From losing a massive TikTok following overnight… to investing hundreds of thousands back into his business… to launching a brand new hat company… This...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when frustration turns into innovation… and that innovation turns into an entire company? P.S. We lost Power at the end In this episode of The Riley Black Project, John and Crystal sit down with Jenna from AP Lazer to break down how their machines were born out of a real problem engraving massive granite pieces that simply wouldn’t fit into traditional laser beds. That frustration led to something different… open architecture laser design. And now? Th...