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What happens when a handwritten recipe, a small-town move, and one laser turn into a full engraving business?

In this episode of **The Riley Black Project**, John and Crystal sit down with **Michael and Flora from Havet Engraved** to talk about their journey from Port St. Lucie, Florida to Pilot Mountain, North Carolina, and how they went from one machine in a basement to a growing engraving business with lasers, UV printing, sandblasting, metal marking, apparel, and more.

Michael and Flora share how a sentimental engraved cutting board sparked the idea for their business, why personalized gifts mean so much, and how one small-town customer ordering cutting boards helped them start building real momentum. They also talk about originally planning to open a UPS Store, realizing that franchise life was not the right fit, and choosing to go all in on their own engraving business instead.

We get into the real stuff too: scary business pivots, working with your spouse, educating customers on what laser engraving, UV printing, and sandblasting can actually do, learning new machines, investing before you feel ready, and why networking can completely change the trajectory of a small business.

Whether you’re a laser owner, UV printer, sandcarver, maker, small business owner, or creative entrepreneur trying to figure out your next move, this episode is packed with real-world lessons on growth, risk, community, and building a business around meaningful work.

🎙️ **The Riley Black Project**
Lasers, life, business, content creation, and all the ish in between.

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If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us on Patreon!! You can check out the tier options and perks here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRileyBlackProject

Check out my Linktree for my social media links & all the different things I have to offer! https://linktr.ee/RileyBlack

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Next Level is almost here, and we are officially in conference prep mode.

In this episode of The Riley Black Project, John and Crystal go live in the Riley Black Project Community to talk all things Next Level Maker Conference, booth prep, content creation, networking, health updates, and how we’re trying to stay consistent even when life keeps getting chaotic.

We talk about what we’re bringing to Next Level, including Keychain Thingies, UV DTF stickers, portable fans, jewelry samples, and a shared booth setup with Katy from Monarch Pine. Crystal also shares why this year is a little different, how she’s scaling back to protect her sanity, and why we’re choosing a more fun meetup/game night instead of a formal live podcast recording.

We also get into why conferences like Next Level are such a huge opportunity for makers, not just for classes and vendors, but for content, networking, collaborations, business ideas, and real friendships that are hard to build online. If you’re attending a maker conference, trade show, laser meetup, or creative business event, this episode is packed with real advice on how to get more out of it.

Whether you’re heading to Next Level, planning for another maker conference, attending a laser event, or trying to turn in-person events into real business opportunities, this episode is your reminder to show up, talk to people, make content, and take care of yourself along the way.

🎙️ The Riley Black Project
Lasers, life, business, content creation, and all the ish in between.

Support the show

If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us on Patreon!! You can check out the tier options and perks here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRileyBlackProject

Check out my Linktree for my social media links & all the different things I have to offer! https://linktr.ee/RileyBlack

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We’re finally back!

After a short break, The Riley Black Project returns with a guest who has been dodging us for years: Kristen Thompson of Kristen Thompson Designs.

Kristen joins John and Crystal to talk about her journey from corporate work at Lowe’s, to Cricut crafts, Etsy digital designs, sublimation tumblers, laser engraving, full wrap tumbler designs, Photoshop mockups, and building a creative business around the products and designs she actually loves making.

We get into the real maker-business stuff too: trying new things, getting over the fear of being on camera, learning full wrap tumblers, selling digital laser files, testing designs, using mockups, making finished products, and why entrepreneurship feels amazing and exhausting at the same time.

Kristen also shares how she built her Etsy design shop, why she still loves the analytical side of business, and how selling designs to other makers doesn’t take away from her finished product business. It can actually help more people bring beautiful cups to life in their own way.

Whether you’re a laser owner, tumbler maker, Etsy seller, digital designer, creative entrepreneur, or maker trying to figure out what direction to go next, this episode is packed with laughs, business lessons, and real-world maker experience.


FB: The KTD Collection - Lasered By KTD
IG: @kthompdesigns
TikTok: @LaseredByKTD
Etsy: kthomplaserdesigns.etsy.com
Website: KristenThompsonDesigns.com
YouTube: @ShesTheReasonIHaveALaser

Support the show

If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us on Patreon!! You can check out the tier options and perks here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRileyBlackProject

Check out my Linktree for my social media links & all the different things I have to offer! https://linktr.ee/RileyBlack