Best Glowforge Podcasts (2026)

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She Started with a Magnifying Glass… No Seriously 1:08:35

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33m ago1:08:35

1:08:35

Send us a text In this episode of The Riley Black Project, John and Crystal sit down with Whitney of Whitney's Crafty Tings for a wildly inspiring conversation about resourcefulness, maker growth, and doing whatever it takes to get started—even if that means using a magnifying glass before you ever own a laser. 🔍🔥 Whitney shares her journey from bu…

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He Wakes Up at 4 AM…How Lancaster Supplies Grew So Fast 1:02:34

3d ago1:02:34

1:02:34

Send us a text In this episode of The Riley Black Project, John & Crystal sit down with Jeff and Anna of Lancaster Supplies for a deep dive into the behind-the-scenes world of laser blanks, sourcing, scaling, and what it really takes to build a supplier brand from scratch. From waking up at 4 AM with no alarm, bowling in the 200s, and balancing mul…

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Lifestyle vs. Unicorn Startups by Xania Wong, Medical Tourism Founder & INSEAD AI Venture Lab Fellow 35:25

10d ago35:25

35:25

Send us a text Xania Wong shares her 13 year journey founding 4 Startups that are not always about building a Unicorn. Read her LinkedIn profile and find she's won or final'd 16 different Startup competitions from the Chivas' the Venture Competition HK where we met [winner (2016)]to Google's Empowering Young Entrepreneur competition [winner (2014)]…

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Markets, Machines & Margins: Pretty Pitty Design 1:04:46

10d ago1:04:46

1:04:46

Send us a text In this episode of The Riley Black Project, John and Crystal sit down with Stephanie of Pretty Pitty Design for one real maker conversation — covering craft shows, pricing pressure, brand loyalty, machine obsession, and why markets are about more than just sales. From starting with a Cricut and Glowforge to running multiple lasers, S…

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From Tattoo Shops to Jewelry Boss | The Hialeah Story 1:00:00

17d ago1:00:00

1:00:00

Send us a text In this episode of The Riley Black Project, John and Crystal sit down with Lanie & Alex of Hialeah Fine Jewelry for a raw, funny, and inspiring conversation about building a business, raising a family, and navigating entrepreneurship as a couple — all while welcoming a brand new baby into the mix. 👶💍 From launching a jewelry brand wi…

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[LS192] 35 HUGE Holiday Savings [SUPERCUT] (2025 Guide) 21:34

21d ago21:34

21:34

The holiday season is here, and so are the laser engraving deals. Whether you’re upgrading your shop, starting your side hustle, or hunting for the perfect maker gift, we rounded up 35 laser engravers, accessories, materials, and tools worth checking out this year. FULL BLACK FRIDAY LIST WITH NOTES: https://cloud.makearmy.io/s/HJrKf5MjnR9NSem…

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Salon Skills to Laser Success: Perry Design Tulsa’s Journey 1:06:36

25d ago1:06:36

1:06:36

Send us a text In this episode of The Riley Black Project, John and Crystal sit down with Joshua Perry, the award-winning creative behind Perry Design Tulsa — a laser business born from a long career in the salon industry. ✂️➡️🔥 Joshua shares his inspiring transition from 22 years as a salon owner to running a thriving design and laser engraving st…

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VC & Comedian Shaun Gold’s Blueprint for Startup Wins: Momentum, Mindset & Money | Startup Wins 59:32

1M ago59:32

59:32

Send us a text Shaun Gold—VC (Venture Comedy), top 1% ghostwriter for VCs & founders, best-selling author, speaker, and former nightlife ninja—joins Episode 11 of Startup Wins to share sharp, unconventional insights for founders looking to break through in today’s noisy startup landscape. Host Brandon Na dives deep with Shaun, exploring his unique …

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[LS191] Glowforge’s Big Problem 1:06:27

1M ago1:06:27

1:06:27

This week’s episode drifts through the realities of year-end laser work — juggling ornament season, balancing what your time is worth, and knowing when to say no. The guys catch up on the November Coin Challenge, talk through design quirks like eyeballs and portal concepts, and debate community expectations versus personal bandwidth. Things shift i…

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Small Business Reality Check – Wins, Fails & Fresh Starts 47:46

1M ago47:46

47:46

Send us a text In this week’s episode of The Riley Black Project, John and Crystal share a real-life business update—talking openly about burnout, shifting gears, and keeping momentum through the slow seasons. From dealing with canceled trips during the government shutdown to landing their biggest tumbler order ever, this episode is full of truth b…

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[LS190] The Mira 5S Arrives: Unboxing & First Impressions 1:01:51

1M ago1:01:51

1:01:51

Episode 190 centers on the new Aeon Mira 5S landing in the shop and the crew digging into what makes the machine different. The conversation hits the build quality, the RF tube, why the form factor matters, and the engineering decisions Aeon got right. From there they branch into practical business thoughts about timing big purchases at the end of …

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Collaboration Over Competition: The Glow-Up of Yay Gifts & Cards 1:06:34

1M ago1:06:34

1:06:34

Send us a text In this episode of The Riley Black Project, John and Crystal catch up with Desiree Townsend of Yay Gifts & Cards — a laser maker, designer, and longtime community member who’s taken her business to the next level with her first real studio space! 🎉 We talk about the highs and lows of expanding your creative business — from working ou…

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[LS189] The Pre-Holiday Review Dump 1:10:53

2M ago1:10:53

1:10:53

The guys talk through a wave of long-delayed laser reviews, what’s surprising them this season, and why some budget machines are genuinely excellent while others belong in a landfill. They drift into fourth-quarter production habits, rotary headaches, tumbler tricks, pattern-making wizardry, and the realities of prepping for holiday stock before ev…

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[LS188] Do We Need to Change Everything? 2:31:53

2M ago2:31:53

2:31:53

Alex, Kyle, and Anthony get brutally honest about the future of Laser Everything and what it means to run a deep-dive, education-first channel in a shorts-driven, review-obsessed YouTube world. They talk about the constant pressure to “sell out” with surface-level reviews, the financial reality of depending on the LMA and community support, and how…

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[LS187] Titanium Dioxide: JPPlus Aquires LBT 1:06:48

2M ago1:06:48

1:06:48

The crew digs into a wave of new updates in the laser world, including Johnson Plastics Plus buying LBT and what that means for titanium-dioxide marking supplies. Alex walks through a day of CO₂ testing hell with tumblers that refuse to bond, pint glasses that behave better, and how small coatings can derail a whole project. The discussion circles …

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[LS186] Ghosts, Glitches & Diode Drama 1:09:52

2M ago1:09:52

1:09:52

This episode drifts between Halloween energy and hardware frustration as Alex unpacks the chaotic reality of the Ortur R2’s repeatability issues, mis-homing behavior, and undercooked software ecosystem. From talk of ghosts and “Jesus Chicken” to real-world testing pain, the crew breaks down why great diode modules are wasted when the supporting har…

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[LS185] New Clients, Old Memes, and Holiday Panic 1:04:33

2M ago1:04:33

1:04:33

The crew bounces between business wins, new opportunities, and absolute nonsense. Matt shares a potential high value school job and recurring sports team contracts, which kicks off a broader talk about outreach, steady clients, and using the slow season wisely. From there the conversation spirals into seasonal gifting panic, merch nostalgia, Discor…

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[LS184] Little Tykes Lasers & the Race to the Bottom 1:00:11

2M ago1:00:11

1:00:11

The trio digs into a bigger question behind the week’s chaos: when does “affordable” turn into “too cheap?” Alex’s hands-on with a $200 Ortur R1 sparks a real conversation about safety, false confidence, race-to-the-bottom engineering, and where the hobby line crosses into becoming a liability. They compare the R1 to sturdier entry-level machines, …

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[LS183] Finding Your Laser (with the Laser Finder) 1:06:39

2M ago1:06:39

1:06:39

The team unveils the brand-new Laser Finder tool on MakeArmy.io — a guided quiz that helps beginners figure out which type of laser suits their work without sales fluff or brand bias. They walk through how it works, how it connects to the growing community settings database, and what’s next for expanding it. The conversation drifts into real shop t…

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[LS182] WeCreat Fixes the Lumos (Finally) 1:12:41

2M ago1:12:41

1:12:41

The crew celebrates Matt’s birthday with a mix of good-natured chaos and real laser talk. Alex breaks news that WeCreat finally pushed a long-overdue software update adding bidirectional scanning to the Lumos — prompting rants, rewrites, and a little redemption. From there, conversation swings through teardown photos for the Ultimate Guide to Laser…

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[LS181] Material Safety 101: Research Before You Roast It 1:05:13

2M ago1:05:13

1:05:13

The crew digs into the messy truth about material safety—how to really research what’s safe to laser and what can gas you (or your machine). Alex walks through the process step-by-step: using CAS registry numbers, reading modern SDS sheets, and understanding decomposition products instead of online hearsay. They talk about why “no data available” i…

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[LS180] The Ultimate Laser Processing Guide 1:15:19

2M ago1:15:19

1:15:19

Alex and Kyle reveal the next evolution of Laser Everything’s educational content: the Ultimate Laser Processing Guide. They discuss why it’s replacing the original LightBurn Crash Course, what new topics it covers—from safety and workspace prep to identifying your laser source—and how they’re rebuilding it into 126 short, focused lessons. The conv…

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[LS179] New Gear, JP+ Fest & LightBurn 2.0 Plans 1:03:53

2M ago1:03:53

1:03:53

Between sickness, chaos, and way too many lasers on the way, Alex, Kyle, and Rheannon hold down the fort for a laid-back but productive episode. Rhiannon teases her new travel-accessory video featuring Johnson Plastics Plus leatherette gear (with a Dragonite passport cover for Japan), Alex previews his upcoming community-building talk for JP+ Fest,…

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[LS178] Holiday Prep & FREE Background Remover 1:10:36

2M ago1:10:36

1:10:36

The guys kick back for a fun, tool-packed episode full of maker updates and new toys. Between sick kids, glass jobs, and holiday prep chaos, they dive into easy-win UV products, quick-selling ornaments, and the classic “make something for the school principal” marketing trick. Alex shows off the all-new Laser Toolkit—a collection of shop calculator…

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[LS177] Kickstarter Beasts and the Monport Reno 1:09:28

2M ago1:09:28

1:09:28

The guys dive into one of the wildest “why does this even exist?” releases yet — a massive 4×8-foot hybrid diode/CNC machine from ER that’s equal parts intriguing and absurd. They break down why multi-purpose machines rarely excel at any one task, how scale turns convenience into chaos, and what kind of maker could actually use something that big. …

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[LS176] Rotary Failures, Crazy Clients & The Pixie Laser 1:04:36

2M ago1:04:36

1:04:36

Alex spends the week wrestling with an impossible rotary setup—wrong pins, hot glue, and a $700 lesson in EasyCAD board compatibility—while the crew swaps their own horror stories about problem clients, endless revisions, and knowing when to walk away. Between broken boards and champagne-flute drama, they talk deposits, boundaries, and time managem…

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[LS175] The WeCreate Love Letter (and Intervention) 1:01:33

2M ago1:01:33

1:01:33

The guys catch up after travel, cat rescues, and kid chaos before diving into a deep (and sometimes teeth-on-wire) discussion about WeCreate’s new Lumos laser. It’s gorgeous, powerful, and loaded with features - but hamstrung by missing bi-directional scanning. What follows is equal parts love letter and intervention as Alex and Kyle break down why…

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[LS174] Cleaning, Cooling & Condensation 1:12:22

2M ago1:12:22

1:12:22

Alex and Kyle go deep on the unglamorous but essential side of running lasers: keeping them clean and cool. From the brand-new Laser Everything Buying Guide launch to the split of the Laser Source YouTube channel, they roll into a hands-on chat about airflow, dust, humidity, condensation, and why every laser deserves maintenance love. The conversat…

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[LS173] $9 Summit, Fresh Start 35:52

2M ago35:52

35:52

This week is all about two things: a practical invite to the Maker’s Momentum Summit and a clear plan for the Laser Source podcast edits moving to their own YouTube channel. We explain why the split helps your feed make sense again, what you get for nine dollars, when VIP access is worth it, and how our community talk fits into the summit’s bigger …

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[LS172] AI Monkeys, Toxic Basketballs & Amazon Laser Deals 1:06:25

2M ago1:06:25

1:06:25

This week’s show jumps between chaos and good shop talk in true Laser Source fashion. The crew starts joking about AI monkey photos and cats pulling lasers, then moves into serious ground—why “leather” basketballs are dangerously toxic to engrave, when not to trust “genuine” labels, and why safety beats experimentation. From there, the conversation…

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[LS171] Balancing Family, Hustle & Lasers 1:10:19

2M ago1:10:19

1:10:19

Anthony’s back, and with big life changes. The crew dives into what happens when family priorities collide with small-business grind: closing a shop, moving back home, and finding new balance without losing momentum. They talk about working from a garage, rebuilding client trust, and rediscovering purpose through family and community. Matt’s kids g…

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[LS170] AI, Etsy, and the End of Original Art 1:04:08

2M ago1:04:08

1:04:08

The crew takes an unexpectedly deep dive into AI, creativity, and the shifting maker landscape. What starts as banter about bamboo projects, new glasses, and 3D scanning coins turns into a full-blown discussion about Etsy’s new design policies, AI art legality, and whether “real art” still matters when anyone can prompt an image. Between laughs, th…

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[LS169] Flying Galvos or Fiber Fantasy - The ACCELaser Hype 1:09:33

2M ago1:09:33

1:09:33

Michael Mullins (Laser Engraving 911) joins the crew to break down the new ACCELaser - a hybrid fiber/diode system that’s got the maker world buzzing. They dig into how it blends fiber-laser speed with gantry precision, what makes its “no-stitch” flying-galvo tech different, and how its partnership with LightBurn could redefine usability for comple…

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[LS168] The Multi-Machine Juggle 1:09:00

2M ago1:09:00

1:09:00

Between new gear, half-finished edits, and a six-foot plywood Bigfoot, the team juggles a busy week in the shop. Alex talks about carving the massive Yeti stencil in sections on the Mira 9, testing a 3D scanner for an upcoming review, and helping Rheannon film the Ultimate Guide to Engraving Bamboo—including a gorgeous 55-minute UV run no one will …

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[LS167] The JPPlus Playbook - What Actually Sells in 2025 (feat. Aaron Stout) 1:08:08

2M ago1:08:08

1:08:08

JPPlus’ Aaron Stout joins the crew to connect apparel roots with laser work, then maps out what is selling right now. The talk lands on tri-layer patches, signage that survives the elements, why the Rowmark swatch book closes deals, and how free appointment-based support helps small shops move faster. The team also breaks down CO2, UV, and sublimat…

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[LS166] Better Cuts, Better Settings & The New Projects Hub 58:52

2M ago58:52

58:52

Alex breaks down why “percent speed” is useless without the real mm/s behind it, and how converting those numbers makes shared settings actually work. Rhiannon’s shortcuts video lands its first thousand views, and the crew shows off new database upgrades—cleaner settings pages, quick filters, multi-fill support, and the rebuilt projects library wit…

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[LS165] Materials You Should Never Engrave (and Why) 1:03:13

2M ago1:03:13

1:03:13

This episode centers on material safety and the debut of our community material database. We demonstrate the new status system, hazard tags, and search, then dig into why vinyl/PVC is a hard no, why some woods are not as harmless as they seem, and how coatings change the risk profile. We talk practical shop safety, ventilation that actually works, …

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[LS164] BRAND NEW UV Library Out Now 1:04:01

2M ago1:04:01

1:04:01

The teaser sets the tone: if you are still bouncing back to EZCAD, stop. LightBurn now covers the entire galvo workflow so you never need to reinstall drivers or juggle two apps. From there the crew drops a beta release of the UV parameter library, then gets practical about why UV sources behave so differently, how pulse width direction can invert …

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Ellie Sarmadi, CEO of Thravos - Disrupting the Sports Industry via AI, Web3 for the Benefit of Athletes, Fans & Brands 52:47

2M ago52:47

52:47

Send us a text Ellie Sarmadi, CEO of Thravos in Ep 9 (Season 1) of Startup Wins shares keen startup tips for succeeding in almost any industry. And host Brandon Na ⁠dives deep with Sarmadi with her years of experience on Wall Street to her investments in Startups to her current efforts to level the playing field for the benefit of everyone in the s…

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UV Printers, Sandblasters & More: Inside Printing United 2025 28:19

2M ago28:19

28:19

Send us a text In this episode of The Riley Black Project, we’re switching things up—recording from Riley Black Studios instead of the garage! 🎥 Join John and Crystal as they take you behind the scenes of Printing United 2025 in Orlando, one of the biggest print and laser industry events of the year. From mind-blowing UV printers to massive laser m…

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[LS163] The Sasquatch 1:06:02

2M ago1:06:02

1:06:02

Alex is trying to pee in peace when someone yells “Laser guy!” from the hallway. A painter’s assistant wants a nine-foot plywood Sasquatch cut out on the spot, and that launches the entire episode into a chaos spiral of shop stories, sick-day confessions, and sunburn complaints. From there the crew catches up on Q&A success from the golf-club train…

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[LS162] Autofocus Isn’t Broken - Your Lens Is Lying 57:35

2M ago57:35

57:35

The teaser opens with Anthony dropping a small revelation about F-theta lenses: the number printed on the lens is a theoretical value, and in real life your focal height is often wildly different. That sparks a full discussion about what F-values actually mean and why autofocus often lands nowhere near the measurement stamped on the glass. From the…

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[LS161] 104% - How Makers Pivot When Prices Double 59:38

2M ago59:38

59:38

The teaser clip sets the tone: this is where the pros separate from the churn-and-burn crowd. Once the show kicks in, the crew jumps straight into the breaking news of 104% tariffs on Chinese goods and how that hits every maker in the United States. They steer past doom-scroll panic and start laying out real strategies: buying used inventory, tappi…

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[LS160] Consumer Machines vs Pro Equipment 52:55

2M ago52:55

52:55

The team opens with chaos, April Fool’s jokes, and a fresh upload about ColorShop Woods that shows cutting techniques across multiple CO₂, diode, UV and fiber machines. That turns into a deeper chat about how color-drenched the material really is, why it’s better suited for cutting than marking, and how layered projects get their contrast. From the…

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[LS159] The L Piece 1:06:24

2M ago1:06:24

1:06:24

The crew starts with pudding-pack chaos and sponsor jokes before sliding into real shop talk. Everyone admits they hoard leftover material, especially those dreaded “L” pieces of acrylic and Romark, and they compare how scraps constantly bail out last-minute jobs. That leads into practical advice about engraving coins, good sources for quality blan…

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[LS158] Why Small Test Grid Squares LIE 1:05:07

2M ago1:05:07

1:05:07

This episode starts with the crew comparing beam combiner setups before Alex admits he’s officially done aligning red dots and is moving to SPT TR tubes with built-in combiners. Matt works on brass nameplates live and breaks down his batching workflow - why repeatable templates, grouping, and frame previews save hours. From there, the group dives d…

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[LS157] You Can Always Add But You Can't Take Away 1:07:13

2M ago1:07:13

1:07:13

The crew checks in after a brutal dad-day at the trampoline park, which leads into a surprisingly deep small-business segment about profitable micro-orders - leatherette flasks, real-brass name badges, flexi-brass plastics, and margin stacking on fast, shippable work. From there: the slow winter slump finally breaking, slate video reactions, a teas…

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[LS156] When Clients DIY (…and Regret It) + Public Maker Space Etiquette 53:41

2M ago53:41

53:41

The crew opens with some light chaos (cat talk and missing-Matt jokes) before digging into a real small-business dilemma: a client cuts a bulk engraving order in half after finding a public maker space. They debate how to handle contracts, bulk pricing, and keeping relationships intact when customers try to DIY - and why many eventually come back. …

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Dan Shapiro, CEO of 3D Printing Startup Glowforge on Startup Wins Podcast S1 Ep 9 Part 2 - Hosted by Brandon Na 37:03

2M ago37:03

37:03

Send us a text Part 2 of Serial Startup Founder & Senior Research Fellow at the Wharton School's Generative AI Lab Dan Shapiro gives some of the BEST actionable advice for future startup founders hoping to reach the $100 mill Revenue mark. On his fourth startup after exiting to Google in 6 months with Sparkbuy, Dan gives anyone wanting to truly bui…

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Building Wealth as a Maker: Simple Investing Tips with Tess 1:04:14

2M ago1:04:14

1:04:14

Send us a text In this episode of The Riley Black Project, we sit down with Tess from Wealth With Tess, a former aerial acrobat turned investing educator, who’s helping creatives, makers, and small business owners take control of their money and build long-term wealth. 💰✨ Tess shares how she went from performing high above cruise ship decks to buyi…