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In this episode of The Riley Black Project, John and Crystal sit down with Victoria of The Bar Society for a deep, honest, and surprisingly relatable conversation about starting in the laser world, overcoming fear, finding your niche, and building a business rooted in community—not comparison.
Victoria shares her journey from feeling completely overwhelmed by her first laser (the beeps, the keys, the nerves 😅) to growing The Bar Society into a trusted space for vendors, makers, and small businesses—while constantly balancing the temptation to “just buy one more machine.”
We dive into:
How Glowforge made lasers feel less scary for beginners
The jump from hobby machines to industrial lasers (and that panic moment)
ADHD crafting and the fear of investing too much too soon
Why comparison on social media is dangerous for makers
The truth behind “effortless” content you see online
Why testing off-camera matters more than perfect posts
Supporting other makers instead of doing everything yourself
When it does make sense to outsource vs buy new equipment
Combining mediums (laser, sand carving, UV, print & cut) to stand out
Finding unexpected niches that completely change your business
Building a vendor society based on trust, intention, and real relationships
This episode is for makers, engravers, and creative entrepreneurs who:
✔️ feel overwhelmed by options
✔️ compare themselves too much online
✔️ want to grow without burning out
✔️ believe community beats competition
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
Want more info on Aeon Lasers?? If so, show me some love by clicking on my partner link below and then hit the "Get Started" button! If you found my content helpful,
and decided to call or DM instead, make sure to mention "Crystal Aguila" as the referral.
By Riley Black5
4242 ratings
Send a text
In this episode of The Riley Black Project, John and Crystal sit down with Victoria of The Bar Society for a deep, honest, and surprisingly relatable conversation about starting in the laser world, overcoming fear, finding your niche, and building a business rooted in community—not comparison.
Victoria shares her journey from feeling completely overwhelmed by her first laser (the beeps, the keys, the nerves 😅) to growing The Bar Society into a trusted space for vendors, makers, and small businesses—while constantly balancing the temptation to “just buy one more machine.”
We dive into:
How Glowforge made lasers feel less scary for beginners
The jump from hobby machines to industrial lasers (and that panic moment)
ADHD crafting and the fear of investing too much too soon
Why comparison on social media is dangerous for makers
The truth behind “effortless” content you see online
Why testing off-camera matters more than perfect posts
Supporting other makers instead of doing everything yourself
When it does make sense to outsource vs buy new equipment
Combining mediums (laser, sand carving, UV, print & cut) to stand out
Finding unexpected niches that completely change your business
Building a vendor society based on trust, intention, and real relationships
This episode is for makers, engravers, and creative entrepreneurs who:
✔️ feel overwhelmed by options
✔️ compare themselves too much online
✔️ want to grow without burning out
✔️ believe community beats competition
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
Want more info on Aeon Lasers?? If so, show me some love by clicking on my partner link below and then hit the "Get Started" button! If you found my content helpful,
and decided to call or DM instead, make sure to mention "Crystal Aguila" as the referral.

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