Further & Free

03/08/2023

Happy International Women’s Day! Shoutout to all of the women who work so incredibly hard for their families. In homemaking, business, relationships- every part of it is a full time job. You’re doing great. 🤍

03/07/2023

A 2 minute task took 45 minutes. Why? I over complicated things & I didn’t trust my instincts.

I was working on code for a website project and it was something that shouldn’t have been that difficult. I made it difficult by assuming I didn’t know what I was doing and looking up a bunch of solutions to a problem that didn’t really even exist. Once I gave myself a minute to think and find clarity, I knew what to do and guess what? It worked.

If I hadn’t doubted myself and just tried it, I would’ve saved myself money & time.

Go back to the basics.
Go back to what you know.
Stop doubting your content, your methods, your abilities and just go for it.

If you fail, at least you know you tried and the backup options are always available to you.

What area of your life or business have you been doubting yourself in? 💭

01/30/2023

Hey there! It’s been like, a year? 😅

When I started Further + Free in January of 2022, I was so excited to be jumping back into business. January 31st, I found out I was pregnant with that little baby boy right there in the middle.

I continued working, but if you know me when I’m pregnant- no you don’t. 😂

So with that, I’m back from my glorious 3 month maternity leave and I’m ready to serve y’all again! I have even less time with a 2 year old and 4 month old, but I’ll try my best to show up in this space.

That being said, thanks to FB referrals and word of mouth from my wonderful clients, my February and March schedules are almost completely booked already!

If you’re in need of help with your website, branding or design, I’d love to chat! Head to my website and you’ll find all of my updated pricing, services and you can even schedule an intake call with me to make sure we’re a good fit!

I can’t wait to see what we create together this year and I’m looking forward to helping you further your business by freeing up your time. 🤎

📷: The fabulous Jess Harris Photo + Film

03/14/2022

If you don’t follow me over on my personal account , you might’ve missed the news! I’m pregnant and baby Sandrell is due this fall. We’re so excited but busy, busy.

I am also helping my husband start our food truck that is projected to open in late spring!

That being said, I’m booking up quick! I’ve got just a few more openings for websites & virtual assistant slots this YEAR. I am so thankful for what God has done, I have felt the blessings abundantly and I am overwhelmed. I love the work I’m doing and thankful for the amazing clients I’m getting to work with. That being said, if I’m not here as much, it’s because I’m working! If you want to work together, reach out ASAP to book me before my maternity leave. 🤍

02/14/2022

If you walked up to me on the street and asked me to come to the meeting you were holding at the local coffee shop I'd probably ask you a few questions.

"What do I get out of it?"
"Will I get a free coffee?"
"How will this add value to my life?"
"What are you even going to talk about, does it apply to me?"
"Do you have something to offer me that I want?"

Ya know, logical questions. If you didn't have the answers to those questions and couldn't offer me anything, I'd keep on walking. Right?

Well that's how it is on the internet. Every time you post you're approaching your audience or potential audience and you're asking them to either join your email list, buy your offer or even just follow you on Instagram.

My question to you: are you offering something your audience wants? Are you giving them something valuable in exchange for their email attention? Are you providing value that applies to them consistently where you're worth the follow? If you can't answer these questions right now or I can't find them in the first 3 seconds of being on your profile, you've got some work to do!

Do you need help creating this experience? Let's chat, I may be able to help you! Choose the "Free 15 minute Discovery Call" in my bio and we'll get to work on finding the solutions you need.

02/04/2022

Let's take a moment to chat about taking a Sabbath. As Christians this is something that is important for us to prioritize, even though we're not under Old Testament law. We have the privilege of spending time talking to God any day or time of the week but there's something special that happens when we dedicate time to simply resting and spending time with the Lord. In Mark 2 Jesus tells the pharisees that the "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." It is a gift to take time off to rest and be restored for the work ahead.

As an independent business owner I KNOW the pressure of feeling like you have to be accessible to your clients 24/7 but the reality is that it's just not feasible for long-term success. You have to take breaks, pretty much everyone around the world agrees with that. As a Christian business owner I think you can take this a step further and dedicate time to serving the Lord, spending time with Him and studying His word. You need this to show up well, serve well and love well- so take that time.

Work it into your business hours, set strict boundaries about work and communication and stick with them. Strive to work with people who respect your belief system and boundaries and even share in that with you.

So what about you? Do you take a Sabbath? If not, will you consider carving out that time?

02/03/2022

Billie and I had a lot of fun working on her business. I helped her with her overall branding and website design but we also took it a whole lot deeper. We did an in-person brainstorm and organization session (available to my Tennessee and Michigan people) and I supported her through a coaching certification program with organization and regular check ins. Sometimes you just need accountability and a helping hand, I can be that for you. Reach out if that's something you've been dreaming about! ✨

Check out Billie's coaching and consulting work at www.billieschuttpelz.com

01/31/2022

Hi! It’s nice to meet you, if we haven’t met already, I’m Riley, I’m the face behind F+F. I wanted to take a second to talk about introductions because I think they’re really important and I’ve made them an integral part of my business.

You see, I have a toddler and a husband and a household to run. I have a church that I am a part of and I've got friendships to nurture. I also have this amazing space on the internet that I nurture and a podcast I put out weekly, this means that when I'm showing up and serving clients, I have a specific amount of energy that I can put towards that time. Now don't get me wrong, when I show up, I show up. This means that I need to be very specific with who I serve and when. That's why I'm not just available for hire with a click of a button, a contract and a payment. I start every relationship off with a discovery call, an interview of sorts.

We get on a quick phone call, get to know one another and I see what you're needs are and if I can fully show up and serve you in the way that you need. This is a dual interview, a time for you to see if I'm what you're looking for and a time for me to see if we'd be a good fit. If I believe that we're a good fit personality and goal wise and I know that we'll both have respect for one another's boundaries and lives, than it's a go for me! As long as it's a go for you too, we move forward with all of the technical stuff.

I know this isn't a typical business practice as any business is business, but I wanted to share my process with you so that you understand just how dedicated I am to the women that I'm showing up to nurture and serve. Hope to hear your voice soon!

01/24/2022

It’s okay to want to do business differently.

It’s okay to want to serve people well & also have boundaries.

It’s okay to be accessible & to know your worth.

It’s okay to be faithful to what you believe and not chime in with the trends if it contradicts your belief system.

It’s okay to be different. Own it. Your people are out there. Create from your perspective and stay true to that and eventually, your people will find you and you will find your people.

Time, space, authenticity & consistency. And fyi- I’m preaching to myself here. 😉

How do you want to do business differently? 💭

01/20/2022

Do you ever get so overwhelmed at the thought of doing allll of the things, so instead you do none of the things? Here’s a few tips that may help when you absolutely need to be productive. And while I’ve got you here, a quick reminder that you are more than your level of productivity and your worth is not defined by how many boxes you can check off every day. 🤍

https://www.rileyq.com/blog/5-ways-to-be-more-productive

Do you struggle to stay productive? I totally relate and have come up with 5 tips that help me stay on task that I’m sure will help you too!

01/20/2022

Stressed about a project? Make a list.
Overwhelmed by life? Make a list.
Not sure where to start? Make a list.
Overwhelmed by options? Make a list.

I think sometimes as small business owners, when we're trying to run literally everything ourselves, we get so stressed out about doing all of the things, that we end up doing none of the things. It stunts our growth and it leaves us feeling overwhelmed and hopeless. I get that, completely. I am a perfectionist and so if I can't do it to the best of my ability, I get overwhelmed and feel like I shouldn't do it at all. I have so many ideas floating around in my head and I want to do them all, but if I don't keep track of them I can't do any of them. Can you relate? Start making lists, even just a massive brain dump and then go from there- I promise it'll change your life. 👏🏻

Favorite places to make lists:
- Old fashioned pen & paper (Dependable but can easily get lost)
- Apple Notes app (Sync between all of my devices)
- Trello or Asana (Both have apps!)
- Notability or Evernote

Wants more tips? Check out my blog post “5 Ways To Stay Productive” on rileyq.com. 👏🏻

01/19/2022

Shannon is one of my most recent clients and I had so much fun designing her website, creating her logo and helping her bring her brand to life. We had so much fun that she actually extended our contract and I was able to assist her in getting her client database set up and provide advice as she worked through her new system and business structure. Need a hand? I'd love to help! DM me or fill out the form in my bio and I'll be in touch soon!

01/17/2022

Get specific about who you serve! 👏🏻 There is an idea that Christian women who own businesses aren’t allowed to set boundaries because we should be loving everyone.

While it is true we should love everyone, that doesn’t mean accepting clients who aren’t going to respect your boundaries.

You can love people & not allow them to walk all over you. 👏🏻

After years of opening myself up to anyone and everyone, I’ve realized that if I’m preaching to the women I’m mentoring to get super real about who exactly they want to work with, I owe myself the same thing. I can’t live in a scarcity mindset, opening myself up to everyone simply to get work. God doesn’t work that way and if I’m truly trusting that He’s in control of my business and finances, I owe it to myself to work with the people who bring me joy and life.

If I am going to be devoting any time away from my family, I ought to be filling that space wisely and spending my time encouraging other women of faith and helping them to grow their businesses.

I do the best work when I am supporting women who understand where I am coming from when I put Jesus and my family first and serve them out of God’s abundance. Encouraging and helping women make an impact in the world and within their families is something I’ve always been passionate about. Whether you’re getting on top of your household or you’re figuring out how to improve your business to better serve your clients and your family- I want to be there to help you- hands on.

Let me do the nitty gritty so that you can spend more time with your clients, your family and doing the things you actually love- the things that you made you start your business in the first place. Whether you sell your art, cookies, clothes or you run a spa, a holistic practice or you’d just like to write and create content that brings other people joy, I’d love to make your job a little easier. So tell me, who do you serve?

01/16/2022

How do you show up and serve your clients and your friends & family and yourself? It feels impossible and I truly don’t think you can ever achieve the mysterious “work/life” balance that every magazine & business course seems to have the key to.

You can get pretty darn close but there will always be something that is just a little bit on the back burner, not getting the attention it deserves. At this point, in 2022, I think we can all stop pretending that we’re perfect and have it all together because the general consensus from conversation is that we in fact very much do not have it all together.

So where does your strength come from? When you’re literally at your end, about to lose your mind to whichever pot is boiling over that day, what do you tap in to? Do you start to drag and give your clients half the experience they’re paying for? Do you tap into motivation or do you let it all just crumble? As someone who has done all of the above I have to tell you that the yo-yo of trying to handle everything yourself is not sustainable.

That’s why I’m encouraging you, like I do the rest of my clients, to seek God’s abundance and serve out of that place. Because His well never runs dry. The peace never stops. The strength never ceases. The grace and creativity and joy never just disappears the way it does when we try to create it/manifest it/produce it ourselves. It’s not the same quality and it just doesn’t stick around. I am no longer willing to hold myself back out of my stubborn pride of wanting to do everything myself.

I encourage you this year to really tap into what God has for you, get in His word and in prayer and work out of a place of His abundance- rather than the facade of your own. I guarantee that you will find a life behind that door that is much more fulfilling, sustainable and beautiful than anything you could ever come up with.

01/13/2022

Oh my word, HI! It’s SO nice to meet you! Quick- comment & tell me what you are the MOST passionate about! I’ll go first: I am passionate about women knowing they are seen and heard. That’s why I have a podcast (the Solidarity podcast) dedicated to women sharing their stories and I literally spend my days talking to and encouraging women. Lifting women up and showing them the love of God and encouraging them to walk in that is what I do best so I’m super excited to be pairing that passion with my love of all things design, organization and business! Okay, now that we’ve connected, allow me to really introduce myself. Hey! I’m Riley. I am the creator, voice and virtual assistant behind Further + Free. I am so glad you’re here and I can’t wait to get to know you as we further your business and free up your life for the things that are most important to you. I thought I’d do a little introduction in case this is the first time we’re meeting. I am 22, married to my husband Dustin for almost three years, a mama to my spunky 1 year old little boy, Hayden and I am what you’d call a multi-passionate creative. I am a writer, songwriter, artist, virtual assistant and I’m up to try to my hand at just about anything (unless it includes heights, snakes, spiders or alligators). I love Jesus a whole lot and I am super not perfect so I’m super glad He’s got my back. I love serving women and encouraging them in the gifts that God has given them. If you ever need a pep talk, slide into my DM’s, I’ve got you girl. I am so excited you’re here, in this space. We’re going to have a lot of fun getting to know Jesus more, sharing business tips that work for faithful women and helping you to go further and live free. Everyone is welcome here but just know that I am an imperfect woman just trying to do her best, so if that’s you, you’ll fit right in. You can learn even more about me on my website rileyq.com or over on my main IG: . Be loved - Riley

01/11/2022

01/11/2022

It’s as simple as that. 👏🏻 I want you to further your business by freeing up your time to spend it on doing the things you actually love- ya know, the things that prompted you to start your business in the first place.

💭Tell me, what is one task you wish you could get rid of and one thing you wish you could spend more time doing?👇🏻

https://www.rileyq.com/further-and-free

01/11/2022

We all have those tasks that take us away from what we really love and make running our business not so fun. 🙄

Unfortunately, those life-sucking tasks aren’t always optional. I want to bring you life by assisting you as best I can!

If you’re just getting started or you realize that you could grow more if you committed more time to your art, I can meet you right where you’re at. ✨

A few of my favorite ways to support the women I work with:

- Website Design
- Branding (I want to capture you!)
- Graphic Design
- System Optimization

Let me help you figure out how to streamline your systems so that you spend less time on the nitty gritty and more time doing what you actually love!

For a full list of services and offers you can learn more at https://www.rileyq.com/further-and-free! I can’t wait to support you. 👏🏻