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. 🤍

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!