We recently connected with Elizabeth Riggs and have shared our conversation below.

Elizabeth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

My hero is my late Aunt Sue, who passed away from cancer a decade ago. She was an exceptional mother, wife, and active community member. As the editor of the local magazine and author of several books, she perfectly balanced kindness and business savvy. She had such a bright and positive energy with the most infectious laughter. As I continue to grow my business, I feel her strength and encouragement every step of the way.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Elizabeth Riggs, and I am the owner of Elizabeth Ashley Interiors. I live in Tampa with my husband and four children. As a boutique design firm we take on a select amount of projects at a time to allow us to truly understand our clients’ design needs and style. We specialize in full-service interior design as well as new construction. With a background in psychology, I want to get into the “design brain” of my clients. This allows me to really add in personalized touches throughout the design. I started Elizabeth Ashley Interiors in 2021. Prior to design, I received my MA in rehabilitation and mental health counseling. I worked with adolescents with physical and mental disabilities. As rewarding as it was, it did not feel like my passion. Interior design is absolutely what I am meant to do. I love the joy a beautifully curated room brings to my clients.

The goal of 2023 professionally for me was to invest in myself and my business. I had just finished the biggest project to date and knew it would allow me the opportunity to elevate my business. To prepare myself, I enrolled in an online interior design business course to understand the back side of the business better, had my last project professionally photographed and hired a branding photographer for social media marketing. Then I prayed, and asked God to bless this career that I fell in love with so much. I asked Him to open doors for me and use me for good along the way. He certainly has.

We were featured in our first magazine in the Tampa Magazine. Not knowing how people go about getting into magazines with out paying a fortune for advertisement spacing, I researched who the editor of the Tampa Magazine was and sent her a message on instagram including several of the professionally shot photos. By the end of the day I was offered a five page spread for free!

We recently purchased the lot across the street from our current home. Unfortunately, the house that was on the lot had been vacant for many years and squatters had taken over and destroyed. Our neighbors came together and we were able to locate the owner who originally grew up in the home over 30 years ago. Once she was informed what was happening she agreed to sell to our family to build our future forever home. Since we are not planning on building immediately, my husband surprised me with 5 lbs of zinnia seeds to grow a flower field. It has been the most beautiful gift not only for our family but the entire community. We love seeing neighbors picking flowers in the fields. Feel blessed to spread love and kindess and for the opportunity it has given us to meet so many others in the community.

Faith, family, and community are the core value at EAI. We recently partnered with Make A Wish Foundation to help with their room makeovers. Our first child’s wish was to go to space. Since we cant quite get him there yet, we are bringing the moon and stars to his new bedroom makeover this Christmas!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I will never forget the first time I created my @elizabethashleyinteriors instagram account. I was so worried about what my family and friends would think. Worrying about other peoples opinions has been the biggest mental road block to overcome. Once I started just posting what I wanted, on my own schedule, not worrying about algorithms, just being genuine, things started taking off. I found that genuine people attract like minded people. I prefer a slow yet connected group of followers. Quality versus Quantity.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I was raised to always choose kindness and do whats right. I believe you get what you give, and that small acts can cause ripple effects in the universe. When working with us, our clients know that they can trust the process, and that they will have a beautifully curated home. I feel so fortunate to have made some many beautiful friendships along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.elizabethashleyinteriors.com
• Instagram: @elizabethashleyinteriors
• Facebook: @elizabethashleyinteriors
• Linkedin: Elizabeth Riggs

Image Credits
@luxelightimages