I'm redoing Sam's List

Hey,

(before we get started, I just want to let you know that as of just now, I’ve designated you on my unofficial advisory board)

This weekend I was in the car with friends headed to a Braves game when one of them mentioned she’s been struggling to work out because of her desk job.

I suggested a walking pad.

She said she looked at a few on Amazon but the reviews were “all bad,” so she held off.

I didn’t buy it. There are too many people, including my frail 60+ year-old mom and friends in their 20s who have one and love it. There’s no way they’re all bad.

But that’s reviews in a nutshell.

They can be make or break when it involves our hard earned money.

We don’t just want opinions, we want feedback from people like us. People whose experiences we can actually relate to and form some amount of trust around.

Some of us won’t buy a walking pad without reading reviews.

But we’ll hire someone to manage our finances or file our taxes based on… what?

That’s the problem we’re trying to fix with Sam’s List.

So,Sam’s List just turned 1(🥹my first baby is growing up), and somewhere along the way, I completely drifted from what this was supposed to be:

The Yelp for financial professionals: accountants, fractional CFOs, and financial advisors.

I got excited about the long term vision and started sprinting toward the future, skipping past the foundation. I was thinking ahead to whatSam’s Listcould become instead of what it was meant to be.

(i’m sorry, did i just write part of a love song?)

But the honest reality is that right now, the only people who describe Sam’s List as Yelp for financial pros are the three cofounders.

That’s on me. I messed up. My bad.

But I’m fixing it! (as guaranteed by thisTikTok video)

So, this is how i want to get Sam’s List known as the Yelp for Financial Professionals

• I’m focused on reinforcing this identity in every touchpoint

• Require 2+ client reviews to qualify for meaningful exposure

• Help vendors actually use their Sam’s List pages (it’s not just a profile, it’s social proof)

• Center more of our content, SEO, and copy around client reviews

• Make it easier for anyone to submit a review, even if someone isn’t listed yet

Let’s get specific, shall we? I hate fluff

This is my 30-Day Goal List (Yelp-ification Plan)

• 20 shortform videos (TikTok + YouTube)

• 16 Twitter posts

• 8 LinkedIn posts

• 8 blogs

• 4 Loom videos 

• Email 2,500+ former users asking them to share a review

• Update homepage + subpages copy to emphasize reviews

• Launch review guide for vendors

• Publish (idk the number) SEO blogs

Will I get it all done? I HOPE SO

Will my developer be ready to buckle tf up? I HOPE SO

When someone’s in the process of hiring an accountant, fractional CFO, or financial advisor, I want Sam’s List to be the reflex.

I want people to think to themselves:“Let me see what people are saying about this firm or person on Sam’s List.”

Or when they’re chatting with a friend about someone they’re considering, the friend’s response is:“You should read their reviews on Sam’s List”

And even better, imagine the financial professional they're talking to says:“You can see what clients have said about working with me on Sam’s List.”

If my face could turn red, my face would turn bright red from excitement if I heard those words being said. 

But seriously, that’s when I’ll know we’ve done this right.

And candidly... if this pans out the way I’m hoping, it’ll unlock way more revenue opportunities for us too.

So… LFG baby :)

Okay. Time to log off. I’ve now made these goals public, which means I’ll be publicly embarrassed if I have to come back here with my pre-planned excuses.

Wish me luck

Kimi

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