Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Samantha White of Greeley

Samantha White shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Samantha , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
After some unexpected changes to my plans about 8 months ago, the future for myself and my business was up in the air. It was then that I took a huge leap of faith in myself, my team and my family, to open a second business. I opened West Ridge Financial Services LLC in December of 2024. I was starting over in terms of community, client base, processes. The experience was scary, but I wasn’t afraid. After working incredibly hard the last 9 years building West Ridge Accounting Services, I grew and learned so many things that gave me an strong foundation to start this new adventure.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Sam (Samantha) White. I am a busy mom and wife; my husband and I together have 4 kids and we love living in CO. We play a ton of board games as a family but our favorite activity together are escape rooms. My story is something that has taken me a long time to be proud to share. I grew up in a low income family and financial literacy wasn’t common in my life. I know that I wanted more from life and after quitting school to work fulltime in the 9th grade, I knew I could do it. I fell in love with business management and accounting. Taxes are just kinda my jam. I have grown successful by making sure the client experience is only exceeded by client education. We work hard to make sure every client that walks in our door knows they are important to us.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My kids. It was a hard journey from working from others to jumping in and opening my own business. Two of my kiddos were 10 and 7 when I decided to leave the job and security of a paycheck to do this. I was very honest and open with my kids and in turn, they were my biggest cheerleaders. They never complained about my work hours and even the days I wasn’t sure if I could do this, they never one time doubted me. All of my family celebrates every little success, they are the first ones I call when something exciting happens and give me the confidence to keep going.

Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
Many business owners understand the struggle of being on the clock at all hours of the night and day. There was a brief time in my life before my children, as much as I adore them, and my work life, that I could come home and completely relax. Now my responsibilities are large, but I enjoy what I do, and I have learned to carve time out and prioritize myself when I need it. For example, my family and I really value travel. From solo trips, couples’ getaways, to family adventures, I am able to satiate my need for long lost relaxation to my want of seeing the world.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
In the tax industry and financial scope as a whole, understanding the real, impactful changes in the workspace is incredibly important. With the boom of social media, clients often don’t realize the nuances of the problems that various social medias provide quick answers to. For my company we emphasize the importance of education so that any and all taxpayers can access accurate information without fear of bias. Fads in our industry often look like a trending idea or political misinformation whereas real foundational shifts come in legislature. Even as a seasoned Tax Professional, it can be hard to sift out the truth in the overwhelming amount of misinformation available.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Growing up in a low-income household, expectations for success weren’t often set at a young age. Education was a privilege that I value deeply, and I install those values in my children. However, this means that I never was told to follow a certain path. This allowed me then to pursue my passions and what I really enjoy. I love my job and what I get to do for clients and their families. Seeing a plan come together or witnessing a success story from those I enjoy helping makes my heart so incredibly happy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.westridgeaccounting.com
• Facebook: westridgeacct