There are many new and unreviewed providers posting ads on other sites.  
The ads look ok. In the past, I would occasionally Take One For the Team.  Not now.

I asked one of these new, unreviewed providers to name a provider who could provide a reference for her.  Her reference had a somewhat checkered set of reviews.  I decided not to see her because on my initial contact, she simply told me to come over now. I thought that a provider who did not screen was a yellow flag.

Any thoughts, esp from providers?

I think what you're asking for is a bit of a contradiction. When deciding if someone is reputable enough to see, typically you want to use some combination of factors: reviews, ad posting history, social media presence, professional photos, or  a website. I also want to mention that many ad sites run their own verification process, and so you can look into how each individual ad site does this to decide whether that site makes you feel more or less comfortable. You also do typically want a provider who screens, although some survival workers/new providers may not because they're afraid that screening will deter business. You are also working within your own combination of factors: how much a provider appeals to you, their cost, your own comfort level with risk. If you want to minimize risk as much as possible, typically you want to seek out a provider who has most/all of these indicators of reputability.
If someone is in a cheaper market, or only planning to be in the industry for a short amount of time, or they're simply new to the industry, they may have little to none of these indicators. In this scenario, it's really about your own comfort level in regards to risk. As you said in your post, you are no longer in a position where you feel comfortable seeing providers who don't have a lot to verify their legitimacy.
Before responding, I took a lot of time thinking about my own time as a "new, unreviewed provider." I had clients when I was starting who bookmarked my ad and waited until I had enough indicators of reputability that they felt comfortable reaching out to me; for some clients, that was just a review, while for others, they wanted me to tick all of those boxes. I'm grateful for the trust my first few clients had in me, the ones who were going purely off of my ad. I'm guessing that some combination of my pictures/bio, the verification process of my ad site, and the way I communicated with them when they made contact made them feel comfortable seeing me.
I'm interested to see what perspectives or ideas clients and other providers have on this. I would suggest though to SireGalihad that you stick to providers who have been reviewed since that is important for your own comfort and the level of risk you're willing to take. I personally find it somewhat invasive to make a provider "prove" their legitimacy to you rather than seeking out providers who you already feel comfortable seeing before making contact.

Yeah, this is a tough one with all of the scams out there now. When I first started out doing full service I did have an account with Fetlife doing BDSM, so I at least could be verified there. "Come over now" and zero screening I would say is a red flag, not a yellow. Even if she is a real person that setup is either screaming desperation or you are going to get robbed. Even providers that do the bare minimum for screening are still going to ask for some basic general info on you so they know who is going to be behind the door when they open it. At the very least say you want to meet her Friday afternoon or something like that. If "she" gets very pushy and says she is only available today right now that is a giant red flag. This could also be a sting. They are going to try and get you to say specific sex acts for $$ amounts. You want a BBBJ? That is $80. If you want FS that will be $120. GFE is $150. Which do you want? Yep, OK. Meet me here....
And then we have to watch Hennepin County bragging on Youtube how they are keeping the area "safe"......
Be careful out there!!!!

Screaming desperation is kind of sexy Miss Scarlett, just wait a few yrs. Im joking, youre the sexiest woman in Warsaw.

Clara, I appreciate your thoughtful reply.  
However I am puzzled by your comment that “I personally find it somewhat invasive to make a provider "prove" their legitimacy to you rather than seeking out providers who you already feel comfortable seeing before making contact.”  

Providers routinely seek references from other providers in order to see a client who is new to them.  
In that case, the client can potential provide a name. The reference’s comment’s to the provider about the potential client are confidential.    

Given the nature of this activity, we are largely responsible for protecting eachother.  
I dare guess that most new providers have a mentor or have sought the advice of a provider as they set up their ads, websites etc. Those mentors have a record. I don’t see how it is ‘invasive’ to ask if they would be willing to write to a potential client who has a track record of reviews and humane comments on this board.  

I have given new providers their first review. Most often this is because someone that I am seeing or their mentor asks me to.
Best to you,

I came to this discussion to talk more broadly as a provider about how potential clients can gauge legitimacy without a provider having reviews, not to critique the example method which you used. I made an error in the way I organized my final paragraph that DID come across as pointed and directed at you, and for that I apologize. I think “invasive” would be a harsh word to use in regards to the example that you gave, and I didn't mean to characterize it as such. I was thinking of ways in which clients have tried to get me to prove my legitimacy to them - by asking for face pics, verification pics doing certain poses, doing a FaceTime call, even asking to swap photos of our IDs, all of which did feel extremely invasive, and none of which are aligned with the example you gave.  

I agree with you - we are largely responsible for protecting each other. I want my clients to feel as safe and confident meeting me as possible, just as I want to feel as safe and confident meeting them as possible.  

I struggled with drafting my last post as well because I care about all providers, not just the ones with the means to legitimize themselves - but I also want clients to protect themselves and know how to risk assess. I’m not sure how other providers would feel, but I do think your idea addresses a way to verify these types of providers, and therefore get them business, and I’m cautiously in favor of that. Cautious, because I’m only one provider in a specific market with my own experiences and can’t speak for everyone.

Sometimes I ask unreviewed providers if we have friends (provider friends) in common. From time to time it works. Sometimes it works very well.
Clara, we had a text conversation off and on over 2 months and that was what lead me to feel that you were consistently bright, humble, confident, eloquent, generous, clear-headed... Lots of adjectives. There is nothing more engaging. By the end you had me lock, stock and my barrel too. Reviews come in second.

* "led" not "lead", and
"Reviews come in second", meaning usually less significant (to me) than one to one impression. After all these years that's what I look for.

END OF MESSAGE

...help a friend break the ice and get into this line of work by telling her that a potential client could contact you for a reference?
It seems a logical way to grow the community,

I appreciate your participation on the MN Board.

20 + years no references.

I do my own vetting. Even on P411. I don’t care how many okays you have. Why would I rely on anyone to have my safety in mind if we’re not friends in real life?

I hate to break this to you but in person escorts are a dying breed. There are not a bunch of young gals lined up to enter this industry. In all the years I have been doing this I have never been approached by a gal asking for help setting up her in person escort business. I am sure it happened more when street sex work was more of a thing, but with only fans and gals making and selling clips the illegality and danger of in person sex work is something most now avoid. Unless sex work is decriminalized "growing the community" will not happen.