What country are you based in?
I am based in the USA.
Do you feel your location has an effect on your domain investing?
I believe being in the USA offers a huge advantage in domaining. Many of the worlds largest companies are here and I’d consider the USA the home of the .com which is the most well-known and established TLD.
How long have you been involved in domains?
I have been involved in domaining for approximately two years, but I’ve always been a lover of words, which it why I believe I enjoy being a domainer so much. It offers me an opportunity to be creative.
Are you a full time domainer?
I am not a full time domainer, although I do something with domains just about every day. I work in the research field at Washington University in St. Louis Mo, one of the top Universities in the country.
How did you find out about domain investing?
Although I knew what domains were and understood their purpose, I didn’t get fully involved in domaining until I joined Club House in January 2021.
How many domains do you currently hold?
I currently own a portfolio of about 500 domains, mostly brandable.
What's your favourite non .com tld/nTLD/gTLD?
My favorite non .com TLD, would have to be .io, because of my love and interest in tech, apps and gaming. Although I only own a few, I believe. xyz is coming along strong and is here to stay.
What's the best advice you've been given by another domain investor, either directly or through something they've said on twitter or in an interview?
One of the best pieces of domaining advice I’ve gotten would be to not abandon hand registering domains. I was told there is plenty of gold in them hills if I’m just patient, strategic and smart. I was also told to stick my strengths, regardless of another domainers approach.
What kind of goals do you set yourself?
My main goal right now is to build on my premium Squad Help portfolio. The brandable type of domain is more in line with my interests and talents, and I feel more comfortable when I’m allowed to be creative and start from scratch.
Who are your top 3 domain investors?
My top 3 domain investors are Rich Swartz, Krista Gable and Stefan Youngblood. Each has contributed to my development in their own unique way. Krista keeps my mind forward thinking, always reminding me to think of the future and to stay ahead of the curve. Rick Swartz, whom I’ve only spoken to on clubhouse, has been extremely instrumental in both my continued belief in and dedication to the hand-registered domain. To hear a man who’s arguably the top domainer on the planet say he still hand-registers domains had a HUGE impact on me. And lastly, but certainly not least, is Stefan Youngblood. This top-tier domainer has helped to keep me humble and grounded in this industry and I’ll be forever grateful for his guidance and friendship.
What's the toughest part of domain investing?
11. The toughest part of domain investing for me would have to be not selling for larger amounts as often as I’d like. I came into domaining as a “flipper” so I’m accustomed to selling lots of domains. However, I have yet to crack the 5-figure ceiling, although I did sell MetaZoo.io for $3,888 after only a 5-month hold.
How do you structure the domaining part of your day?
One of the things that I like to do first before looking for names to register, is deciding what industry I’ll be probing. This approach helps me to stay focused and not be all over the place. Once I decide on an industry, I like to search for that term on Expired Domains to either find a nice, short, two-word, two-syllable, brandable domain, or just get my creative juices flowing. Lastly, I enter my “rain-man” zone, where I basically go through an exhaustive brainstorming session with myself. I use rhyme, metaphors, alliteration, merging and other little tricks to create domain names. I may not register any at that moment, but I do keep a list of some I like and may go back to register later.
How do you manage your portfolio?
My portfolio is simple to manage due to its relatively small size. The main thing I want to be consistent with is to make sure I place any domain I register on all selling platforms with BIN prices and minimum offer prices. I will occasionally go through my portfolio to either raise or lower prices based on trends and other information I may have come across.
Do you also have any NFTs or Crypto in your portfolio?
No, I do not currently own any NFT’s or have Crypto in my portfolio, although I plan to mint an audio book on the blockchain very soon.
What's the most you've ever spent on one domain?
I believe the most I’ve every spent on a domain was $500 through Afternic, but the transaction was never completed. The domain was Global420.com or 420Global.com.
Have you ever done outbound? If so, were/are you successful?
I have never done outbounding, but I may try my hand at it in the future.
You're given $10k to spend on domains, how do you spend it?
If I had 10k to spend on domains, I would probably attempt to find a strong one-word .com that I felt I could hold and eventually resell for high 6 or 7 figures.
Outside of domains, what other business/wealth/personal growth figures do you look up to?
Outside of domains, I admire and look up to figures such as President Obama, Denzel Washington, Bill Gates, and many of the local figures in my community that run organizations geared toward assisting the less fortunate.
What do you do when you're not domaining?
When I’m not domaining, I like to read, write poetry, create content on social media, play video games, and watch true crime documentaries. I also love being in the outdoors. I do some of my best thinking when walking through a park, riding around in my car, or just sitting on my back porch (like I am now).
What advice would you give to people just starting out in domains?
The best advice I’d give a beginning domainer is to learn as much as you possibly can before you start registering a lot of domains. You’ll save yourself a lot of time, energy and most importantly, money.
