I have to admit, DomainFest was single handedly the most important thing I did in domaining but I made some mistakes, some BIG. I met more people in 5 days that will help me make money in this industry, then the 10 years I’ve been attempting to do it online. I have more posts about that but I am going to share with you 10 things NOT to do at DomainFest next year
1. Don’t skimp on your sleep. I got exactly 11 hours of sleep in 4 days. I returned home yesterday with the flu. A terrible, might kill me flu. Only the second time I’ve ever been sick in 21 years. Yes 21 years. And of course what happens. We get a surprise 5 inch snow that made me only get 5 hours sleep last night and have to work all day. I’m pretty sure I am going to die.
2. Don’t make your return flight home at 6:50 am. I went to an after party following the Playboy party and went to my hotel, showered, and barely made my flight.
3. Don’t become email friends with a girl you met at the Playboy Club. I behaved myself at the Party but have to admit I hung out with the same girl almost the entire party. Again I behaved myself , but for some crazy reason we exchanged emails. Perhaps it was the alcohol or me just being a guy, but my wife called me today and asked “Who the Hell is Amy and why is she emailing you?” Ooops
4. Don’t hang out with Adam Strong the night before the conference. Adam is not scared to stay up late and the damage was done with a 4 hour sleep BEFORE the conference even got started. He slept in for 8 hours, me, I stupidly tried to make breakfast. The result see #1
5. Don’t badmouth Rob Monster. He will find you at the show, talk to you for an hour at a party and make you realize what heck of guy he is. Braden Pollock and I talked for a long time as well and I must say, adding Braden was a brilliant move. I see big things for Epic.
6. Don’t get on Kamila Sekiewicz’s bad side. She seems to control the door at the after, afterparty. I felt a little like the last guy being picked in kickball but she let me in and had a fantastic time.
7. If you ever get a chance to see Steel Panther (NSFW), don’t pass it up. Probably the most fun I’ve had at a concert in 15 years. There was a little nudity involved so that may have had something to do with it but I’m seriously thinking of flying to Vegas just to see them again.
8. Don’t ever bring an iPad to a conference and hope to get any blog stories up, especially links. WordPress sucks on the iPad. You can’t scroll down, linking takes for ever, and overall it’s just a bitch. Morgan and I had a pretty good time complaining about iPad for wordpress.
9. Don’t ask the Demand Media guys about their stock. They’re in a quiet period and not allowed to talk about it. Only the higher ups got to sell on the IPO, almost everyone else has to wait. If you have a friend at Demand try not to short it until they make their money. While I think the stock is over priced, I really hope it holds or goes up because the guys/girls at NameJet and Oversee are a great group of people.
10. Don’t take a picture of a girl kissing you on the lips at a party. A different girl than the girl I hung out with at the mansion. It was harmless but caught me off guard. I think Matt Overman of NameJet put it perfectly when he saw what happened. “That was the most fucking awesome thing I’ve ever seen” I won’t describe the scene but it according to the “if they show it on Loveboat it’s not cheating” rules of my marriage, I’m OK. I erased the picture quickly just to make sure it never goes to trial.
Dude, you crack me up.
Laughing out loud for real.
Gotta meet and hang out with you next year.
That was entertaining! You have some happy memories, even if you didn’t get sleep!
Shane,
Your a wild and crazy guy… For real it was great to get to hangout with you and learn more about what you do and who you are. Looking forward to continuing to work with you and here is to your success in 2011 with all your business!
Regards,
Luke Webster
Shane, you’re not the only one with the flu. I’m currently sporting a 103.6 fever as I type this. I would do it all over again too. Feel better and be ready for a vags invite. 😉
*Vegas*
If someone is on a diet, it is not recommended to buy a half gallon of rocky road ice cream at the supermarket and bring it home. While domaining conferences often involve networking with peers, IMO a married man at the Playboy mansion is asking for trouble.
Shane
Regarding your comments:
1. “Don’t skimp on your sleep. I got exactly 11 hours of sleep in 4 days.”
I got 4 hours a night .
If you got more you didn’t do it right.
2. Don’t make your return flight home at 6:50 am.
You should have know this well in advance
Just email me, I would have let you know
3. Don’t become email friends with a girl you met at the Playboy Club
email
really
Facebook isn’t good either
4. Don’t hang out with Adam Strong the night before the conference.
I could have told you that see answer 2.
5. Don’t badmouth Rob Monster.
Don’t badmouth anyone
Concentrate on what your doing not what other are doing
6. Don’t get on Kamila Sekiewicz’s bad side.
See above
8. Don’t ever bring an iPad to a conference and hope to get any blog stories up, especially links.
Get a Mac Book but there is no time to work at DFG anyway
9. Don’t ask the Demand Media guys about their stock.
I remember going to a conference not long after Google went public and a day of the confernece it went up like 50 points in a day, I said to the Google rep wow you made a ton of money today, they had nothing to say, didn’t know of the stock move and didn’t seem as excited about it as I did with my miserably 300 shares
10. Regarding the mansion what happens at the mansion stays,….. well you know
Great, lol post. I am gutted I missed it. Its in the diary for next year though.
All the best
Iain
Great to see you again at the show Shane. Sorry to hear about the flu – Diana has it this morning too and you are right – it is a very vicious strain. Sickest I have seen her in years. That is the one big downside to hanging out with 700 people from around the world for a week (not to mention the ones you are cooped up with on a plane coming and going). Traveling seems to be the only time either of us gets sick but, as you noted, the value of going to the major conferences is too high to worry about it.
Shane your a lucky man,…my wife would have already had the divorce papers written up.
JK…really.
I see DomainFest in my future next year.
Shite… sounds like great fun.. pissed I missed it! next time 😉
Lol, sounds like you had a great time. Rule #11 must be; do not sucker punch any of the Playboy models at the mansion (just read about that in another blog).
Do not take your business cards to the after party….but of course this won’t prevent you from exchanging emails 😉
Fun times!
Shane and Oscar,
Had a great time with you guys throughout the conference … we have to do this more often!
Looking forward to the next one.
P.S.,
I also came down with the same flu!
Ron and Oscar. We’re two for two and will do it again if I don’t die from this
LOL Shane don’t blame me brotha. It was a good time rocking out. I want that photo !
Why would anyone badmouth Rob Monster? Dude get a grip.
Heather,
I used the word badmouth but “question” is a better word. I never attack a person. I merely questioned his pricing. Don’t need a grip, I got it.