17 “Feel Good” Moments In Domaining

These are the moments in domaining we all have when something goes well.  It’s a little mushy and not something guys sit around and chat about,  but every once in a while I like to remind myself why I do something. The great moments that make you want to keep investing and buying more domains.  Here are 17 “feel good” moments I’ve experienced over the last 10 years or those that I hope I feel some day.

1. Selling that first domain for a profit.  For most of us it was a hand reg.  I was so proud of myself I felt like having a T-Shirt made up that said “I just made $200 today” and wearing it around all day.

2. Finding a dropping domain that everyone seemed to miss. Some will tell you that if only you bid on it then it must be worthless,  but that’s just not true.   More often than not the bidders come in late and drive up the price but every once in a while you’re sitting their alone and you get the name for $10 (Godaddy) or $60 (Namejet).

3. The check in the mail you didn’t expect.   We all have certain companies we use to monetize our domains and sites and expect those checks but every once in a while one comes in the box you completely forgot about.  It’s usually for about $17 but hey it always feels good to get money you weren’t expecting, no matter how small of an amount it is.

4. The Email from someone you really respect.   There are some great people in this industry and many of them have achieved things we only dream about.  Getting an email from one of those people makes you feel special.  Even though the email said “Please quit stalking me” it still makes you feel that much closer to success.

5. Getting everything accomplished you wanted and still have time left in the day.   It doesn’t happen very often and when it does it worth celebrating.  Usually it’s the other way around.  You got off track and the day ends with half your “to do” list still exists.

6. A HUGE unexpected Payday at one of your monetization accounts. At the end of the day we check all the advertising, parking, and affiliate accounts to see how we’ve done and BAM, it’s 10 times the normal amount. For some people it’s $1000 when it’s normally $100 that day.  I remember my first Adsense boom and a normal $5 day was $120 because of a spike in traffic from Digg.  I’ve grown a little since then but I’d still take it and it would make me just as happy now as it did then.

7. A mention in DNJournal.   I’ve never had one but I know it’s what Wall Street Journal is to a businessman.  It means you’ve arrived or done something really really wrong.

8. A offer from Sedo wayyyyyy over what you ever expected.   They usually come in at $100 and you never hear back when you counter,  butit still feels nice to get  that email that says “you’ve received an offer”  You assume it’s low .  You login and see the offer and see it has one more zero than you expected.

9. The domain you didn’t get: There are those times when you get caught up in an auction and bid much higher than you intended.  The “I’m not going to let this guy beat me” or “It’s only another hundred dollars” attitude.  Then you come to your senses and stop short.  It’s that time you look back and say “whew what was I thinking?” and celebrate your loss.

10. The quick turn: We all hope to sell but when you turn a name in days it makes you feel like are pretty good at this domaining thing. Of course, it’s better to be lucky than good.

11. Meeting another domainer that turns out to be a good friend:  There are a great bunch of people in this industry (and a few that are not) and when you meet them in person it’s great to talk to someone that “gets” what you do.  This is the reason I go to Domaining conference, to meet fellow domainers that I can share ideas, questions, and stories with

12.  The finished site: In some senses they are never finished but the sense of relief, pride, and accomplishment when you finally get a site up and running is nice.

13.  The comment of praise: It always a nice feeling when someone tells you that you are doing a great job.  A blogger shouldn’t take the comments personally but we all do and a pat on the back can turn a “why do I waste my time on the blog?” to a “now I remember”

14. The Hand Reg Sale For Big Money: Big money is relative but if you take an $8 name and turn it for over $300 you’ve done well.  It’s like finding a piece of gold at a tourist gold panning ranch.  There’s been thousands of people looking and yet you were the one that was able to find it.

15.  Meeting your “hero” or “idol” :  Hero is probably a big word but we all look up to a few people in our industry.  Mine is Ron Jackson.  Meeting him at TRAFFIC was my highlight for the show…..And I’m not just saying that to make number 7 come true

16, The First Page of Google: It’s what we are hunting for…..the ultimate prize.  I always let out an inner “Woo Hoo” when I check my Google rankings and find one of the domains has moved to page 1.

17. Your First Million Dollar Year: Not very many get this feel good moment but I’m sure it feels pretty good