Having My Hair Start to Grow Back and 9 Other Things That Would End 2014 on a Good Note

2014  has been a great year for me.  Financially but more importantly personal.  For some making money is difficult.  Others have no problem making money but seem to battle vices and/or family.  I was blessed to have all go well   No it’s not flying all over the world, lavish parties, and great food.  Sounds great, but if you want to keep a 14 year old, a wife,  a family business, and an internet business all moving slowly you better at home more often than not.  A life with a local business and family is a little more quaint. But no less interesting.  But things can always get better.  Here are 10 things that if happened would make life better.

1.  My Hair Would Grow Back.  It’s not business related but it represents the one of the few things in life that regardless of how much work I put in, how many skills or money I have, there isn’t much I can do about it.  Embrace it you say, get plugs you say.  Easier said than done.  Again, it’s not going bald that bothers me, it’s the reminder that I’m halfway through this life thing, that there are some things that I can’t do anything about, and that I have essentially have no chance of being elected President.  The only elected modern bald president was Eisenhower.   Ford slid in on a technicality.

2.  Godaddy would require that they have IN HAND (in Godaddy accounts)  all domains that are on their auction platform and they would pay commission on domain sales over $5K.  I think its great that Godaddy opened up the auctions to everyone but….. If a domain name is up for auction and you win, you should get the domain.  That is unless its an expired name and then I understand. But anyone can put any name up up and there is nobody checking until the auction is over. I have skin in the game not just because I may not get a name but last month alone I’ve missed out on over $1000 in commissions from deadbeat domain owners.  And I have another $500 that probably won’t come my way this month as well.  I know the buyers aren’t very happy either.  Namejet already requires a domain is in hand and on a rare occasion, on the way.   I know at Namejet that I will get the name. It’s not to say things don’t happen and a mistakes made, but in general you know that at Namejet the name is going to be yours if you win.  As far as the $5K thing, I’ve mentioned it before.  When a name gets sold for over $5K it automatically goes to Escrow.com.  When it goes to Escrow.com the affiliate link is thrown away.  So every time a reader buys a name because of me for over $5K I get nothing.  This has happened over 4 times this year.  I even made a few calls to tell them there was a good name and they bought it.  Nothing.  Brokering for free.  I get paid very well from Godaddy so I’m not complaining. Actually I am.  I earned the money.

3.  I could suddenly become allergic to sugars.  I run, I bike, I swim.  Not because I love them but because I love sweets.  I would be 300 pounds (like my Dad …but he IS 6’6) if I didn’t exercise so much.  While many feel I am a good role model for staying active, what they don’t know is I’m a poster boy for poor eating habits.

4.  50% of things go as planned.  I have big plans for 2015 already but after 40 plus years of big ideas, I’ve found that nothing goes as planned.  It doesn’t go to hell, it just takes a different road in the right direction.  Some years I end up in a completely different place then where I was headed.  Sometimes that place is better than the original destination.  Other times it’s just different.  And yet other times I end up in a position that I can at least learn from my journey.  But every single time I have a year that ends up enjoyable.

5. Have a few 5 figure sales.  I only had two in 2014 so far and it sure makes things more fun.  My portfolio has more names that are capable of reaching that number than it did last year, so I have a better chance than ever.  A goal for 2014 was increasing cash flow and that actually doubled but it’s still not enought (that’s for another article) .  The cash flow is going to let me be a little more patient in my domain names this upcoming year.  But I’d like to end the year strong with my picture at the top of DNJournal for some other reason than being dead.

6. Everyone stay healthy.   I’ve always told my wife that if money will solve a problem its not a real problem.  There are some times in life that you can’t buy your way out of things.  My grandparents are all in their 80s (I have 3 of the 4 still living) and my parents are still relatively young.  Nothing gets in the way of a good life than waking up feeling terrible.  I guess not being able to get up would be worse.

7.  Find the time to build out a site or two.  I have an incredible amount of plant pictures and knowledge that I could put in to a site.  I just have to make the time to get them built out. I haven’t.  I have a few one product sites in mind first.  I really need a good designer to help me layout the sites.  Tia Wood has always done a great job making them but I need a creative person to help with the look and the flow. But I am no different than 95% of domainers that say they are going to build out and never do.  Or do and abandon it 3 months later.   I need to be different.

 8.  I find that LLL.com I’ve been looking to buy for under $30K.   It beginning to look like I have a better chance of finding Konstantino and Daniel Negari slow dancing at Namescon than I do the name I’m looking for

9.  Get that guy that wants to sell his portfolio quickly and he thinks I would be the perfect owner.  We all dream of this scenario.  We get first dibs on a portfolio and the seller is in need of quick cash.  It doesn’t happen much any more but I think I would be the perfect person to have it happen to.   Having the money and a great opportunity seem to never come at the same time.  It’s either one or the other

10.  Repair a relationship with Donna Mahoney.  I am not necessarily saying that I deserve an apology.  I am just saying that I have lived an entire life without being called unethical or a bad person and it effected me greatly.  I have no idea why.  I should have shrugged it off, let it go away. Hopefully we can sit down and talk it out some day.  No way are both the bad people we claim each other are.