The Rick Schwartz Domain Name and Traffic Blog: RicksBlog.com – Home of The Domain King®

Morning Folks!!

Always good to stay away from politics but at some point it is hard to ignore things that are happening. Especially when you have some that would like this to turn violent. It's only a matter of time especially when you have forces fanning the flames of Revolution and you actually have politicians that should know better supporting that violent talk. If this spirals out of control, we will have Hell to pay.

I have never heard such misguided whining and blaming in all my life. I have never seen such filth in this country. And I have never seen the media Romance BULLSHIT and ANARCHISTS like they are doing with the Occupy crowds around the country. Finally somebody tells it like most people see it.

http://www.breitbart.tv/our-new-hero-a-day-in-the-life-of-occupywallstreet-protester/

Enjoy!

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

I can say the same shit until I am blue in the face and all I am ever met with is resistance. No matter what I say, they always know better. They are broke and in despair but discount everything I say. They will try everything under the sun but won't even try and understand what works and WHY it works.

Domaining is the simplest, easiest and fastest way to make money next to the race track and the stock market. Neither of those can you control. But domains, domains you can control but folks think they are buying a lottery ticket that the MACHINE PICKS!

If folks would just stop, take a deep breath, take a fresh look at things and don't reject what works out of hand, folks would have a different result.

There are a DOZEN ways or many more ways to do well in domains. Many ways to climb the mountain and make your fortune. But if fortune is eluding you, time to change what you are doing.

1. Your first domain purchase is your most important. You can start again TODAY and buy your FIRST domain name. Try it! Just don't buy garbage. But a GEM! Not a ROCK! Don't know the difference? Keep reading.


2. Domains are about Nouns, Verbs and Adjectives. Don’t know the difference? Go learn. Until then, you would be lucky to be as good as a stopped clock that will always be right twice a day. Don't confuse that with achievement.


3. Those nouns, verbs and adjectives need to be in the right position. ie: GrandSlam.com not SlamGrand.com


4. If the domains get ZERO type in traffic, that means not 1 person in 7 BILLION think like you. Not a one. Time to adjust or build a great destination. Other than that, you have a liability.


5. If you don’t think there is still type in traffic available, you are in the wrong profession and besides that, you are clueless. Type ins are the ultimate verification reagrdless of what folks crow about. That does not mean you can't think of something before it is coined.


6. Don’t buy a domain and try and sell it 5 seconds later. That means you did no research to understand the domain or the traffic. You didn't even take the time to see if what you were holding was a diamond or a piece of broken glass.


7. It must pass the “Radio Test.” If you don’t know what the “Radio Test” is, you are lost without a compass. You don’t understand the masses. wtf are you doing?


8. Don’t leave too much money on the table when you are selling a domain. If you don't know what makes one domain valuable and another one worthless, then you won't do well at setting the value either. You don't sell by asking a price. You sell by asking questions.


9. The value of the domain has nothing to do with you. It has everything to do with the buyer. But if you don't ask questions, then you know shit!


10. Learn to value a domain properly and stop selling to other domainers. That by definition proves you are leaving money on the table. They do what you do and see an upside. Something you might be missing because you don't understand #1-#9 or any or all of those.

I could go on all day with do’s and don'ts. Know the difference between a 'Social Domain' and a 'Commercial Domain.' But each domains should have some type of seed for a business around that domain. Some reason why masses of people might go there or type it in. If you are lost, focus on what you know. A hobby or specific business you know about.

I would say that almost 100% of the domains I have bought on the secondary market and over 90% of the domains I hand registered, have had a business plan associated with it from the get go. A vision of what could be done with it. However I made a conscious decision to wait 20 years before I would spend my time really developing. There were too many things to learn along the way and I don't have enough money to pay for those lessons myself. I just think it better to lay back, let others stumble and learn from THEIR failures not MY failures.

But these are just some of the most basic as way too many domainers are Pigeon Shit Farmers. They just think they are domainers. I see portfolio after portfolio with NO VALUE whatsoever. NONE!!!! They spend tens of thousands a year or more on fees and not a one has value. These are good people that just are on the wrong path and need to regroup.

Just take those dollars and buy a handful of really nice domains. They are out there. But if you don’t follow some rules and guidelines, you are buying land in Alaska that won’t see a human being for the next 500 years.

I would suggest if you are not wildly successful in domains that you foucs where there is TRAFFIC centers and population. Destination is Times Square. I absolutely guarantee you that if you had a retail store in Times Square with no rent or overhead that you can figure out something to sell the millions that pass by that is profitable. Like umbrellas on a rainy day. Compare that to what you sell in Alaska with nobody there? Don’t like umbrelleas, then try Pizza. Try anything you like because whatever it is, you will likely do ok because of the TRAFFIC! Or at least the POTENTIAL of traffic if you are a forward thinker and can see something others have yet to see.

And if it does not have traffic, then at least have domains that mean something or describe something. If not another person on the planet even understands it and has no traffic and you have no idea how to develop it, then please explain how that domain has value? (other than typos and TM infringements that will only get you grief in the future)

Last thing. Domains with SOME type in traffic are available at EVERY price level. $500/$1000/$5000/etc.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

If I give you a dollar, you have a dollar. If I show you how to make a dollar, it unleashes your inner strength and power. It takes you from a path of dependence to independence. It allows you to focus on things other than that dollar. But when you have no dollar, that may be the only thing you can focus on if you want to eat and have a roof over your head.

We can all say it is not about the money until we are blue in the face. But it takes money to do the good things in our heart. To protect and support our families. To give to those that are less fortunate.

My way of giving back is sharing the path I used to get where I am and hoping just one thought, one idea, one sentence, changes a life. Simple. I also do it for me. This is my personal diary. I just happen to share it with the world. There are stories within the stories. But that is for another day.

My friends go back to my first real job. We are still close. That’s the best part of the story as I look back. I can tell a story from business from 1973 and stand there and share it with others as the person in the story is also standing by my side.

I was fortunate early on to be a totally clueless moron with virtually no talent other than a desire to make money and have a comfortable life not to dig ditches in 100 degree weather. That was the only thing that motivated me. I worked various low paying part time and full time jobs. Always looking to improve where I was at. By the time I was 19 or 20, I had 32 different jobs in a dozen industries or more.

I flipped hamburgers for a McDonald's copycat. I made tacos at a Taco Bell. When I applied they asked me if I could make Tacos? I said sure, even tho I had never even seen a taco coming from New Hampshire to Southern California. I worked at a factory making aluminum railings for a hotel chain. I drilled the holes in bowling balls for K-mart while working in the sporting goods department where we also sold rifles and shotguns and handguns along with everything else you can imagine.

I learned that K-Mart worked on an 18% markup across the board and when they had their lost leaders, they worked on nothing. I never forgot what I learned at K-mart. The good and the bad.

I worked in a deli at a Farmers Market. I was a box boy at a supermarket. I worked in 2 liquor stores 4PM-2AM shift before I dropped out of college. I hated college. I even went to the same school as another fellow domainer. But I knew I was marking time.

One day I came home and my mom asked me if I wanted to drop out? I was shocked. Truly shocked that she would ask. A Jewish mother asking if I wanted to drop out of college. That was the greatest moment of my entire life. YES! YES! YES!! Are you serious I would ask? I could not believe my ears.

FREEDOM!! For the first time I had known there was no burden of school on my shoulders. I was FREE!! I went to the school the next day and by 11AM I had every signature I needed and I was no longer a servant to something I did not like nor believe in. My education had to come from experiencing as much as possible and do it as quick as possible. The college was holding me back and getting in the way. I was learning a rehash of what I was already learning in High School. The computer was some 60 feet long. These guys were teaching me Cobalt and Fortran when it was obvious it would be obsolete by the time I even graduated. Sorry, but it was not a leap to figure out what was coming. I was wasting time and I had no clue what I wanted to do to begin with.

I started seeing the difference in each industry and business and also the earnings capability and potential. When I was busting tires for Firestone at The Broadway Department store that was a dirty job and that was bottom for me.

I went to work for Fuller Brush. I took the 1 week sales program and made 2 calls and retired from the Fuller Brush Co. I then went and landed a sales job at Kirby Vacuum Cleaners. I went thru the 1 week training program, made 2 calls, and retired from the Kirby Vacuum Company.

Next was selling Cars for Pontiac and American Motors. I lasted there 6 weeks. Went through sales training 7 days a week, sold my first car, an AMC Gremlin that was bolted to the floor (Meaning you should never sell that vehicle) and earned a $25 commission. Me and the Gremlin basically left at the same time. I was persona non gratta and knew when the check came in on Friday I was gone. And I was. But not before I landed another job. One I had been working on during my 6 week tenure at the auto dealer. So at least at 19 I knew I did not want to sell cars for a living.

Here is my first chapter of a life changing story.

Next stop was retail furniture. I called them from the auto dealer and got an interview. I went, they said they would call me. I never heard back. A week later I saw the ad in the classifieds again. I called. He said I was supposed to call him back and I said I was waiting to hear from him. I made an appointment for another interview. I never showed up at that interview. I just blew it off. Then 2 weeks later I had a dream. True story. I had a dream I could sell furniture even though I had never been in a furniture store in my life except for the one in the interview. I called the guy back for a 3rd time. I told him about this dream. He said come in right now.

So I left the auto dealer and made a bee line to that store as I knew the next day I was going to be without a job. He hired me. His name was Frank. He was slick and polished. I was not. But like many others, I spoke to Frank just over the last few months. We still keep in touch. He changed my life. He didn't even like me too much back then. Still can take me with a grain of salt lol. But hey, our paths have crossed many times and to be able to reach back to the first guy that ever gave a kid at 19 a break, that's cool.

It does not stop there. On the way home that night I passed by the store I was going to work at. It was a 5 store chain in Southern California. Mostly mattresses and bedroom furniture. So not knowing a thing about furniture, I decided I better find out quick. So I posed as a customer and walked into the store I was supposed to report to in the morning. I said I was looking for a mattress. The salesman's name was 'Dave'. I found out later that he was the store manager. So Dave pitched me for an hour on the different mattresses. I soaked it up like a sponge.

The next day I reported for my first day of work on my first real job in life. Of course some would not agree as there was no base pay and what I earned was on an 8% commission.

Dave looked at me. I told him who I was and the first words out of his mouth were, 'You son of a Bitch!' He thought he was going to make a sale and I had to tell him that when I was in last night I was just 'Stroking' him so I could learn what I was going to do. After a few minutes he laughed. He said what I did was smart and he took me under his wing. Dave was about 10-12 years older than me. Still is. lol

That night I made my first sale. A bedroom set that had been on their floor for 2 YEARS that they could not get rid of. I got lucky, sold it and I was on my way. From that one sale I earned like $250 which was more than I earned selling cars for the last 6 weeks. Dave is still one of my closest friends in life to this day.

That sale was the first success I ever enjoyed in my entire life. After going through the intense training programs of these companies, selling furniture was easy. Something clicked. I had found something I was not only good at, and not only was I the youngest as most were 35-50, I was top dog out of about 50 salesman when I left 9 months later as I left California to come to Florida.

But before I left Al Heller, who owned the chain, provided me with the best education I had ever had. About 4 months into the job Dave got transferred and a new manager came. His name was 'Ben.' Ben did not like me very much. So one day he fired me because my hair was too long. So I left, I called Frank, and the next day I was rehired and working in the Main Store where the offices were and the owner was. Frank also worked out of that store. Al Heller was an incredible businessman. He believed that everyone that walked into the store was there to buy. And I mean everyone. He explained why. He said 'after they have been to all the department stores and then they come into my schlock house, that means they did not find what they want and all they want to do is find what they want, buy it and go home.'

In the months after I watched him take customers from time to time. He closed every single one he ever took. I mean EVERY one. So it proved if a customer did not buy something, then 'We' as sales people did something wrong. In each case when a customer walked out without buying we would role play with the other sales people to see where the deal went south. In each case the weak point was identified.

I remember one time there was a sales meeting and Al said 'One day you will come back to thank me for this opportunity.' He was right. When I got on the road I went back to personally thank him about 10 years later. Those days changed my life. His thinking changed who I was and what I saw and what I believed. He died a couple years back.

And let me not go on without mentioning Bob Hayde. Bob was a generation ahead of him time. He was like Tony Robbins before Tony was Tony. Bob was imported by Al from Silicon Valley before there was a Silicon Valley. He really was the one that introduced us all to 'Positive thinking.' For that, I will be ever grateful. I got to thank him years later but sadly he died many years ago no older than I am right now. Al eventually married Bob's sister Lynda. I think they are all deceased.

But the few months I spent there was more like 2 years because I worked 75 hours a week. I worked 9AM-10PM, 5 days a week. 9-6 on Saturday and Noon - 6 on Sunday. I had 2 days a week off, but I worked almost every single week I was there. Except one. That weekend I drove from Los Angeles to mid Oregon and back. They were shocked that I could actually make a trip like that in 2 days. More than shocked, they were puzzled because why would anyone do that? I was 19. I just wanted to see new places.

And then came Florida. Kind of like the lyrics in a John Denver song. I was 'Going home to a place I've never been before.' But it was not West Virginia, it was Florida. I had never been to Florida but my parents moved there nearly a year earlier. I loved my job, but I did not love California. There was something about it that I did not like. The smog for one thing. Even though some of my closest friends are there and I have spent a good deal of my life there, I prefer life in the east.

I left at midnight on Valentine's Day and drove from L.A. to Miami in 2.5 days. I think I spent just one night (5 hours) in a motel room. The rest of the time, I just drove. 1-10 was not even completed in many places along the way.

In Florida I had a job kinda lined up there. But it was selling an intangible as a “Middleman,” a “Jobber,” a “Wholesaler,” representing ourselves as the “Factory.” I became a “Packaging Engineer.”

The way the concept worked back in the 1970’s is you would wine and dine your target clients. Salesman would offer kickbacks to the buyer and all types of stuff that today would be frowned upon . Back than, it was common practice. It went away with the 3 Martini lunch in the 1990’s. But I am getting off track.

I was now 20, I looked 15 and the thought of me trying to pull that off were unlikely at best. I stayed there for about 12 months until I called on a lighting and furniture factory one day in Hialeah, Florida run by 2 energetic but crazy Cubans that were just a little older than me but we had some things in common. So I would call on them and I am not sure if they ever ordered from me or not but they started to offer me a job every time I would call on them. I would always decline because these guys were crazy.

Meanwhile I hated my job and wanted to get back into furniture. I had a $150/week “Draw” and all I would do is go to the bowling alley and play the pinball machine and wait for lunchtime so I could take a client to lunch so that I could eat a meal myself. Then I would goof off in the afternoon until I would have to go to the office at about 4PM. I really hated it. Then I finally closed a really big deal and the credit got turned down. A huge linoleum company was going to buy all their tubes that they roll their product on. It was a biggie. It would have given me a base living for years. I was pretty dejected when a competitor walked away with the account because they took their credit.

I had always wanted to get back into the furniture business and so I had a 1 week vacation coming in May. I went to my Cuban friends Andy and George and agreed to work a test week with Andy to see if I wanted to do this and if I could actually make money. I started the day before my 21st birthday.

So in the first week we hit the road and worked the west coast of Florida. I made $1000 and each night we went to the clubs and we got laid. So I had found a new avenue. I went back home, quit my job and headed on the road. A trip that lasted 15 years with only a few weeks a year in Florida. I tell the story of my first few days on the road in my DomainSherpa interview. I was intimidated to put it lightly.

I worked for them for over 5 years and then eventually went to work with the competition who offered me “Carte Blanche” to do what I had done for the first company to do for theirs. And so I did. 7 years following the same path, calling on the same people. From Border to Border and Coast to Coast.

That was the last “Job” I ever had. In 1984 I was fired for making too much money. They had tried to cut my wings the year before after 5 years there. They saw I was about to make some serious dollars so they figured out a way to screw me….or so they thought. They dangled this carrot in front of me THINKING there was no way for me to achieve what they set as targets. The plan was for me to make less money not more.

Bad move! So I sign this 5 year contract after being there a little over 5 years. 9 months later after opening warehouses in Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and landing some of the largest accounts in the country, they were stupefied. Instead of their plan to keep me earning under $100k, I engineered a formula for growth that would get me $750,000 in the second year!

So they decided to bring in this pipe smoking , 55 year old Sales Manger to replace me that never had a job for more than 2 years in his life to become the hatchet man. I told him to go fuck himself. I told him he was just going to bury them with his ideas. So after a few weeks, I got fired. I hired a lawyer a few weeks before and had kept a diary of events. To make a long story short, I sued them. Did not get a lot of money. But I got enough money to print brochures, go to some trade shows and put me into business on my own. I was about 31 or 32 at that point.

18 months later the factory I had built in sales collapsed and went out of business. At 31 I was not sophisticated as you all can plainly see I have gotten no better. But I made sales and they decided they wanted a “professional” image. So the pipe smoker that looked the part of a great leader has another addition to his resume. And the guys I worked for, well then they worked for others and our paths have only crossed once. Me going up, while they were going down. That’s payback because I devoted my soul to a company I had no financial interest in and then just got thrown to the curb after making them all a lot of money. Transforming them from a local supplier to one that was nationwide.

There are more stories to tell as I go into business for myself for the very first time. I had to learn and learn fast. And I did. This is still before Fed Ex and the only lifeline I had was an 800 number. I ran my business via an 800 number answering service. I would do trade shows to the tune of 55 per year. You name the industry and I was at their trade show. I had no home but pivoted out of my brothers house in Cape Cod.

Things were going well in the mid and late 1980’s. Then a severe recession hit. The trade shows I was doing were no longer profitable. The worst part was I had to pay for these shows as much as a year in advance. By 1989 I was going broke. I had already paid for the shows but by the time I paid for hotel, car and airfare, I would lose even more money. What to do?

Then on the way to Houston Texas driving my 35” Bluebird Motor home, my back went out. I think the event actually happened several days before when I slipped hard on some ice. I finished the trip but by the time I returned home several weeks later, I was a mess. I ended up in bed for 6 straight weeks. I was 60 miles from the closest hospital and if I even moved I was in excruciating pain.

To this day I have never experienced such around the clock pain. Then add to the at the very worst part. As I am laying in bed, I learn my mother has breast cancer and I can’t even go down to be with her. That was with out doubt the low point. I cried every time I thought of her because there was nothing I could do. I had to literally crawl to the bathroom.

After 6 weeks I was finally able to walk about 25 feet to the front of the motor home. So next I get to a car and get driven to the hospital. The Doctor there said if I did not have surgery immediately I would never walk again. I had ruptured my disk. But since I had been improving and walking a little for the first time I decided to get a second opinion at the Lahey Clinic in Boston. Their conclusion was they “Hate to operate on people that are starting to feel better.”

So I went back to my motor home and rested for several more months. But I was in bed about 50% of the day. The shows I had already paid for were going on and I was losing all my money. I went broke.

So I moved from Cape Cod back to Florida. I had to reinvent my business and do it without trade shows. Without traveling. That was a challenge. I thought for months how can I still make a living and be bed ridden? So I started to advertise in trade publications instead of doing trade shows. It worked, but I was still a mess as my back stopped me from living life.

That was when I found a chiropractor about 2 years later. The first guy I went to would never ask me if I was feeling better, he would tell me. Problem was it was only marginally true. Then I found another chiropractor. Results were different. I would go as much as 3x in one day. But in time I went less and less and started to improve. I did not have to take any pain killers or lay in bed for 3-5 hours each day.

Little by little my back started getting stronger. 3x a day went down to 3x a week. The 1x a week. Then 1x a month. Today, I still have a very bad back. I can’t lift anything more than 5 or 6 lbs without doing damage. But I have learned to deal with it. I go to the chiropractor when I need to which over the past 5 years has been about 1x a year. So don’t believe a word you hear about chiropractors. I learned that doctors just mask your pain with drugs but never alleviate it. My friends that have had back surgery are no better off that I am and in most cases, much worse.

My back episode changed my life and while it cost me a great deal in the beginning, it forced me to do business in a different manner. To work smarter. The advertising led me to the 800 numbers and the 800 numbers led me to domain names. The rest is well documented over the years and via my posts.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Update: First job (not counting being a paperboy) was at Dairy Whip. $1.00/hour. After 30 days my name was no longer on the schedule. I guess I sucked really bad at 15. Then the box boy gig that lasted until they wanted money for the union at 60 days. So I got a job at W.T.Grant's which was a 5 & 10. I was there for 2 hours when they gave me a 15 minute break. I went next door to 'Bradlees' and got a job for $1.50 which was 25 cents an hour more. So I went back to W.T. Grant's and gave them my 2 hour notice. So that was my shortest job. I lasted at Bradlees for a couple months which lead to my job flipping burgers, my first 2 girlfriends since I was 13 and all in the same small shopping center because not a store in the mall would hire me. I hitchhiked in those day to and from work every day unless I was lucky enough to catch a ride with someone part of the way and then hitch a ride from there. I'll probably think of some more things I did in time. lol

Morning folks!!

So I am sitting around the other morning and I said to myself that there is likely to be a COLOSSAL sale or merger before the end of this year. Times are ripe for a HIGE deal. So I sat and thought of the possibilities. Let me be the first to predict that Apple will bid for Yahoo and here is why.

Apple and Google are rivals. Apple and Microsoft are rivals. Yahoo is a company that has no leader but has a host of great assets that make them have value. So it reminds me a little of Pixar. I think Apple could do for Yahoo what they did for Pixar and change the balance of power on the Internet.

This is purely a hunch I pulled out of my ass and means nothing. On the other hand I see it as plausible. Interesting. Powerful.

Having billions of dollars when dollars are buying less each and every day is not the best strategy. Assets have more value than $$$ at a certain point and I am making the case that we are at that point.

I am buying Yahoo today because whoever takes them over is good for a 50% move imho and somebody needs to start driving that bus.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

Money is the single greatest qualifier there is. Fakers can’t fake money. They can fake comments on a blog, but they can’t fake the money it takes to play.

So when you filter out the fakers, you know your time is being spent with pros. So damn simple and of course it pisses off the fakers. There are 100 fakers for every full time legitimate domainer or businessman.

Now I am not trying to put down folks that are starting out. Just trying to explain things. Trying to have them understand what it really takes.

A willing mind and heart and a burning desire will ALWAYS find a way to make something happen. The rest are the 80% of the universe. There is a way to climb out of the 80% and join the 20%. But it takes discomfort sometimes to get there.

I had a decision to make once. I could not afford that trip, but then again I could not afford not to go on that trip. What to do? It took about 6 weeks to decide.

This was my fork in the road the first time I went to China and Hong Kong and Seoul on my own. I could not afford the $$$ it cost. I did not know which way to turn. On one side was a fire and on the other side was a disaster. The decision to go was the one that changed my life. Long before the Internet. Long before 800 numbers. Just 1 credit card with a $10,000 limit. I was going for broke after already going broke.

I could not afford a loss. There was no second chance. My back was up against the wall. There was just leap of FAITH and then I worked and worked and worked and sleep was just a nap for 1-2 hours if that for over 2 weeks. My future was on the line. Everything. The funny thing is the meeting I had planned to have got diverted by an accidental intervention.

I was in Taipei. I was in the World Trade Center there. I stumbled into a showroom. I had a conversation with the guy there. He said instead of seeing company “A” as you plan, I would go to company “B” as that will be to your advantage. I walked out very confused. I had set a course to see one company and now this second company that I also knew of but was not on my agenda became a very tough decision.

In the hours ahead everything got changed. I had to rearrange my travel and went to Hong Kong. That meeting in the hotel room at the Hyatt that I could not even afford, changed my life. I too was a faker. But as a faker there is a choice. Fake it well or fake it like a loser. So how could I have a life changing meeting at the hotel I could afford? How could I have them take me seriously? So I got whatever room I could get at one of the top tier hotels. The 30 minute meeting in my room lasted 3 hours. The owner of the factory was in tears as he told me his story and I was in tears as I told him mine.

I had no money but he knew of me and what I was doing and agreed to help. Imagine going to Hong Kong meeting somebody that I had never met or talked to before and not only did he agree to sell me directly which would cause him problems with other distributors, he financed me as well. 33% down, 33% 30 days after receiving the goods and the last 33% 30 days later. That was incredible. Because when it comes to importing, you pay 100% in advance or work by letter of credit. I could not even get in the same room with a letter of credit in those days so it was cash in advance only. So to get terms oversees like that was very rare if not unheard of.

When I got home, I collapsed. Litterally. I did not get out of bed for some 3 weeks. I was a sick pup. I pushed my soul to a limit it never saw and I was paying the price. I had a mission and all I knew is every ounce of my being and all of my energy was invested in accomplishing this mission.

That was a life changing moment. So I know both sides of the equation. Even as a faker you have to “Play a part”. You can’t be an asshole and a faker and pull it off. Doesn’t work. The asshole part wins every time and they can't hide it. Really.

I am not the smartest guy. I don’t have to be. I am just smart enough to know what I don’t know. That makes me smarter than a guy that knows something and he is wrong. Got it?

Too many folks refuse to adjust their view in light of new information. I re-evaluate things whenever there is new info and most of the time when there isn’t because things change.

We live in a time in history where more opportunity exists than all of history put together. Yet there is high and long term unemployment and more despair than any point I can remember. Something makes no sense and I can tell you that all the world's problems reside in a 6 inch space between the ears. I say that because all success and all failure comes from within. Outside forces are about 1%-5% of the equation. What's between your ears accounts for the other 95%-99%. Problem is the 80% believe that outside forces are in control. They got the equation upside down and until they get that part right, they can never join the 20% and nobody on the planet is responsible for that except themselves.

No force on earth can stop true passion. No force on earth can hold you back. There is only one person on this entire planet that is responsible for your success or failure. The day you learn that is the day your life will change too. Reject this at your own peril. All I can do is share what unleashed my will and has allowed this underachiever to do things I never dreamed of. I sincerely hope you too experience what I have. The younger you figure it out the more rewards you will reap during life.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

The single biggest request at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. last week was to create an award for 'Broker of the Year.' I agree and I am announcing that in 2012, this will be a new category we will include.

Now let me articulate the difference between T.R.A.F.F.I.C. 2004 and T.R.A.F.F.I.C. 2011, 2012 and beyond. The #1 difference is that in 2004 when we had meals, we had 100% of the folks in attendance come and we as an industry were able to move things collectively as well as independently.

Fast forward to the way things work now compared to then. Today when we have 330 some attendees, we NEVER had more than 200-225 in one place at one time. I am not saying good or bad. Just pointing out the different dynamics and why they exist.

In 2004 people came to meet for the very first time in most cases. Today attendees have meetings lined up from morning to night. Folks are scheduled and sometimes that schedule does not allow us to all be together.

It would be good if we could have just one session or one meal that everyone was in attendance. I don't think that is likely to happen, but that does not mean it is not needed. It is. It changes the dynamics.

That said we can't control, nor to be want to control how you use your time at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. That is entirely up to you. But I do want to say what I said and maybe there is a way to achieve both. Maybe a way to add even more value to T.R.A.F.F.I.C. by putting back a very important piece of the puzzle now that I have identified it for folks to think about.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

And now we start adding the and considering the dividends of a no nonsense auction. Below is the list of each domain and whether it was sold (left) or the high bid (right) is listed if it did not sell. This does not establish a market value but it does show what some of the top domainers in the world would pay on that day. Each auction was started at eith $1, $100, or $1000 and worked up from there. All we can do is build on what works and adjust what does not.

The 'Guaranteed Placement Program' was a hit. It allowed 19 domain owners to take control and promote with a guaranteed placement. It is not for everyone. But it is part of a successful auction formula. It will be something we will use in the future. I just hope folks jump on it earlier and take 6 months to advertise and get the info out. 5 domains sold from that group. In return they got guaranteed placement at their asking price, at a place and time certain and were able to get a significantly discounted commission. We will start accepting domains for our October 2012 auction starting in April.

Couple notes:

Moring folks!!

I am a student of Human Nature and I have written about it extensively over the years. Humans are very predictable. They pigeon hole themselves into a number of different groups. Once you define which group somebody is part of you can decide the most effective way to either deal with them or avoid them.

'Trolls basically come in two flavors: the intentional and unintentional. The latter are those folks who are so tightly wound -- so polarized in their thinking -- that almost any observation can push them over the edge. Like the Queen of Diamonds in the classic film The Manchurian Candidate, there are key words that trigger their hate. On our Web site, the mere mention of 'Obama,' 'Apple,' 'Sirius' or pretty much any biotech company will usually guarantee a flood of caustic comments, often hunt-and-pecked with misspellings ('moran' is a common insult), the grammatical command of a Nigerian scammer and a propensity for keeping the Caps Lock button pressed' Read the rest of the article here.

So what we see is every 'Pond' has the same thing going on you just have to insert the different names in the variables. Each 'Pond' is a different group, different business, differnt industry and so on. Change the names but the Human Nature aspect of it is the same.

Now that you see that we are just another pond it is easier to define what exactly is going on and that it is not just in the Domain Industry. Watch 'Lord of the Flies' and you will understand it even more.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

And around the stretch we come. The last 60 days of the year are likely the best 60 days of the year. It is the time that deal making is done and things begin to happen. Big things happen. Poker time. Capitulation. Triumph. Winners and Losers. And in some cases, desperation.

The last week of the year is my favorite week. Lots of deals to be done and done quickly. The clock is running. Just one more big deal on the spreadsheet will make the year look better. Some spreadsheets a bit weak. A lot weak.

Decline? Now? Not going to happen. But that does not address weakness. The strong eat the weak and feeding season is here. The days of whistling past the graveyard are about to be over as folks deal with financial reality.

The weak are angry and frustrated and feel like they have run out of options. In some cases they have. In other cases they are just looking in the wrong places. They need a set of fresh eyes. Come OUT of the “Domain Cocoon” and realize the Internet has been built around you since the last time you surfaced. It’s no longer a barren and empty universe. It is a hustling, bustling marketplace that the entire world is participating in.

If you saw the 60 Minute Interview with Steve Jobs Biographer and then the story about the iPad after, you know we are on the door step of great achievement via new tools we have. If you did not see 60 Minutes, WTF?? Stuff like that is priceless.

I can only repeat something so many times. But as bad as things are, I will stubbornly say there is more opportunity on this earth TODAY than any moment in history. But if you don’t recognize that you are stuck. Stuck. Stuck in your mind because somewhere along the line our “Inner Robot” took over. You have to over power that inner robot. It is programmed to the point of being weighed down by “Conventional thinking” and “Bullshit”.

There is no substitute for good ideas. There is never an abundance of good ideas. Good ideas are in demand in good times and bad and I would say more demand than ever right now.

Sit down with an iPad or iPhone. What could that magic box do next? No iPad? No iPhone. That’s like a carpenter without a level. Without multiple tools in the tool box while other carpenters are working faster and better and smarter and more. I mean to be a success you have to arm yourself for success. You can buy them both pretty cheap and you don’t need a contract for wi-fi.

Sorry, I always get sidetracked when it comes to those two items. Came out in 2007. Now it is nearly 2012. Even if you love your Crackberry, you can’t afford not to have the other devices.

I just believe that if one were forced to sit down with just those 2 items that you could figure out a solution to something that needs to be solved that would be profitable.

Ok, back to the subject at hand. We all learn new things every day. Things change and evolve and interact differently. If you believe in the domains you have, stick with them. But I am here to tell you that most domains I see have no value whatsoever and never will have any value. But it is costing folks $8 for each one. A liability. Just turn that $8 in a different direction.

We buy domains and we don’t have a crystal ball to see the future. We can only guess how things will unfold. Once we learn that it isn’t going to unfold that way, it is time to let go and regroup.

It does amaze me that what is supposed to be a forward looking group is sometimes anything but. What I have found is those that were first with domains in the 90's and early 2000's continue to be first today. They get to places early. They see things before others follow. They take risk when others laugh. They continue to do what made them successful NEVER KNOWING when they will hit a gold mine. But always out there in the right places and earlier than most others. Those that are late, continue to be late. It's very visible to my eye. Sure, that will get some upset. But I see what I see and share it and hopefully one willing mind figures it out. But those willing minds are very few and far between. 6 billion people and a few folks that do what we do.

Most of us have all the domains we need. Unless something special comes along our path we will likely not buy right now. It is time to comb through our portfolios because we have so much more information about how things have unfolded and what has been successful and what has failed. Look how much more information we have to APPLY to what we own. A fresh set of eyes is what may be needed to unlock what you already have in your possession.

Don't get Angry.....ADJUST!! Open Your Mind, Change Your Destiny!! YOU and only YOU have that power. If you think some outside force is holding you back, got news for ya. You are WRONG and maybe today is the day you will learn it. Don't go through life another day believing ANYONE or ANYTHING or any GOVERNMENT can contain a burning desire. Not a force on earth can stop such passion.

So use these next 60 days and do something DIFFERENT! Don't let what is happening out there pass you by. Get into the game. Don't be brainwashed that things are bad. They are only bad for those that are dependant on a system that is broken. Mostly by laziness and/or corruption or by an attitude that folks think they are entitled to free fish. Learn where the fish are yourself. Learn to fish yourself. Learn to embrace learning. Never be a slave to what is easy or meaningless. Fear only what others tell you that you can't do or achieve. Fear that you will listen to them. Now change your direction if you are not happy with the results you are getting. But first stop what you are doing. Stop digging. Start climbing.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

Let's look at anon poster vs an anon online bidder.