Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? Did you have any particular experiences/stories that shaped your adult life?

I grew up in a small town in a small state, Rhode Island. My family was hard working, salt of the Earth people that instilled strong values in me. I played a lot of sports, but my focus was wrestling which I did from 5 years old till my Freshman year in college. The town I grew up in was fairly affluent, but my family was not. This drove a deep seeded ambition in me that lives on to this day.

What is something you wish you would’ve realized earlier in your life?

I wish I had understood that the folks who run society are rarely the folks that best serve or understand society and all of its complexity (i.e. human behavior, economics, finance, health, nutrition, etc.). One’s ability to thrive in our society is 100% dependent upon their ability to think critically and independently. Quite literally, if you do whatever everyone else is doing and think like everyone else is thinking, you can’t possibly achieve an outcome that is anything greater than mediocre.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

My primary business is domain names. The biggest mistake I see and the worst advice I hear people give is to choose anything other than your exact brand match .com domain name. If you don’t own your exact brand match .com domain name you don’t own your brand. Anything else is dilutive to your brand and customer experience, as well as a potential security risk.

Tell me about one of the darker periods you’ve experienced in life. How you came out of it and what you learned from it?

I’ve had many challenges in my life both personally and professionally. From false accusations to unfair competition to a vast number of personal hurdles. My position has always been to put my head down and just work my way through. Often through tremendous physical or mental pain and agony. On the one hand, this approach has made me mentally and emotionally strong. But only recently have I come to realize that the best approach is to embrace challenge, friction, difficulty, and pain. This is where the growth is. This is what makes us happy. It sounds crazy, but without the bad, you can’t have the good. If you had nothing but good, you would never appreciate it and ultimately it would cease to be considered “good”. I suppose this is a nuanced view in line with Stoicism.

What is one thing that you do that you feel has been the biggest contributor to your success so far?

My greatest asset is my ability to sell. I have always said that if you can sell, you will never go hungry. There will always be work and opportunity for you. If you combine sales with grit, you are unstoppable.

What is your morning routine?

The first thing I do when I wake up, usually 6 am, is check my Oura Ring app to see how my sleep was! Not sure if this is good or bad, but I’m addicted! After showering and getting ready, I immediately take 1,000 mg of Vitamin C (Liposomal). Next, I drink 8 – 16 ounces of celery juice. Followed by 3 cups of strong coffee, the first of which is mixed with FourSigmatic Lion’s Mane Mushroom Coffee Elixir. About 8 am I got to my office and begin dealing with my overflowing email inbox.

What habit or behavior that you have pursued for a few years has most improved your life?

No question about it, Pilates has changed my life. Particularly because I sit in a desk chair at a computer all day every day, Pilates has completely changed my body organization and overall health. Movement and body fluidity are highly under appreciated.

What are your strategies for being productive and using your time most efficiently?

Honestly, I’m the wrong person to ask. I’m a warrior and just battle through my day. But I don’t think anyone around me would describe me as efficient, although I am highly productive. I suppose my superpower is pure brute force and the naïve belief that I will overcome any obstacle!

What book(s) have influenced your life the most? Why?

The book that has influenced me more than any other is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. This book changed my world view. It helped me understand that in society you have administrators and producers. You have folks that seek rent and folks that build the businesses and assets that produce rent. It crystalized my desire to be the latter.

Do you have any quotes you live by or think of often?

The quote I try to remember as a North Star in my life is from Thomas Jefferson, “Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of Liberty”