Eric Lyon is the Admin at Namepros.com and he took a little time to have a chat with me about Namepros, having a baby and getting married.
*Disclosure: I have been a moderator at Namepros for over a decade.
1. What got you interested in the domain industry?
Eric: It actually wasn’t until after I purchased my first domain for my design service back in 2005 that I started getting more interested in the domain industry. After about a year of running my design business, I realized that it may be beneficial to buy a few more domains and use them as portal pages to gather leads for my main service site. Once my first two additional developments proved to be profitable, I was hooked. I started researching into other markets from that point on.
2. How big is your domain portfolio?
Eric: Since 2005, my portfolio has had a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. The most I’ve ever had at one time was around the 200 mark, maybe even as high as 250, but I lost track. At the moment, my portfolio is down to a slim 15 developed domains as I primarily focus my time and energy on administrative duties at NamePros.
3. RJ was beloved in the Namepros community how hard was it to fill his shoes as admin?
Eric: I could never fill RJ’s shoes. We both wear our own unique size. RJ was an inspiration for everyone on the NamePros team, including myself. If it wasn’t for him, NamePros wouldn’t be around today.
4. You recently got married and welcomed a child, how has this affected your role at Namepros?
Eric: It keeps me extra busy, and I don’t have as much free time as I used to. It’s a constant juggle taking care of both my babies (my son and NamePros) as well as my wife. Being a father, a husband, an administrator, a designer, a cook, etc. really tests a man’s limits. It’s been a great adventure so far, and I look forward to many more surprising and rewarding days ahead.
5. How important is it to have a work-life balance?
Eric: Great question! Very important! I found very quickly as a freelancer that work life and home life tend to get mixed frequently and sometimes cause unneeded stress. Whether you are a domain investor, freelancer, or own your own brick-and-mortar business, you’ll come face-to-face with the same challenge. Sometimes I think I have it all figured out and then get slapped with an unexpected surprise that blend the two again.
It’s a constant self-discipline to stay on top of things and keep them separate. Once the balance is found, it’s very rewarding and helps me to stay healthy and happy. I find that keeping a large desk calendar and plenty of sticky notepads near by helps a lot to achieving this balance.
6. What does your wife think about domaining?
Eric: My wife is new to domaining for the most part. She’s been watching over my shoulder for the last 1 ½ years to get her feet wet and recently took the plunge into the industry head first about 4 months ago. So far, she’s like a kid in a candy store and soaking up all the knowledge she can find like a sponge. She loves it! We’re also excited to attend meetups and conferences together.
7. What do you like most about working at NamePros?
Eric: I love all the wonderful people that I get to meet and help along their way in the industry. Not a day goes by that I don’t learn something new. NamePros, along with the industry, is constantly changing and providing me with new and more exciting adventures at every turn.
I’ve been traveling most my life and working remotely from a laptop. The last couple years have had me rooted down and more stationary with my new family. My wife, son, and I have plans to hit the road and go mobile as a family in the future. Sooner than later hopefully. My ability to continue working remotely is a huge asset to that lifestyle and will also allow me to meet-up with more NamePros members and other industry professionals along the way in person.
8. What should someone do if they’d like to meet you in person?
Eric: I’d love to meet-up with anyone looking to shake my hand. If they are interested, they can get in touch with me in one of the following ways:
- Send me a private message on NamePros: Here’s My Profile
- Send me an email: my first name @namepros.com
Once we touch base with one of the methods above, I would be happy to share my mobile number with them so we can have more direct contact if they’d like.
When you hit the road again, Eric, which direction you plan on heading – N, S, E, W?
It may be as easy as a flip of a coin, an upcoming event, or even my Wife asking me to go somewhere she hasn’t seen yet. To early to tell. I’ll definitely keep everyone posted though each time I plot our route. That way I can stop at multiple places along the way.
Eric is a good guy but I still prefer old school namepros.
Thank Eric,
Since I started NP
You’ve been on Top Form all the time. Enjoy your posts, help and experience.
Keep up the good work..
He’s amazingly patient. I enjoy “working’ with him. He’s a good man.
If I could build 15 nice revenue generating sites I would. It takes time, effort, and skill. Seems most on NPs don’t want to hassle with web hosting, wordpress, building content, etc.
Congrats on the new baby Eric. If you intend to travel as a family are you going to homeschool or unschool your child?
Great question! While we still have some faith in conventional schooling, even with all the negative aspects that seem to arise each year. We have looked into home schooling and online accredited courses.
Accredited courses would allow us to home school and our son will still have to meet all the mandatory credit requirements to get a diploma (Not a GED). I think we have agreed that a GED is not an option and that we want him to have an actual High School diploma.
That’s a ways off though, he 4 months old now and it will be a while till we officially decide on what to do for High School.
There are also courses for Pre-K, Elementry, and Jr. High levels. All of which we are considering once we have a more firm launch date to hit the road.
Nothing is in stone yet though. lots more research is needed to insure that our son can still get the best education possible while traveling and soaking in more culture and history that is lacking in some of the public school systems today.
Nice Interview! Long live the King (of NamePros)!
Perhaps there can be some “old school” blended into the new?
Namepros is better off for having Eric on board no doubt