What I’m Thankful For This Thanksgiving

Wow, is it just me or has this year flown by? Maybe it’s just part of getting older but I honestly can’t believe December starts next week! This has been an absolutely incredible year and I have a lot of people I wanted to thank for making an impact in my life. I feel extremely fortunate to be in such an exciting industry interacting with so many talented and truly passionate people. Being a part of the Domain Industry has connected me with people all over the world from my buddy Attila in China to Iain in Italy and of course all the awesome people here in Southern California!

Now I’d like to take a moment to thank all the great people that I have made an impact in my life this year.

Daina
#1 on my list is and always will be Daina. This has been an incredible year for us with the highlight being our engagement in beautiful wine country! I am so thankful to have found someone I love spending every minute with, the love of my life, and my best friend in the world.

My Family
I have an amazing family. We all care about each other, spend as much time together as possible, and always find time to connect even when life seems to get busier by the day! Today we’ll be going to my cousin’s house to be with my Dad, Aunt, and Cousins, its nice to be in California after spending so much time on the Easy Coast!

My Friends
I have a lot of friends but unfortunately they are spread-out all over the US and the world. Some of my closest friends are in New York City and it was a blast celebrating our 30th Birthdays together there this year. Since so many of my friends are outside of LA I only get to see them once or twice a year. Still I couldn’t be more thankful of all the incredible friends I have!

Ron Jackson
Ron Jackson’s DNJournal has been a part of my daily routine since 2007. We are incredibly fortunate to have someone in our industry who is not only passionate and excited about the space, but also goes above-and-beyond to create a top-notch publication about it.

Braden Pollock
Braden has been an incredible mentor to me. What I really appreciate about Braden is his interest in sharing his knowledge and really helping me understand and grow my business. I still have a lot to learn but am extremely thankful to Braden for his time and support. Of course we don’t talk business all the time, in fact this year we ended-up in a dance competition in the Bahamas…I’m not going to reveal who won!

Gregg McNair
Gregg has been has been a special person in me and Daina’s life this year. Along with creating a partnership between Domain Advisors and Linton Investments early in the year we’ve all had some great adventures together. From hanging in the Bahamas to singing our hearts out to the Beatles in Santa Monica there’s never a dull moment with Gregg, and we love it! Gregg is capable of doing eight trillion things at once, it’s incredible to see, and he is constantly innovating, building amazing teams, and helping people achieve their dreams. At the end of the day it is Gregg’s incredible dedication to charity and making the world a better place that should be an inspiration to us all!

Michael Berkens
Like Ron, Michael is one of the people who is part of my daily routine. TheDomains.com has been one of my favorite blogs on the planet since I started in the industry. Along with writing one of my favorite reads Michael runs an incredible business and really exemplifies how to build a very meaningful Domaining business. Michael is one of those people who is a real investor, he isn’t afraid to take risks, and he’s often ahead of the trends. I see Michael as someone really understands how to grow and scale a business over time, he’s not in this for a quick buck, he’s here to make an impact and he’s doing it every single day.

Ammar Kubba
I always knew Ammar as we bumped-into each other all the time at conferences last year. This year we’ve had a chance to really get to know each other better and I consider Ammar a true friend. Ammar is one of those people who was born to be an entrepreneur. Ammar is someone who is constantly plugged-into what’s going on and where the opportunities are, he works hard and his successes more than speak for themselves. I learn a lot from Ammar every time we talk and am really thankful to have had the chance to get to know him better this year!

Kevin Fink
Kevin has done just about every role imaginable at Linton Investments, he’s had to juggle ten things at once, and he’s done it without breaking a sweat. You might not know Kevin, but I think by this time next year you’d be surprised you didn’t know him. Like all the people listed above, Kevin is someone who dreams big and wants to make a difference. Kevin is an adventurer like me and in August of last year packed-up his car and headed north, you can read more about his travel adventures on Civilized Travel.

Jason Thompson
Jason and I first met in person back in 2009 and pretty much became friends instantly. Since then we’ve worked together on the Southern California Domainers MeetUp, watched some great Basketball, and even spent New Years at a mansion in Bel Air together! Jason is another guy who like me sees the glass half full and the opportunities endless. I am thankful that Jason and I connected-up and look forward to all our future adventures!

Iain Taylor
Daina and I met Iain last year in Ireland at TRAFFIC Dublin and we’ve been friends ever since. We had some great adventures last year in Ireland and England and I’m hoping Daina and I can visit Iain in Italy sometime soon. Iain is a really good person and someone who is driven by real passion. He is living his dream, loving life, and taking the time to really enjoy life while running successful businesses. I am thankful to have met Iain and hope that in the future we live closer – Italy doesn’t sound half bad to me!

Ian Lopuch
Ian and I have been friends for some time now and I find that we both share so many of the same strategies and techniques! Both of us see the value in turning our domain names into brands and we follow a very similar path. Ian’s blog is an incredible resource and I frequently refer friends, family, and clients to it as a valuable part of their regular reading. Ian and I both know that there will be some major changes in the Domain Industry and Internet in general and I look forward to evolving our businesses and thinking together!

Trevor Owens
Trevor made a major impact in my life this year when I had the chance to participate in Lean Startup Machine in New York City. Trevor has put-together an incredible program that brings entrepreneurs together to do great things. Over the course of 48-hours my life completely changed and I have Trevor to thank for making the experience possible, and putting so much of his time, energy, and passion into making it a truly world-class program. Trevor is what I would consider to be an entrepreneur of entrepreneurs and I can’t wait to cross paths again soon!

Steve Blank
Steve Blank has made an incredible impact on my life this year, even though I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know who I am. I first heard Steve speak at Eric Ries’s Startup Lessons Learned conference in San Francisco earlier this year. From that point on I’ve used his blog as a key piece of my startup bible and recently had a chance to see him speak at UCLA. Steve is a major inspiration to me and has singlehandedly changed the way that I think this year, and for that I am extremely thankful!

Eric Ries
Like I said above, I discovered Steve at Eric’s conference Startup Lessons Learned which is by far one of the best events I’ve ever attended. The Lean Startup movement, of which Eric has been building-up like crazy represents the future of how some of our greatest companies will be built. It’s the change so many businesses have been looking for, a way to really connect with customers and most importantly, build things that people want. In my mind, what Eric is doing now is already changing the world and I am so thankful to Eric for daring to be different and in doing so, making an incredible impact on so many people’s lives.

Okay, I know I am leaving a lot of people out so if you’re not on this list please don’t think that you’re not appreciated! Given that it is Thanksgiving day I have to get ready to head to the airport to pick-up my Dad. I hope all of you have a very happy Thanksgiving and don’t forget to thank all the wonderful people in your life!

Morgan Linton

Morgan Linton