Turning lemons into lemonade

[Rob Monster]

From time to time, I feel moved to start a thread that I think might help one person in particular. However, considering the collective wisdom of many independent thinkers, this might also help others. This thread is about turning lemons into lemonade. As a self-described incurable optimist, it is one of my favorite topics. In my experience, the folks who figure this out early are better off than the ones who never learn it.

As context, on NamePros, I have met lots of cool people, some of whom have really amazing life stories. In fact, in 2019 alone, I have gotten to know many people here whom I now consider to be my trusted friends whose advice I keenly observe and in some of whom I now blindly trust. There are some folks here that are now practically family. And, yes, Epik also hired some folks here too.

To illustrate what I mean about lemons and lemonade, I will share a couple of examples that will be familiar to some NP members:

- Back in March 2019, a few people in the domain industry thought it would be a good idea to chastise me for protecting lawful free speech. This happened in blogs and also here on NamePros. I am not sure about their intention, but whoever was condemning me, ended up making me a lot more popular. In short, my response to being condemned was to engage with authenticity, and to let the crowd conclude for themselves if the manufactured consensus actually held any water. Well, many of you know how that worked out. Much to the chagrin of my harshest critics, Epik has gone from strength to strength as we co-create without care for who makes money or who gets credit.

- Earlier this year, Epik began to make significant inroads as a provider of escrow services for domain investors. The topic was introduced in a thread on NamePros, and within weeks, our friends at Escrow.com dispatched at least 6 state regulators to our doorstep. Although that process was time consuming, and even a bit daunting, we navigated those inquiries. One of the state regulators was kind enough to leak us the complaint. It fingered the instigator as one Jackson Elsegood. At one point when Jackson thought to engage in more of his nonsense, I let him have it, exposing Escrow.com once and for all. Matt Barrie got cute and he got a beatdown too! Our escrow business is booming, by the way and we are just getting started.


This is what I call turning lemons into lemonade. It is all about perspective. What are some principles:

- Be authentic: An early boss at P&G told me this: "First figure out the truth. Then explain truth." If you don't know yourself well enough to explain yourself, go fix that. If you know you screwed up, go deal with that. Acknowledge your faults. Everyone makes mistakes. Live and learn.

- Listen to your critics: Some of them are smart. They can teach you stuff, even if they don't really want to help you. The ones that point out your errors, probably never read Machiavelli who famously says to never interrupt your enemy when they are making a mistake.

- Try to find the upside: Is there some new circumstance that you had not considered before, consider whether you can accomplish something based on your unique situation. Most situations are not nearly as dire as you think they are. And indeed some things happen for a reason! That's providence.

- Find your tribe: Almost everyone loves an underdog. As long as you are not an unrepentant ass, people will come find you and share their wisdom for whatever you are dealing with at the moment. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. Humility is a great foundation for personal growth.


Here are a few simple examples that I know apply to some folks here:

- Spouse cheated on you? Be thankful, you are liberated. Learn from your mistakes. Up your game. Grow in grace. Have confidence that providence has a better spouse out there. Or go back, but on your terms.

- Lost a loved one? Consider setting up a charitable foundation in honor of what that person most cherished. In so doing, know that you are celebrating, preserving and extending their legacy.

- Lost your job? Perhaps that job was not right for you anyway. Assess your strengths and passions. Start a business, or find something that is more perfect for you. If you are diligent, it will work out great!

- Perpetually single? Consider becoming a Digital Nomad. Live anywhere for almost nothing and see the world. You will have way more stories to tell. I am trying to convince @franka46 to set up a Domainer Dojo.

- Sick or injured? Become an expert on personal health. Develop a spiritual practice. Make new friends. Let your light shine. Do you still think your life sucks? Listen to this guy:

The list goes on. I am sure everyone here has had their share of lemons. Curious to hear your story. If it involves domaining, even better!

 

[frank-germany]

so far in life, i haven't been in that position.
sure, happens that you have no control over, but being on the brink of despondency, nope.

yes, I know the feeling,
but there is always a cure

otherwise, you wouldn't be here

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” ~ Matthew 6:34

 

[MapleDots]

I am the person that started the infamous topic mentioned in the opening post by Rob.

Other than a few posts I have not participated in the topic, I originally opened it to ask a question about something I saw mentioned on another website. At no point in time did I ever think it would run away and become one of the biggest topics of the year on namepros.

Do I regret opening it?

Yes and No

Yes: because I really like Rob and I often state that in my opinion he is one of the most forward thinking guys in the domaining industry.

No: Because it gave me more insight to who Rob and his company is.

So my personal opinion is that Rob is a straight up guy, true to his word. Sometimes he wears his heart on his sleeve but his personal opinions are wide and varied. He is the type of person I would love to sit down with and talk domains with.

I think a lot of people come down too hard on him but his response is usually measured and not a personal attack. As much as I agree with some of his opinions, I also tend to disagree with others but that is no different from anyone I engage on namepros.

So I will close by saying I very much enjoy reading his topics but I pretty well stay away from the one I started because I don't think it does justice to everything he has accomplished.

Good luck Rob and thank you for the lemonade

 

[BradWilson]

Actually, I will disagree. There is wisdom in understanding that not all setbacks are setbacks.

You may have missed my intent a bit.

It was my weak attempt at humor using the quote "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" from Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet to comment on the negative feedback which always seems to appear.

 

[MapleDots]

from Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet

Mine eyes smell onions (from All's Well That Ends Well)

HeHe.... which I often think about when I read parts of the now infamous topic.

 

[Rob Monster]

I am the person that started the infamous topic mentioned in the opening post by Rob.

Other than a few posts I have not participated in the topic, I originally opened it to ask a question about something I saw mentioned on another website. At no point in time did I ever think it would run away and become one of the biggest topics of the year on namepros.

Do I regret opening it?

Yes and No

Yes: because I really like Rob and I often state that in my opinion he is one of the most forward thinking guys in the domaining industry.

No: Because it gave me more insight to who Rob and his company is.

So my personal opinion is that Rob is a straight up guy, true to his word. Sometimes he wears his heart on his sleeve but his personal opinions are wide and varied. He is the type of person I would love to sit down with and talk domains with.

I think a lot of people come down too hard on him but his response is usually measured and not a personal attack. As much as I agree with some of his opinions, I also tend to disagree with others but that is no different from anyone I engage on namepros.

So I will close by saying I very much enjoy reading his topics but I pretty well stay away from the one I started because I don't think it does justice to everything he has accomplished.

Good luck Rob and thank you for the lemonade

All good.

Like I said, I appreciate the result. At the time, when that particular thread was started, I strongly debated whether to engage at all. Outside of the domain industry, there is still a vast array of folks who still have a misconception of who I am and what drives me, but so be it. I am no chef, but lemons are versatile.

So, thanks for the lemons.

 

[Rob Monster]

the next related question
which may have not been so obvious
was:

please help me, show me a way
how to turn the lemon Rob gave me

A) exposing my last name which wasn't used at namepros before
and only known to him as I am a customer of epik as a domain registrar

and

B) directly connecting me on a personal level
to one of the worst nazis - the founder of the Gestapo

https://www.namepros.com/threads/wh...-and-rob-monster.1128748/page-89#post-7360779


Show attachment 134228

If you actually want anonymity, you might start by removing your picture and perhaps by using WHOIS privacy on all your domains. I think you gain a lot more by being authentic and a known person.

As for the Nazi stuff, my point there and here is that I am not more of a Nazi than you are. In fact, believe it or not, I am quite sure that I am more like an Oskar Schindler than I am to an Adolf Hitler.

So, let's get back to the topic of lemonade. Frank, you are a pretty old guy. I bet you have a lemons into lemonade story to tell. Right?

 

[frank-germany]

If you actually want anonymity, you might start by removing your picture and perhaps by using WHOIS privacy on all your domains. I think you gain a lot more by being authentic and a known person.

clear breach of privacy
as you used data from my epik account
not public data

how do you know its my picture?

 

[JB Lions]

I think a lot of people come down too hard on him but his response is usually measured and not a personal attack.

This is bs and you know it.

Come down to hard on him? Go reread the thread you started. It went beyond just helping the hate site out, literally passing along hate memes. I went over there and read the stuff being posted, it's not imaginary stuff.

No personal attacks in responses? My first interactions with him were exactly that with his responses. This is how he responds to some other members:

"Actually, you are a troll, and indeed and an anonymous one with no transaction history and probably multiple personas on Namepros. I look forward to you being outed some day soon. All will be revealed, my friend. The God in heaven knows exactly who you are. I don't judge you but He surely will."

He just posted video calling somebody a witch. His very first post in this thread, let him have it, beatdown.

Outside of the domain industry, there is still a vast array of folks who still have a misconception of who I am and what drives me, but so be it..

Ok, let me ask you straight up. Why did you repost an anti-Muslim meme at Gab? The one where it had Christianity was spread with people hanging out on rocks, all smiling, Islam spread thru violence. I see that as participating in spreading hate towards Muslims. That Muslims can't be trusted, they're violent etc. So tell me what my misconception on that is.

 

[frank-germany]

So, let's get back to the topic of lemonade. Frank, you are a pretty old guy. I bet you have a lemons into lemonade story to tell. Right?

Rob

you won't get me that easily

it wasn't me posting all this controversial stuff
and it wasn't God who told you to do so

it was you, Rob

 

[Larion]

Frank,

I think you should focus on the wars which are occuring in this world still TODAY.
Maybe you will find a way in order to stop these wars.
I hope you will.

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/war-map-conflict-death

https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/in-depth/forgotten-conflicts

http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/maps-and-graphics/2017/04/04/updated-mapped-world-war


There are some wars ongoing TODAY, which you might have never heard of.

 

[frank-germany]

Frank,

I think you should focus on the wars which are occuring in this world still TODAY.
Maybe you will find a way in order to stop these wars.
I hope you will.

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/war-map-conflict-death

http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/maps-and-graphics/2017/04/04/updated-mapped-world-war

try to troll
ok

 

[MapleDots]

This is bs and you know it.

Come down to hard on him? Go reread the thread you started. It went beyond just helping the hate site out, literally passing along hate memes. I went over there and read the stuff being posted, it's not imaginary stuff.

JB, I will be the first to admit, I stopped reading that topic quite early on and I cannot agree or disagree with your statement. I did not like the direction the topic took so specifically decided to stop reading and participating.

All I can say is Rob has been a straight up guy every time I have engaged with him.

 

[Blitzpotz]

The Namepros lemonade contains a lot of vitamins but also toxic stuff, I suppose Psychadelics. Interesting colorful personalities are acting in this place:

Visionaries who know years ahead of the crowd what will sell for a lot of money: LLL coms, Cloud, CBD.
Leaders who introduce many good things and play with their superiority by making others to marionettes of their subtle provocations.
Heroes of opinion who are never shy or opportunistic to post what they have to say. Freedom of speech is the right to do so, but you have to be brave and eloquent enough to use it.
Warriors who will never ever resist, be it against all odds.

I would be glad if this forum could continue as it is, with all those talented and crazy guys, as a place where you can learn so much and gain from others´ growth but if possible with a dash of less polemic in repeating loops. And I really would be happy to see the counterparts in some threads meet to drink a beer for peace, some not too far day.

Concluding I believe that this is the quote of the day for EVERY fellow member:

I think you should focus on the wars which are occuring in this world still TODAY.

And I am sure this sentence was not written to detract from former wars and crimes.

 

[Mister Funsky]

I must admit, there is a part of me that thinks the 'T''s (hereafter the designation I will assign to those trolling or defined as 'trolls' by the Internationally accepted definition of what a troll is) may be people paid by Rob/Epik to keep the threads involving Rob/Epik moving to the top of the most viewed threads.

Please, PLEASE trolls, try to combine your posts into concise and complete thoughts (some of you do, but far too often it is difficult to keep up with some posts)...it is very taxing trying to keep up with the often random and disconnected thoughts put forth by 'T's...I just ain't got time for that. Thank you.

 

[Rob Monster]

I must admit, there is a part of me that thinks the 'T''s (hereafter the designation I will assign to those trolling or defined as 'trolls' by the Internationally accepted definition of what a troll is) may be people paid by Rob/Epik to keep the threads involving Rob/Epik moving to the top of the most viewed threads.

Please, PLEASE trolls, try to combine your posts into concise and complete thoughts (some of you do, but far too often it is difficult to keep up some posts)...it is very taxing trying to keep up with the often random and disconnected thoughts put forth by 'T's...I just ain't got time for that. Thank you.

Thanks Funsky.

As I see it, we all have our role to play. Pharaoh, back in the day, got his ass kicked. He was controlled opposition. God hardened his heart so he could kick his ass. See here:

"But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them " - Exodus 9:12

So, I think God is using Frank to make sure these threads rank in the top so more folks can find them.

There is no other rational explanation that I can think of, other than:

"As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly" - Proverbs 26:11

I guess we'll know in eternity.

Either way, I love Frank.

 

[Mister Funsky]

Thanks Funsky.

As I see it, we all have our role to play. Pharaoh, back in the day, got his ass kicked. He was controlled opposition. God hardened his heart so he could kick his ass. See here:

"But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them " - Exodus 9:12

So, I think God is using Frank to make sure these thread rank in the top so more folks can find them.

There is no other rational explanation that I can think of, other than:

"As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly" - Proverbs 26:11

I guess we'll know in eternity.

Either way, I love Frank.

It is kind of you to show love to an antagonist (I am not singling anyone out here re: my prior post or this one for that matter). But coming in from a hard day dealing with a variety of frustrating situations, I genuinely wanted to see if anyone else had made a post sharing their 'lemonade' story/situation and I was greeted by so many off topic posts I just glossed over and went to the end. I will go back and see if someone made a post worth reading but really, can't the 'T's focus on just one or two threads and give us all a break on other threads that may have some meaningful info? May I suggest you start another thread for the 'T's so there is a place they can go to attack...possibly starting it with something like "Calling all Rob/Epik trolls...please post here". Clearly you can handle whatever comes your way, but when their obsession interferes with what could be an interesting and helpful thread it really gets my goat (no disrespect to goats intended here...they are fascinating creatures).

 

[JB Lions]

It is kind of you to show love to an antagonist (I am not singling anyone out here re: my prior post or this one for that matter). But coming in from a hard day dealing with a variety of frustrating situations, I genuinely wanted to see if anyone else had made a post sharing their 'lemonade' story/situation and I was greeted by so many off topic posts I just glossed over and went to the end. I will go back and see if someone made a post worth reading but really, can't the 'T's focus on just one or two threads and give us all a break on other threads that may have some meaningful info? May I suggest you start another thread for the 'T's so there is a place they can go to attack...possibly starting it with something like "Calling all Rob/Epik trolls...please post here". Clearly you can handle whatever comes your way, but when their obsession interferes with what could be an interesting and helpful thread it really gets my goat (no disrespect to goats intended here...they are fascinating creatures).

Wouldn't it be easier if you just made a fan boy thread? Let me you show you something:

Wow...surprising to see a 'professional' make a post sharing the confidential information you refer to. Just goes to show, even if you make (pay yourself) over a half a mil a year, you can still be void of any class.

Do you believe that? Is it across the board? I don't recall you raising the same objections when Rob takes screenshots of emails and messages and posts them.

I actually find your posts more off topic/trolling because the posts in this thread reference what Rob posted in his first post. So again, if somebody quotes Rob and replies, it's on topic.
--------------

Again, I have no idea why Rob keeps going back to all this Gab crap, keeps bringing it up here. It isn't a good look. Whatever success you have now, you probably would have more if you didn't take that route. There is nothing positive about that thread linked in the first post.

Did you have anything constructive to add about overcoming adversity?

Stop making the same mistakes over and over again. Take responsibility for decisions you make, learn from them. See other thread about SEO. You want that stuff to die down, then stop talking/linking to it. Get back to what this forum is for, domaining. We really don't need more pedestal and ladder threads.

 

[Mister Funsky]

Wouldn't it be easier if you just made a fan boy thread?

I was wondering who, if anyone, would respond to my post thus self-designating himself/herself as a 'troll'....congratulations! You will now be designated 'T number one' (abbreviated as '#1' or simply '1') if, in the future, you feel the need to 'call me out' in this thread or any other.

Do you believe that? Is it across the board? I don't recall you raising the same objections when Rob takes screenshots of emails and messages and posts them.

I did not/am not addressing anything in this thread other than the fact it has been derailed by trollish behavior that undermines the intent of the original title/post. Rob (or even you) are welcome to screen shot whatever you want...it's irrelevant to me.

I actually find your posts more off topic/trolling because the posts in this thread reference what Rob posted in his first post. So again, if somebody quotes Rob and replies, it's on topic.

Why not make your life easier and less troubling, since you are finding my posts off topic, by taking advantage of the ignore feature and include me in your 'ignored members' list (if you do not have one started already, please allow me to be the first).

 

[JB Lions]

I was wondering who, if anyone, would respond to my post thus self-designating himself/herself as a 'troll'....congratulations! You will now be designated 'T number one' (abbreviated as '#1' or simply '1') if, in the future, you feel the need to 'call me out' in this thread or any other.



I did not/am not addressing anything in this thread other than the fact it has been derailed by trollish behavior that undermines the intent of the original title/post. Rob (or even you) are welcome to screen shot whatever you want...it's irrelevant to me.



Why not make your life easier and less troubling, since you are finding my posts off topic, by taking advantage of the ignore feature and include me in your 'ignored members' list (if you do not have one started already, please allow me to be the first).

Yes, if you want to call somebody a troll, don't be a coward about it, just do it directly.

"I did not/am not addressing anything in this thread"

Well of course not. That would mean you would actually be on topic. Stay with the blind allegiance type posting. I didn't expect you to have the same standards across the board, it would require you to call out Rob when he doesn't meet them. If you really believe something, you should be consistent with it, across the board. And feel free to use that Ignore feature yourself, my feelings won't be hurt if you do. I've never used it, if I don't want to read something from somebody, I simply don't read it.

 

[Mister Funsky]

Yes, if you want to call somebody a troll, don't be a coward about it, just do it directly

LOL, I did...are you having issues with the English language?

To stay on topic, maybe you could share a 'lemon to lemonade' story of your own