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Good Players - Jothan Frakes

Good Players - Jothan Frakes

I’ve been asked a number of times about who are the really good players in the domain industry. I thought that from time to time that I would highlight these individuals that quietly go about their business. They are people that are generous with their time, are absolutely trustworthy and great fun to be around…..in essence they are the heart and soul of what it means to be a domainer.

Escrow.com

Jothan Frakes

I first met Jothan many years ago at a TRAFFIC conference and we talked into the small hours of the morning about the domain industry. During this time I gained an enormous amount of respect for him as one of the most knowledgeable people in the industry.

Our relationship really cemented at the TRAFFIC Downunder conference when he was part of a group of domainers that flew light aircraft back from the Gold Coast in Queensland to Melbourne. I was one of the pilots and it was a great time getting to know Jothan on both a professional and personal level.

Jothan has played many diverse roles in the domain industry but it is clear that he has a real gift for running exceptional conferences. From founding the successful Domain Roundtable conferences in 2006-7, to being intimately involved with DomainFest while it was with Domain Sponsor and now with the largest industry gathering, NamesCon. Jothan has developed a unique gift for conference formats, topics and promotions. Even now he is launching a series of regional conferences under the DomainFest banner – information on the next one can be viewed at doaminfest.asia.

The reason for these successes stems from the fact that Jothan consistently works incredibly hard at whatever he puts his hand to. When you speak with him you have his 100% attention and if he doesn’t have time then he’ll politely let you know.

Jothan has spent countless years attending ICANN conferences and helping raise the domain investor flag with registries, registrars and policy makers. Without his endless lobbying domainers may not have some of the protections over their assets that they enjoy today.

What many people may not be aware was that Jothan was intimately involved with the approval process for many of the new gTLDs. He conducted this extremely confidential work as a contractor for accounting firm KPMG and clock up endless numbers of air miles between the USA and India.

As you may have ascertained from his professional life, Jothan is one of the most connected people in the domain industry, knowing the domainer, parking, registrar, registry and ICANN sides of the business. If you ever need an introduction to almost anyone then Jothan is very likely able to make the connection.

When I first met him, Jothan’s one failing was his desire to help everyone and sadly I’ve seen people take advantage of his big heart. Thankfully, this exceptionally generous attitude has been tempered with wisdom as he’s continued to develop his professional career.

Personally, I count Jothan as a great friend with whom I have complete trust and confidence. More than all of these things, he is a down to earth fun person to be around that always has a great joke (seriously, he has some really good ones!) and a welcoming smile. I have had the privilege of meeting his wife and the three of us have had way too much fun together!

These are only a few of the reasons why Jothan is in my “Good Player” list. No matter how busy we both get we always make it a point of catching up at conferences to swap stories and learn from each other. He is the quintessential “Good Player” of the domain industry.

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Michael Gilmour has been in business for over 32 years and has both a BSC in Electronics and Computer Science and an MBA. He was the former vice-chairman of the Internet Industry Association in Australia and is in demand as a speaker at Internet conferences the world over. He has also recently published his first science fiction book, Battleframe.

Michael is passionate about working with online entrepreneurs to help them navigate their new ventures around the many pitfalls that all businesses face. Due to demands on his time, Michael may be contacted by clicking here for limited consulting assignments.

The Cult of Personality
America, Please Wake Up...You Are Great!
 

Comments

Guest - Joe Alagan on 24 July 2015
Right with you Michael

Jothan is at the top of my list too.

:-)

Jothan is at the top of my list too. :-)
Guest - Braden on 24 July 2015
Couldn't agree more

I just wish someday I could be as kind-hearted as Jothan

I just wish someday I could be as kind-hearted as Jothan :)
Guest - Brandon Abbey on 25 July 2015
Good call

Well said!!

Well said!!
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