Somewhere.com: Why Nick Huber Spent $400K on a Domain—and Why It Was His Best Investment

"I spent over $400,000 on the domain name Somewhere.com. A lot of people think I'm crazy."

That's how Nick Huber, founder of multiple businesses and author of The Sweaty Startup, opens his explanation for one of the most expensive purchases he's ever made for a single digital asset.

$400,000 for a domain name. Not a building. Not equipment. Not inventory. A domain.

But Huber doesn't regret it for a second. In fact, he calls it "one of the best investments I've ever made."

Here's why—and what every founder building a serious business can learn from his decision.

The Sweaty Startup Guy

Nick Huber built his reputation around "sweaty startups"—unglamorous, profitable businesses like self-storage, moving companies, and recruiting services. He's the founder of Bolt Storage, an investor in multiple companies, and an evangelist for building real businesses that generate cash flow from day one.

Huber doesn't chase hype. He buys storage buildings for $1.5 million. He spends $250,000 on building facades. He invests $100,000 on signs. These are the kinds of unsexy expenses that serious business owners make without thinking twice.

So when he spent $400,000+ on Somewhere.com, it wasn't a vanity purchase. It was a calculated investment in digital real estate.

The Acquisition: Support Shepherd Becomes Somewhere

In early 2024, Huber acquired a majority stake in Support Shepherd, a recruiting company that helps businesses hire offshore talent from the Philippines, South Africa, and Latin America at 70-80% less cost than U.S. hires.

The company was valued at around $52 million. But Huber saw a problem: the U.S.-based executive team had high salary costs, and the business was operating under the clunky domain SupportShepherd.com.

Huber rebuilt the executive team with overseas talent, cutting executive expenses by 80% while driving revenue to all-time highs. The company now employs 166 people across South Africa (73), the Philippines (51), and other locations, generating recurring revenue from "Talent on Demand" services.

But the rebrand needed a better domain.

In May 2024, Support Shepherd officially became Somewhere.

And the centerpiece of that rebrand was the $400,000+ acquisition of Somewhere.com.

The Digital Real Estate Analogy

When Huber announced the purchase, the reactions ranged from surprise to outright criticism. $400K for a domain? That's insane.

But Huber had a simple response: digital real estate works the same way as physical real estate.

Here's how he framed it:

"I've bought buildings for $1.5 million. I've spent $250,000 on a facade for a building. I've spent $100,000 on a sign. I don't think twice about those things because they add perceived value to my business."

A domain name, Huber argues, is the front door to your business online. It's the digital equivalent of a building's location, signage, and curb appeal—all rolled into one.

And yet, most founders will drop millions on physical assets without hesitation but balk at spending $50K on a premium domain.

Huber flipped the script. He treated Somewhere.com the same way he treats a storage facility: as an asset that appreciates and generates value.

The Nightnurses.com Proof of Concept

Huber didn't just theorize about domain ROI. He had data.

Before buying Somewhere.com, Huber had experience with another premium domain: Nightnurses.com.

He leases Nightnurses.com for $11,000 per year (about $917/month). That domain is used for a healthcare recruiting service targeting overnight nursing shifts.

Here's what happened after he started using it:

• $3,000 per month in leads
• Each lead worth ~$300
• Payback period: 4 months

The domain paid for itself in less than four months purely through better SEO traffic and inbound leads. After that, everything was profit.

That experience convinced Huber that premium domains aren't expenses—they're revenue-generating assets.

So when Somewhere.com came up for sale, he didn't hesitate.

Why Somewhere.com Was Perfect

The name Somewhere perfectly captures the company's value proposition: helping businesses find talent "somewhere" offshore—whether that's the Philippines, South Africa, or Latin America.

The domain Somewhere.com is:

• Memorable: One word, easy to spell, impossible to forget
• Brandable: Works as both a company name and a destination
• SEO-friendly: Single-word .com domains rank better in search
• Timeless: The word "somewhere" will never go out of style

Compare that to SupportShepherd.com:

• Two words, harder to remember
• "Shepherd" doesn't clearly communicate offshore recruiting
• Longer URL, more friction in marketing

The rebrand from SupportShepherd.com to Somewhere.com wasn't just cosmetic. It fundamentally changed how people perceived and found the business.

The SEO and LLM Advantage

Huber emphasized one often-overlooked benefit of .com domains: preferential treatment in search engines and large language models (LLMs).

Here's his argument:

"Not only that, but .com domains get preferential treatment in SEO and in large language models. If you have a .co or a .io or something else, you're at a disadvantage."

Search engines have decades of data showing that .com domains are more authoritative, more trusted, and more likely to be legitimate businesses. That implicit trust translates to better rankings.

And as AI-powered search tools (like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI overviews) become dominant, .com domains are more likely to be cited as authoritative sources.

Huber's bet: Somewhere.com will outperform SupportShepherd.com in every ranking, citation, and recommendation for years to come.

The First-Year ROI

Within the first year of owning Somewhere.com, Huber claimed the domain had already delivered more than $400,000 in value.

How?

1. Better inbound leads: The domain ranks higher in search and is easier to remember, driving more organic traffic
2. Stronger brand perception: Clients see Somewhere.com and immediately understand it's a serious, established company
3. Lower marketing friction: Shorter, simpler domains convert better in ads and outreach
4. Asset appreciation: Premium domains increase in value over time

Huber noted:

"Somewhere.com is already worth more than $400,000 to me in the first year alone."

This wasn't a gamble that would take 10 years to pay off. The domain justified its cost in year one.

The Business Results

The rebrand to Somewhere.com coincided with explosive growth:

• Revenue up 70% since Huber acquired the company
• August 2025: Record revenue month
• 6,000+ daily candidate applications
• 166 employees across multiple countries
• Recurring revenue model from "Talent on Demand" services

It's impossible to isolate exactly how much of that growth came from the domain versus operational improvements. But Huber is convinced the domain was a force multiplier.

Better branding → more trust → more leads → more revenue → more ability to scale.

And at the center of that flywheel: Somewhere.com.

The Sweaty Startup Philosophy on Domains

Huber's approach to domain investing mirrors his broader "sweaty startup" philosophy: invest in assets that generate cash flow, not hype.

He's bought other domains over the years:

• Webrun.co: $9,000
• Adrhino.com: $4,200

But as his businesses scaled, so did his domain investments. $400K for Somewhere.com wasn't crazy—it was proportional to the value of the business.

Huber's rule of thumb:

"It's all relative. If you're building a $50M+ company, spending $400K on the perfect domain is a no-brainer. If you're pre-revenue, spending $400K on a domain is reckless."

The difference? Revenue and ROI.

For Somewhere, a company generating millions in recurring revenue, the domain was a rational investment. For a bootstrapped startup, it would have been irresponsible.

The Asset vs. Expense Mindset

The biggest lesson from Huber's Somewhere.com purchase: domains are assets, not expenses.

Most founders think of a domain as a cost—something to minimize or avoid. They'll register a .io for $10/year and call it good enough.

But Huber reframes it:

• A building is an asset
• A sign is an asset
• A domain is an asset

Assets appreciate. Assets generate value. Assets pay for themselves over time.

Somewhere.com isn't just a URL. It's:

• A marketing channel (SEO, direct traffic)
• A trust signal (premium domains = established business)
• A brand foundation (everything flows from the domain)
• A long-term asset (can be sold or held forever)

Huber doesn't regret spending $400K on Somewhere.com any more than he regrets spending $1.5M on a storage building. Both are investments that generate returns.

The Permanent Ownership Advantage

One point Huber emphasized: owning vs. leasing.

Unlike monthly rent for office space or warehouses, a domain is a one-time purchase for lifelong ownership.

You don't pay annual fees (beyond the ~$10/year registration cost). You don't lose the asset if you miss a payment. You own it outright.

Huber put it simply:

"I bought that domain for over $400,000 a year ago and I've already gotten more than $400,000 of value... and it's going to be the name and home of our business from now until ever."

That permanence is rare in business expenses. Most things depreciate or require ongoing costs. Premium domains appreciate and cost almost nothing to maintain.

The Broader Lesson for Founders

Huber's Somewhere.com story is a masterclass in long-term thinking.

Most founders:

• Optimize for short-term costs (save $400K now)
• Undervalue branding (settle for a mediocre domain)
• Treat domains as expenses (minimize spending)

Successful founders:

• Optimize for long-term ROI (invest $400K for 10x+ returns)
• Prioritize branding (own the best domain)
• Treat domains as assets (maximize value)

The difference isn't just mindset—it's math.

If a domain generates:

• Better SEO (more organic traffic)
• Easier word-of-mouth (simpler to remember)
• Higher trust (premium = legitimate)

Then it's not a $400K expense. It's a revenue multiplier.

And revenue multipliers pay for themselves over and over again.

The Takeaway: Digital Real Estate Is Real

Nick Huber spent $400K on Somewhere.com for the same reason he spends millions on storage buildings: it's an asset that generates value.

The domain:

• Paid for itself in the first year
• Ranks better in search
• Strengthens brand perception
• Supports a $52M company

And unlike a building, Somewhere.com will never need repairs, won't depreciate, and costs almost nothing to maintain.

Huber's advice to founders is simple:

"If you're building a serious business, invest in a premium .com domain. It's not an expense. It's an asset. And it will pay for itself over and over again."

Somewhere.com proved he was right.