Work with people you like and pass on the rest. We think this principle is critical to a successful relationship, and it underscores how we evaluate potential clients/partners.

GoDaddy has been our go-to domain registrar for years. We’ve always been happy with their domain services, and recommended them to clients despite their adolescent Superbowl commercials.

Yesterday, Bob Parsons (GoDaddy’s CEO) posted a video where he shot and killed an African elephant bull. The hunt was legal under Zimbabwe’s corrupt political system, but the tone was vulgar and ostentatious. Playing AC/DC’s Hells Bells as starved locals wearing GoDaddy hats butchered the animal crossed the line. Parsons defense of killing problem elephants has not held up under criticism from media and conservation groups.

We believe personal and business ethics are continuous. GoDaddy’s leadership has a skewed moral compass and GravDept can do better. We’re passing on GoDaddy.

It wasn’t hard to find an elephant-friendly registrar with a conscience. Namecheap publicly challenged Parson’s conduct and is donating $1 for every transferred domain to Save The Elephants: an organization dedicated to research, protection, and education that secures a future for elephants.

We transferred all our domains to Namecheap yesterday, and we’re volunteering to help our clients close their GoDaddy accounts. The world is safer for elephants.