Episode 8: Derik Mills

Glo founder Derik Mills joined me for a sweet, edifying conversation on my last trip to film at Glo. We touched upon the last ten years of digital evolution, the future of virtual practice and the heart of what we do together at Glo.com.

Derik is the CEO/founder of Glo, formerly YogaGlo, a health and wellness brand that challenges people to live a fulfilling life. Glo believes in a world in which we all live our true potential. In 2008, Derik teamed up with his younger brother to found and self-fund Glo. They started by converting a Santa Monica workspace into a recording studio to film yoga and meditation classes that were free for the public to attend. The online service grew to empower subscribers to experience yoga, meditation, lecture, and online continuing education courses taught by world-class instructors from anywhere in the world. Today, in 2019, the company remains self-funded and has expanded to a team of more than 100 people, including faculty, and produced more than 10,000 classes. The company is currently expanding into additional wellness modalities--all in service of providing a personalized experience that makes it easy for members to integrate self-care into their everyday lives. Featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, Goop, Oprah, and more, Glo has become a cultural phenomenon driven by Derik’s devotion to contributing to something larger than himself.

Timecodes

2:22
The early days of Glo. How Elena came to work with Derik.

4:32
On the origin of Glo and Derik’s vision.
While in university, Derik wrote “I want to maintain and cultivate my faculty of wonder.” Stuck in traffic on way to yoga one day, he wished he could beam the class into his living room.

12:42
On putting everything he had into Glo. The meaning of glo.com to individuals all over the world, especially during difficult times. The teacher selection process.

20:33
Evolution from more class-based practices to more one-on-one camera set up. Listening to customer feedback.

26:16
How Derik sees the future. On providing intelligent, personalized tools that challenge people to live their own true potential.

30:39
The Human Shadow. Douglas Brooks recommended poet Robert Bly. Willingness to be vulnerable. The practice of extending the space between a trigger and acting, especially in high-stakes moments.

Assignment: Where and with whom could you be a little more vulnerable today? What would that benefit look like, in the ideal?

37:30
Derik’s favorite view.

39:45
Prayer as a listening to your inner voice.
Beginning of Glo Manifesto: “To you the seeker, you listened to your inner calling to nurture wonder and curiosity to illumine your mind, inspire your heart, with courage to kindle the fire on a journey of self-discovery.”

Resources

glo.com
Elena's Practice You Course on Glo
Douglas Brooks
A Little Book on the Human Shadow, by Robert Bly