OG WELLNESS COURSE
The Context
In 2014—before Zoom fatigue, digital platforms, and celebrity experts were everyday norms—we created and launched a full-scale online course for a globally recognized yoga teacher and author known for his work at Esalen, Omega Institute, and retreats around the world.
His students craved deeper access. He wanted to expand his reach beyond retreats.
At the time, most online education was still stuck in lecture mode.
We saw a different opportunity: to design a new kind of digital experience, one that invited participation instead of passive consumption.
We set out to reimagine what a digital course could be and what digital connection could feel like.
The Challenge:
He had a bestselling book.
He had a worldwide following.
He had packed retreats around the globe.
But he didn’t have a digital way to teach and there were no platforms built for human-first online learning.
The question we asked:
What if we could bring the transformational experience of in-person retreat experience online?
How Do You Digitize a Transformational Experience?
The Solution:
To scale his impact and give more students access (especially those who couldn’t travel to retreats), we designed an interactive, four-class digital experience focused on breath, yoga, and personal reflection.
Built From Scratch → Hosted on Squarespace with password protection (no LMS tech at the time)
Interactive Structure → Each class included a video lesson, journaling prompts, and breathing practice
Workbook → Designed for offline integration and deeper practice
Live Salons + Community Space → Hosted on YouTube Live and a private Facebook group
The experience was self-paced, mobile-accessible, and intentionally designed to feel more like a private retreat than an online course.
An Intimate, Self-Paced Digital Course
The Results:
Sold out both enrollment windows
92% completion rate on all four modules
Each user returned to the course content an average of four times
Hundreds of comments and journal reflections in the course community
Students requested deeper follow-up workshops and future online courses
Deep Connection Without the Travel
What We Did:
From Concept to Completion
Pitched the concept and mapped the course experience from scratch.
COURSE DESIGN → Shaped his teachings into a 4-class arc anchored in storytelling and included interactive reflections
CONTENT CREATION → Wrote scripts, workbooks, journaling prompts, and lesson copy
PRODUCTION & DIRECTION → Directed, filmed, and produced four videos
EMAIL & ENGAGEMENT → Created pre-launch and in-course email flows
COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT → moderated live salons and the private Facebook group
BRANDING & VISUALS → Designed the course identity, PDFs, and site graphics
MARKETING & LAUNCH → Built the Squarespace site, created pricing, handled payments, and sold out the course
POST-COURSE FEEDBACK → Conducted student interviews and surveys to refine future experiences
Key Features:
In an era before course platforms existed, we DIY’d every part of the experience, because when the right tools don’t exist, you make them.
✔️ Multi-Format Learning → Video, meditation, writing, and reflection.
✔️ One and Offline Realities → Designed to be experienced on and offline for personal transformation.
✔️ Community Touchpoints → Students joined from around the world and stayed engaged through weekly salons and the Facebook group.
✔️ Always-On Access → One of the first evergreen learning experiences of its kind, and mobile friendly.
✔️ High-Quality Video → Intentional framing and lighting to create warmth and presence.
✔️ Interactive Assignments → From writing letters to one’s past self to partner-based breathwork.
What Made This Course Thrive
Impact:
| What We Learned | Insight |
|---|---|
| Interactivity > Information | People don’t want to just be talked at. They want to feel, reflect, and engage with the material. |
| Digital Connection is Real | Students felt seen and supported—even across continents—proving online intimacy was possible. |
| Build What Doesn't Exist | No platforms existed for emotional, embodied learning—so we created our own custom solution. |
| Education Needs Better Design | Most tools weren’t built to shift behavior or support self-inquiry. True connection required better design. |
Building a New Model for Learning
“My husband and I did the course together. It helped us release old behaviors and see each other with fresh eyes.”
– Jenny, New Zealand
“The combination of 7-minute wonder + journaling was key. I interacted with it 3 to 5 times a week.”
– Abby, New Zealand (Coromandel)
“It reaffirmed Mark’s message and validated psychological insights. It was inspiring to me and my husband.”
– Sarah, USA (Idaho)
“The day the new material would drop—I looked forward to it. That moment of reflection was the best part.”
– Anonymous, Germany
What Participants Said:
Final Thoughts:
We Didn’t Just Build a Course.
We Prototyped the Future of Digital Learning.
This wasn’t just a course. It was a prototype—a mindful, digital-first experience in a pre-course era.
We helped a thought leader scale his impact and helped hundreds of students deepen their learning in a new way.
We proved that digital education could be behavior-shifting, emotionally resonant, and accessible beyond retreat walls.
This experience seeded our future work, building better learning tools, merging emotional intelligence with UX, and crafting content that inspires life change.