From: myfirstmillionpod
Derek, known for his YouTube channel “More Plates More Dates,” has successfully transitioned from an online personality to a founder of multiple, highly successful businesses, including Gorilla Mind, Marek Health, and Intelligent Elephant [03:08:10]. His ventures span dietary supplements, hormone optimization, and hair loss prevention products [03:08:10], showcasing a strategic approach to business growth from his content creation.
Business Overview and Success
Derek’s companies are estimated to generate significant revenue. For instance, Gorilla Mind’s e-commerce store, focusing on supplements, is speculated to be doing between six and eight million dollars a month in revenue, a figure Derek confirms as “on point” [00:14:09]. He believes both Gorilla Mind and Marek Health have the potential to become “billion-dollar companies” [02:29:33].
Gorilla Mind
Gorilla Mind produces pre-workout and creatine supplements [01:29:57]. Despite the edgy branding, which might deter trust for general health supplements, it resonates well with the target audience for hardcore pre-workouts and cognitive enhancers [01:52:00]. The company has achieved significant success, even becoming one of the top-selling pre-workouts on Amazon [03:09:07].
Marek Health
Marek Health focuses on hormone optimization and replacement therapy [01:36:36]. Its branding is considered “beautifully done” [01:33:41] and is likely subscription-based, with average customer spending estimated at around $300 a month or more [01:47:00]. Derek emphasizes that Marek Health differentiates itself through a high level of service, doctor oversight, quality of care, and highly educated providers, aiming to avoid the “cookie-cutter script” approach seen in other telemedicine clinics [01:17:00]. This business is considered “more valuable than Gorilla Mind” due to its premium nature and superior margins [01:58:00].
Intelligent Elephant
This company deals with hair loss prevention products [04:15:00] and, while smaller than Gorilla Mind and Marek Health, boasts “probably the best profit margin” among his ventures [02:27:00].
Management and Team Structure
Derek manages his empire remotely from Canada, with his businesses based in the U.S. [01:25:00]. He relies heavily on trusted business partners for day-to-day operations:
- Chris (“Good Looking Loser”): Based in Idaho, he oversees warehouse fulfillment, and built out the in-person team for Gorilla Mind, handling hands-on aspects, distribution, legal, and accounting [01:34:00].
- Unnamed Partner for Marek Health: This partner is deeply versed in operating a team, building infrastructure, and securing necessary licensing and compliance in the complex telemedicine space [02:07:00].
Derek himself focuses on marketing, content creation, product formulation, manufacturing, and supply chain oversight [01:28:00]. His intimate involvement in product formulation makes Gorilla Mind “the thing that has the highest level of difficulty” for him, as he has to be creative and innovative [02:44:00]. Conversely, Marek Health is less demanding personally for him as he doesn’t formulate medications [02:54:00].
Strategic Business Growth
From Affiliate to Owner
Derek’s entrepreneurial journey began with affiliate marketing, selling products he personally used and believed in, such as shampoo for hair loss prevention or various supplements [04:22:00]. This allowed him to organically integrate products and build credibility with his audience [04:12:00]. He leveraged his audience’s trust and insights from affiliate sales to identify product categories for his own businesses [04:21:00]. The shift was driven by a desire to offer higher quality products that perfectly reflected his consumer preferences [04:40:00].
Trust and Credibility
A key strategy for Derek’s success is building and maintaining a high “trust factor” with his audience [05:50:00]. In the health niche, where misinformation is rampant, establishing trust through well-researched content and genuine product recommendations is crucial [05:55:00]. This credibility allows his companies to thrive even as he scales back content frequency [03:27:00].
Influencer Marketing and Beyond
While his personal brand and content were foundational, his businesses also leverage a strong network of influencers. Derek notes that their combined following is in the “tens of millions if not 100 million plus” [03:28:00], making them “huge needle movers” for sales [03:24:00]. However, he recognizes a “diminishing returns point” for relying solely on influencer marketing [03:59:00].
Expansion Strategies
Future growth involves global expansion and moving “heavier into retail” with products like energy drinks [03:08:00]. The company’s established credibility and success in e-commerce, such as being a top seller on Amazon, aid in securing retail distribution [03:17:00].
Supply Chain Control
Derek explores the possibility of vertically integrating by owning a compounding pharmacy [02:55:00]. This strategy aims to control more of the supply chain, increase margins, and reduce reliance on external suppliers, which can be beneficial at scale [02:50:00]. However, he acknowledges the complexity and regulatory hurdles of such a venture, describing it as “an intimidating business” [03:33:00], and is not “dead set on it” [02:35:00].
Funding and Investment Philosophy
Derek has never raised external financing or funding for any of his businesses [03:19:00], a remarkable feat given their scale. This bootstrapping approach allows him to maintain full control.
Regarding personal wealth management, Derek has learned from past mistakes, advising against wealth management portfolios from large banks due to high fees and frequent underperformance compared to basic index funds [03:56:00]. He finds navigating tax planning in Canada “complicated” and has spent more time “figuring out how to not lose money than actually like making money with my money” [04:31:00]. His current personal portfolio is mostly cash, some crypto, and the value of his businesses [04:21:00]. He practices minimal luxury spending, prioritizing high-quality groceries and essential conveniences like first-class travel [04:34:00].
Entrepreneurial Mindset and Goals
Derek’s entrepreneurial journey is marked by a philosophy of intensely focusing on “seasons of your life” [03:29:00]. He initially had four priorities at 18: making money, dating, physique, and school [03:41:00]. He realized that trying to pursue all simultaneously leads to “fail[ing] or do[ing] everything kind of half-assed” [03:15:00]. His approach was to “go all in on one of these goals at the expense of the others” [03:05:00]. For example, he prioritized dating and social skills in his youth, when less financial capital was needed, before diving into entrepreneurship which would consume more free time [03:50:00].
He views business growth as a passion-driven endeavor, particularly with Marek Health, where he feels he is “being able to at scale educate and import value” about preventative medicine [03:47:00]. He doesn’t necessarily aim to sell his companies, seeing their valuation as a “vanity metric” [03:06:00].
Personal Life and Business Stability
Derek notes a significant improvement in his ability to run his companies since being in a stable, long-term relationship, stating he would “get half as much work done” if he were single [03:22:00]. This stability provides crucial support, especially during challenging entrepreneurial moments [03:48:00].