We recently connected with Laura Warf and have shared our conversation below.

Laura, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

Story of a Risk I Took

When I look back over the last decade, I realize my life has been shaped by a series of risks; some planned, many unexpected, all life-altering. What I’ve learned is that risk is simply an invitation to grow, and that saying yes—especially when it feels uncomfortable—often brings the most meaningful rewards.

About ten years ago, I felt a clear inner knowing that I was ready for a major life change after 20 years working in the fitness industry. I had been in a management role for several fitness facilities and although I loved the work, something in me was calling for deeper purpose and impact. So I took my first big leap: I left the security of that position to open a wellness studio… even though I had no idea what it would look like.

I’ve always believed in the power of intention, set an idea in your mind, and life has a way of revealing the next step if you’re paying attention.

At the time, my husband and I were living in Toronto while he completed his Master’s degree in Strategic Foresight and Innovation. His program was international, and one of his classmates, a brilliant branding specialist from Google in Bangladesh became a close friend. Our conversations sparked something. Insights turned into ideas, ideas turned into collaborations, and soon, the School of Happiness was born.

I began by teaching an 8-week program on health and happiness, weaving together exercise science, yoga philosophy, and positive psychology. It felt like the beginning of something meaningful.

A year later, when we returned home to Quebec, life presented another opening quite literally. Within a week of arriving, a studio space became available. Without overthinking it, I said yes again. That small leap became our first physical home for the School of Happiness, where we offered classes, workshops, personal coaching, and posture therapy.

Five years later, another intuitive nudge arrived: move to the West Coast. So we packed our lives and drove to Portland, Oregon. We had no idea that a global pandemic was weeks away from turning the world upside down.

But somehow, we had prepared without knowing it. We had already started building an online version of the School of Happiness, with the gear, the platform, and the community ready to go. When Zoom became a household name, we transitioned seamlessly. People needed connection, stress relief, and movement more than ever, and we were able to be there for them.

We recorded every class, uploaded every session, and today we have a library of over 400 classes ranging from 15 to 90 minutes: yoga, meditation, posture alignment, functional movement, and wellness practices for stress reduction, energy, pain relief, mobility, and balance. A decade of saying yes turned into a thriving online sanctuary.

And then came another unexpected risk—one that felt like both a calling and a continuation of my life’s work. After moving to Portland, I was offered the opportunity to take over the Egoscue Posture Therapy clinic, a method developed over 50 years ago by Pete Egoscue to help people get to the root cause of pain. I said yes once more. It has now been a year and a half of serving a community that has existed for two decades, helping people restore balance, alignment, and function. It is deeply rewarding work.

Somewhere along this winding road of entrepreneurship, intuition, and service, another dream came to life: I wrote a book. It took five years to weave it together. HOME WITHIN: The Forgotten Art of Finding Yourself. The book is a soulful return to who you are and became the culmination of 30 years of teaching. The tools offered in this book have been the ones I have used to return to wholeness, health and happiness.

Readers have shared that it feels like a sanctuary, a companion through transitions, grief, reinvention, and awakening. It was even named Spiritual Book of the Year by #whytime MAG, a reflection not just of my writing, but of the universal longing we all share—to come Home to ourselves.

When I look at these chapters of my life, I see a pattern:
I kept saying yes.
I learned to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
And each risk led to something I hadn’t yet imagined.

My career as an entrepreneur has become a mosaic of those leaps: opening studios, creating programs, building communities, taking my work online, writing a book, and offering Egoscue posture therapy to our clients through both clinics in Portland and Cannon Beach, Oregon

These risks have shaped a life and career that feel full, purpose-driven, creative, and deeply human. And the best part?

The journey continues.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

About Me & My Work

I’ve spent the last 30 years immersed in the world of fitness, yoga, wellness, and posture therapy. My work lives at the intersection of exercise science, yoga philosophy, posture alignment, and positive psychology—blending evidence-based practices with mindful, heart-centered tools that help people move well, feel well, and ultimately live well.

My path began with a deep fascination for human movement and the mind-body connection. I earned my degree in Physical Education from McGill University and spent my early career in fitness leadership, management, and group training. Over time, as I explored yoga, meditation, and holistic modalities, I felt called to integrate the physical and energetic aspects of well-being. This led me to advanced yoga training, posture therapy certifications, functional movement education, energy work, and coaching.

What emerged is the foundation of the work I do today: a whole-person approach that supports alignment in body, mind, heart, and spirit.

What I Do

My business is a blend of teaching, therapeutic work, and wellness leadership. I offer:

Posture & Alignment Therapy using the Egoscue Method and functional movement principles to help people reduce pain, improve mobility, restore balance, and return to the activities they love.

Yoga & Mind-Body Practices that integrate breathwork, meditation, movement, and nervous-system regulation for stress reduction, clarity, and resilience.

Functional Fitness & Movement Coaching to support strength, stability, flexibility, and healthy aging.

Online Programs & Classes through the School of Happiness, a bilingual (English/French) platform offering a library of over 400 classes, workshops, and wellness resources.

Workshops, retreats, and community experiences that help people reconnect with themselves, cultivate happiness, and develop lifelong habits for well-being.

Whether I’m teaching a yoga class, designing a posture menu, leading a workshop, or coaching someone through a life transition, my intention is the same: to empower people with practical tools that support long-term vitality and inner ease.

What Problems I Help Solve

My clients come to me for many reasons—chronic pain, postural imbalance, stress, fatigue, burnout, lack of flexibility, loss of mobility, or simply feeling disconnected from themselves. The deeper issue underneath these challenges is often misalignment—physically, mentally, emotionally, or energetically.

I help people:

Address the root cause of pain and tension

Rebuild mobility, strength, and stability

Restore balance and symmetry in the body through musculoskeletal re-education

Regulate their nervous system and reduce stress with mindful movement awareness, meditation and breathwork

Develop habits that support sustainable health

Reconnect to their inner wisdom and intuition

Feel grounded, clear, energized, and at home within themselves

My work brings together structure and flow, science and soul, effort and ease—because true well-being is multidimensional.

What Sets My Work Apart

I take pride in offering a holistic approach that is both compassionate and practical. What sets my work apart is:

A multidisciplinary foundation: decades of experience across fitness, yoga, posture therapy, movement science, coaching, energy work, and mindfulness.

Personalization: every client receives individualized attention and tools that meet their specific needs.

Accessibility: through the School of Happiness, people can practice from anywhere—live or on demand—with programs that fit into real life.

A heart-centered philosophy: I teach with empathy, curiosity, and joy, helping people navigate health and personal growth with grace, not pressure.

Integration: I don’t focus on one single modality; I combine what works, so clients receive a complete toolkit for well-being.

What I’m Most Proud Of

I’m proud of the communities I’ve built—both in-person and online—where people feel supported, seen, and empowered to take charge of their well-being. I’m proud of the hundreds of classes, programs, and tools we’ve created to help people move better, feel better, and live more intentionally.

I’m also deeply proud of my book, HOME WITHIN: The Forgotten Art of Finding Yourself, a culmination of three decades of teaching. It’s a gentle guide that helps readers reconnect to their inner home through nine gateways. Hearing how this book has supported people through transitions, grief, awakening, reinvention, and healing has been profoundly meaningful.

What I Want People to Know

Happiness and well-being is an inside job.
Alignment—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual—is not a luxury; it’s a necessity.

My mission is to help people cultivate a harmonious inner home so they can move through life with more ease, confidence, and resilience. Whether someone arrives with pain, stress, curiosity, or a desire for transformation, I’m here to guide them toward feeling better in their body and more connected to themselves.

My work is not just about fitness or flexibility—it’s about empowerment, awareness, alignment, and rediscovering the joy of inhabiting your own life fully.

Let’s talk M&A – we’d love to hear your about your experience with buying businesses.

Yes — in 2023, I purchased the clinic and license to operate Egoscue of Portland, a posture therapy clinic that had been serving the community for over 20 years. At the time, I was already a brand affiliate at mend Loft in Cannon Beach, Oregon, and had personally experienced the remarkable impact of the Method. After struggling with hip and back pain for more than two decades, the Egoscue Method helped me regain balance, mobility, and a pain-free life. Because of my own results, I believed deeply in the system.

Over time, I got to know the Portland clinic owners and learned they were planning to move out of state. They shared their numbers with me, and because the clinic was well-established — backed by a 50-year-old global brand founded by Pete Egoscue — it felt like both a meaningful and strategic opportunity. The company’s customized software now includes over 1 million posture data points, and the Method is well-documented in reputable medical sources, including the JAMA medical journal showing that a balanced body feels and functions better. I knew this was work that changes lives at the root cause by balancing the body, and I wanted to continue that mission in Oregon.

The acquisition process was structured and supportive. I met with the CEO to review the franchise agreement and terms. I was given 30 days to go through the contract with my attorney, and I came back with lots of questions! Once everything was clear and aligned, we finalized the purchase agreement with the previous owners, including the license and transfer fees.

From there, I was personally mentored through the transition. I trained on the software platforms, client systems, and operational processes needed to run the clinic smoothly. It was an empowering growth experience that stretched me in many ways! A great combination of business learning, mentorship, and working with an international brand which offers continued training and support.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Resilience has been a defining thread throughout my career. I grew up with parents who taught me the value of a strong work ethic and a simple but powerful lesson: don’t quit. You can pivot, you can course-correct, but you keep going. That mindset has guided me ever since.

A family friend played a key role early on by recognizing my passion for movement and wellness and encouraging me to apply to McGill University’s fitness and kinesiology program. That single nudge changed the entire direction of my life and led to my first position as a fitness director right out of university. From there, I continued building experience through personal training, writing, teaching at a local college, and presenting at conferences. It wasn’t always easy — the work was demanding, the pay was modest, and there were many moments when giving up would have felt simpler. But each time, I chose to stay aligned with my purpose and keep moving forward.

What I’ve learned is that whenever we’re pushed out of our comfort zone, we’re given a choice: give up or keep going. The pandemic was a powerful example of that. Practically overnight, I had to pivot the School of Happiness to an online platform — all while navigating the long and stressful U.S. visa process and preparing to open a new posture therapy clinic in Oregon. It was an intense chapter, full of uncertainty and long days. What kept me steady was staying focused on the end goal, prioritizing ruthlessly moment by moment, and making sleep, movement, and grounding practices non-negotiable to manage the stress. And we got through it.

For me, resilience isn’t about pushing through at all costs. It’s about pausing when needed, realigning with your purpose, and then continuing with intention. When you care deeply about the work, passion and clarity carry you through the hardest seasons — and often into your most meaningful growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: Schoolofhappiness.ca / laurawarf.com / egoscue.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurawarf1/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchoolOfHappinessLW
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-warf-6a5b843/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/laurawarf

Image Credits

Image credit: Tango Photographie, Colombine Drouin, Gerry Visca