Founder Highlight: Laura Munkholm

We're excited to continue our "Leadership Redefined" series by introducing you to an entrepreneur who is truly changing the game in the boutique fitness industry. Meet Laura, co-founder of Walla, a platform designed to simplify the lives of studio owners. 

Laura is a multi-faceted individual who embodies inspiration in many ways. She's a fearless entrepreneur, a devoted mom, a supportive wife, and a dedicated yogi. She's also an adventurer, and a good friend who loves to dance. Laura's influence in community building extends beyond her immediate circles, especially as a key figure in the San Diego ecosystem. What truly sets her apart is her integrity. Laura leads her business with a laser focus on doing the right thing and carries an unparalleled passion for helping her customers succeed.

Laura's entrepreneurial journey began with a deep, firsthand understanding of the challenges and exhaustion that come with running a Yoga studio. She and her co-founder Doug, who had known each other for a long time working in the industry, decided to launch Walla in 2020 after many years of talking about the need for a better solution in the market. Doug is a serial entrepreneur with a brilliant vision for product and engineering, making them a dream team in the truest sense. Investing in Walla was an easy decision for us, not just because of our deep friendship and relationship with Laura and Doug, but also because of the exceptional product-market fit they had even before launching. 

Q: What inspired you to start your company, and how has that initial spark evolved over time?

Laura: I co-founded Walla because I've been in the shoes of a studio owner. I know the exhaustion that comes even when you love your work. The tech in this space has been disappointing, making an already challenging job even harder.

Studio owners aren't in it for the money or glory; they love helping people feel good and empowered. So why does the tech have to be so difficult? That's why I said YES to co-founding Walla.

Additionally, 75% of boutique fitness studio owners are women, yet no one is representing their needs. I want to give these women a real shot at success and financial freedom. Until now, no one has been truly listening to them.

I'm continually inspired by our clients. Hearing how we've given them back time with their families or helped them focus on coaching a new client rather than tech issues moves me to tears. My team's dedication to quality and client success is also awe-inspiring. I love knowing that each day I get to work with such a passionate and dedicated group.

Q: What unique challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?

Laura: While it may not be unique, selling to busy owners/operators of small and medium-sized businesses is a constant focus for us. Despite their frustrations with current solutions, they're often too overwhelmed to consider a change. This has pushed us to be creative, improve our messaging, use client testimonials for social proof, and develop a "do it for you" approach to overcome inertia.

Q: What are some of your core values, and how have you incorporated them into the mission of your company?

Laura: Our core values are: 

• Raving Fans
• Ownership Mentality
• Change the Game
• Big Hearted

We weave these into our day to day existence as a team. For example, when we are making product decisions, we aren't just looking at what makes us more money, we have a ranking system for client happiness, and that comes before new revenue generation. We want our clients shouting from the rooftops about us, and that won't happen if we don't listen to them first. 

We also empower our team members to think creatively, and not to be scared to challenge us. We talk all the time about how we are all actually in an entrepreneurial role - and we are all responsible for the success of the company. It takes all of us innovating, focused on quality, and working together. 

Q: What are the milestones you've achieved that you are most proud of since you started?

Laura: I am pretty sure I popped a bottle of champagne last summer when we hit 100 clients on Walla. It felt huge that we had successfully taken 100 businesses off another platform, successfully migrated their (sometimes decades of) data, and supported them in running their studios successfully. We are way beyond that now, but I don't think I'll ever forget that day. 

I also loved being the main sponsor for our industry's biggest conference this year. It felt like we had gained the credibility to earn that spot, and had the whole conference talking about us. It was a huge accomplishment to be confident enough in our product, and what our clients would say about us, to stand on that stage and share it with the biggest names in the industry. 

Q: Could you share some of your daily routines that keep you happy and healthy?

Laura: I need my family time for sure. I love having kitchen dance parties with my kids, and heading to the beach for a walk with my husband to keep my stress levels down. I also lean on daily movement (yoga and pilates), and hitting the dance floor at a periodic concert (July-Oct seem to be live music season in SoCal). I'm a live music junkie. It gives me a moment to let loose, dance, and forget about roadmaps, customer support tickets, and sales projections. I also love reading and have gotten into audiobooks lately, as it seems my only "reading" time is when I walk my dog in the morning.

Q: Can you highlight any initiatives your company is involved in, demonstrating your commitment to making a positive impact?

Laura: Our company has been dedicated to community outreach from the start. We encourage our employees to volunteer once per quarter and host company volunteer events multiple times a year at places like Feeding San Diego, Meals on Wheels, or even beach clean ups with the Surfrider foundation. Not only is it a fantastic way to bring us all together, but it serves as a nice reminder to act with gratitude and service in our daily interactions with clients and vendors. We recently invested in a mindset coaching program for our employees as well, to help us all learn how to move through interactions with a regulated nervous system and with a renewed reminder of purpose. The combination has not only helped with team morale, but we also hear from our clients all the time about how passionate and authentic our team members are. It feels like a win-win situation all around!

Q: What do you like about working with Crescent Ridge?

Laura: I love that I'm not intimidated to talk to the Crescent Ridge team. They make me feel like I'm not crazy for having hard days, or dealing with the day-to-day challenges. They are also so smart. That might be obvious, but I always know they will have an innovative idea, or insight that I would never have come up with on my own. They've built such a team of experts, who genuinely care. I know they support us in making decisions that are the "right" call and not only focused on the bottom line as the only important factor. It feels nice to have a partner, and not just an investor.