Laura McHolm, co-founder of NorthStar Moving, joins Eunicia Peret to share how she built one of the most respected brands in a traditionally unglamorous industry. With a background in law and tech, Laura took a creative and human-centered approach to the moving business—transforming it into a hospitality-driven experience. In this episode, she reveals the intentional decisions behind her company culture, how community service became part of their brand DNA, and why redefining success was key to her leadership journey. Her story is a masterclass in leading with heart while building a nationally recognized business.

Key Takeaways:

Disruption can come from empathy: Laura reimagined moving as a service, not just a task

Branding matters in every industry: Even in logistics, your image and customer experience are everything

Borrow ideas from other sectors: Hospitality became the model for how NorthStar treated clients

Give back as you grow: Community partnerships and charitable giving are central to the company’s identity

Let your team lead: Empowering others allowed Laura to build a strong, sustainable culture

Resilience comes from values: NorthStar survived recessions and setbacks by sticking to its mission

Leadership is about vision and vulnerability: Laura leaned into her intuition and made peace with not always having the answers

Success is shared: The business thrives because its people do—Laura’s focus has always been on lifting others up

Timeline Summary:

[00:00:00] Introduction to Laura and her unconventional path to moving

[00:02:00] From attorney to co-founder of NorthStar Moving

[00:04:00] Redefining the industry by centering empathy and service

[00:06:00] Using hospitality as the playbook for customer care

[00:08:00] Building a recognizable brand in a crowded market

[00:10:00] Why charitable partnerships are a business advantage

[00:12:00] Navigating economic downturns with team-first leadership

[00:14:00] Delegation, trust, and staying out of the day-to-day

[00:16:00] How intuition helped guide business decisions

[00:18:00] Laura’s definition of success: it’s not what you think

[00:20:00] Advice for entrepreneurs afraid to step outside the norm

[00:22:00] Final reflections on growth, service, and legacy