One Life Surf School and Spa

For Caralee Murphy, the 29-year-old co-founder and owner of One Life Surf School, running a business in Nova Scotia is all about balance.

Like standing on a surfboard, Murphy gets to experience nature and enjoy the beautiful surroundings, spend time with friends and family and still maintain focus on what’s important to move ahead and succeed.

“As Nova Scotians we have an appetite to connect with the ocean. Surfing lets you connect to the environment and it gives you a natural high,” Murphy says about her love for surfing.

One Life Surf School started with a group of young women who met through their interest in surfing at Lawrencetown Beach. They got to know each other at the local Mermaid Café and soon realized that each of them had worked, or was currently working at the different surf shops in the city and at the beach.

“We realized the area lacked a resource for women surfers, and we agreed that starting a surf school was a fantastic idea,” explains Murphy. “So we got together and built a business plan and considered different opportunities for collaboration and partnership in the community.

One Life Surf School launched in June 2006. The always-evolving company is now co-owned by Beth Amiro and Janine Strickland, along with Murphy.

From the start, they have drawn a crowd. Their kick-off event was a big party featuring the screening of a local surfing movie called Gorillas in the Fog. Maritime singer and songwriter Jenn Grant sang at the event, which attracted hundreds of guests, as well as media and business attention.

“So many women came out of the woodwork. They had been too shy to get into surfing,” Murphy explains. “Once we launched the company it was amazing how quickly word spread. We heard from people all over Canada, as well as mainstream media and many publications dedicated to the surfing community.”

When One Life started it was the first official female-centered surf school in the region. The industry has grown over time.

“We’re a pretty chill company. We believe that other people’s success is our success.

One Life Surf School offers individual and group lessons. The typical three-hour lesson includes a dry land session, followed by some practical techniques before students take to the water.

“We place a strong emphasis on education and safety. We do not rent out gear to people who have never surfed before,” explains Murphy. “That’s why we spend a fair bit of time reviewing techniques and discussing safety considerations. One Life clients learn how to surf before they hit the water, and that’s our main priority.”

One Life also hosts art and music shows at its headquarters, an additional draw for clients and those interested in exploring the surfing lifestyle. Murphy is a board member of Music Nova Scotia, and merges her two interests to stage frequent concerts of Nova Scotia bands and musicians.

The company’s owners all have a background in facilitation and education, so they use their combined skills to offer camps, as well as corporate team building sessions.

“Surfing is great stress relief and it’s a wonderful chance to get away from the daily routine. We enjoy the facilitator role, where we get to do what we love and help our clients develop and enjoy themselves.”

Murphy is a consultant through locally based vendor Mdina. She primarily works as a Senior Project Manager for Cisco Systems. She says she has an advantage being in the Atlantic Time zone, as she can get a lot done in the morning before her clients in the Pacific Time zone get to the office.

“I get to live where I want and I have a flexible schedule so I can surf when the wind is right and there’s a swell pushing through. I work virtually and I can set my schedule to allow time to surf.”

All three company owners grew up in Nova Scotia. They chose Lawrencetown for their business because of the surfing conditions, but also because of the rugged coastal landscape. Murphy lives in a house overlooking the ocean.

“For us, Lawrencetown offers the perfect conditions for teaching and building our own surfing skills,” she explains. “The conditions can get extreme in the winter. It’s more of an experience. The landscape is dynamic. It’s a good launching point for travelling to other surf destinations.”

One Life Surf School participates regularly in events ranging from kids’ camps to ladies snowboard and skateboard events to speaking engagements. At one stage the business offered yoga on-site, but due to demand the yoga has moved to the community hall. The One Life team also runs a studio where clients can participate in a silk screen and surf program.

“Surf and screen print students learn to surf and then get a chance to make their own t-shirts, bags. It’s a very creative and relaxed atmosphere.”

After five successful years in business, Murphy says One Life is always evolving. Ideas include expanding the school’s programming to offer experiential leadership training and corporate team-building.

One Life students, surfers, friends and partners will tell you that the annual summer kick-off party is a must-attend.. Murphy says it’s become a routine event every summer, and her challenge is to make it different and high impact.

“Every year we work very hard to make it a unique experience.
Murphy says the One Life business philosophy is simple. Do what you love and success will follow.

“Our main goal is to keep our product awesome. We don’t want to change much because our life with this company is incredible. We’ve made some wonderful connections and we’re living a dream.”