In the nascent years of her company, Laurice shares, “I started Qavalo when I was still juggling being a fitness instructor, so fitness has been a key success factor for me in achieving a balanced and optimal performance mindset.” This philosophy towards wellness has trickled down to every nook and cranny of her daily life, including her career.

While for many, wellness means closing out the fitness rings in their Apple Watch, for Laurice, it is “harmony in the way you live your daily life. It’s not a crash diet or a splurge vacation. It means achieving a sense of balance that brings harmony to your mind and your body.”

She also points out how people have a skewed perception of health and wellness in that it’s about living in the extreme like going vegan in a snap and the like. Well, I’d like to disagree about that being a misconception because skipping rope for an hour is categorically extreme to me. So, to achieve “balance,” I eat pizza or drink a tall glass of Starbucks’ Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino right after. Laurice does say, “In reality, it’s just about finding something that works for you and something that is balanced and can be integrated into your daily life.” I feel like she speaks straight to my soul. 

Being a wellness advocate is not all fine and dandy. It’s not a picturesque scene of quiet meditation uttering “namaste” all the time. No matter how successful Laurice is in making health and wellness a lifestyle, she admits having days of not being motivated to work out. Her personal way of coping is to allow herself that time of going through the motions and identifying the why behind the bad vibe, all while refusing the temptation of binging on a whole bag of chips. She says, “Pay attention to it and be present for it. Try to figure out the root cause, and then promise yourself to do better tomorrow.”

This practice of self-reflection and pursuit of progress as part of achieving overall well-being is integrated in the values of her company, Qavalo, as well. Laurice believes that in order to fulfill their organizational vision of “quality of life through quality healthcare,” they have to start first and foremost with their staff. She emphasizes how glorifying the whole concept of “hustle porn,” wherein people need to work crazy hours to achieve goals, is all kinds of wrong. As an entrepreneur and leader, she actively fights against this toxic idea by reminding her team on a daily basis to make time for themselves and their family. Laurice shares, “When other areas of their life need more attention than work, we allow for that, trusting fully that they will strive to achieve their goals in the office.” 

She understands that not every day all priorities are sorted and worked out, so she allows her team to take care of those around them. She shares, “As a mother of 3 and having been pregnant with my third child when Qavalo was still in its first year of operations, there is no perfect time in the future for balancing family and career. You need to find what that calibration is for every chapter in your life.”

What Laurice envisions for her team is for them to fulfill their goals at a pace that isn’t detrimental to their well-being by spending time with family, eating healthy, having time to exercise, and getting home at a decent hour. According to her, “If any of that is compromised, then we’re not doing them a service as an employer.”

Some of the perks her team enjoys includes unlimited sick leaves for managers, one-month service incentive leave for those reaching three years with the company (inspired by Facebook’s similar policy), health insurance for dependents after one year, fitness allowance for executive-level managers, and weekly wellness activities. To that I say, sign me up! 

All the values imbued in the Qavalo culture have brought them to their 5th year as a company this July. Laurice shares, “It is with great pride to reach this milestone and to see many of the team members whom we started out with, still with us five years later and thriving in so many aspects of their life, not just in their career. We’ve seen many get married and build homes for their families with the company, and that’s more fulfilling for me as a business owner than anything else.” 

When she’s not out there running her business and putting her people first, she’s at home cooking Yotam Ottolenghi’s Middle Eastern recipes that she shares with friends and family. She drinks four to five liters of water daily, and more if she’s playing tennis. Although, she “loves to indulge in an Aperol Spritz over an occasional catch up with friends at Asmara,” she adds. This might as well be a dating profile if she were single, which she isn’t. She is blissfully married to Wesley Chiongbian, whom she enjoys al fresco date nights with from time to time. 

Laurice is an astonishing example of what women are capable of, and anyone running their own business will definitely benefit from taking notes from her with wellness as the focus. However, we all know attaining a healthy well-being is not a walk in the park for everyone. Her practical advice for those struggling in this aspect is to find a buddy who could share the triumphs and sorrows with you in your wellness journey. She concludes, “I really think that health, wellness, and happiness in general is very rooted in a sense of community. If you build a sense of community around a habit that you want to create for yourself, your chances of success are much higher.”

She is Laurice Chiongbian, the girlboss of our dreams who couldn’t be any more real to the people she works with and loves.

For more information on Qavalo, you can visit their website at www.qavalo.com.

^{Photography by Ryan Seismundo | Videography by PointUp Films | Hair and Makeup by Arnauld | Set design by Cuckoo Cloud Concepts | Shot on location at Asmara Urban Resort & Lifestyle Village}