How three women found a shared path

People often assume we must have known each other since childhood.

We, Anastasia, Maria & Leonie, smile every time, because the truth is simpler: we met as colleagues less than five years ago. But something clicked early on. We shared the same curiosity about people, the same habit to think and reflect, the same instinct to look for context and meaning rather than quick conclusions.

In our own circles, each of us had always been the person friends turned to — the natural listener, the reassurance, the one who could hold space without judgment. Not because we wanted to fix anything, but because we genuinely cared and understood the value of being heard.

Over time, we found ourselves talking about these moments — the patterns, the themes, the human experiences behind them: resilience, perspective, emotional balance, the way people get lost and find themselves again. We realized how much this mattered to each of us.

Leonie Geurts, Anastasia Laska and Maria Clarke

Like everyone, we’ve had our own chapters of navigating work, family, health, and all the unexpected turns that life brings. So, one September, we decided to travel together — just a few quiet days in Croatia at Arte Oliva, the small family hotel Anastasia’s family runs. And something shifted.

It was the landscape, the conversations, the people we met, the rhythm of the days — all of it created a kind of clarity and lightness we hadn’t anticipated. We felt re-energized, grounded, and more connected to ourselves and our own stories.

That was our moment of recognition: if this environment could do so much for us, imagine what it could do for others.

And that is how Novavis was born — from friendship, reflection, and the belief that a place, a pause, and a few honest conversations can help people breathe again.