Spavia

Nivin Elgohary is the owner of Spavia.

Let's get to know Nivin.

What's your story?

At my age the story gets longer and longer, so I will try to abbreviate it. Ever since my teenage years I have wanted to own my business. So traveling abroad, finishing college, raising 3 amazing children, and having many jobs in both the public and private sector, I find myself as a business owner, after 30 years I found myself in a Spavia in Denver and I said, "this is the business I want to bring home."

What inspired you to enter the beauty and wellness industry?

I spent many years advancing my career. Both my public and private sector positions allowed me to do really great things and have some wonderful experiences. I have testified in congress, both on the House and Senate side, on topics like energy eHiciency and renewable energy. As a senior vice president, for a Denver-based bank, I have the honor of servicing rural communities where the team and I financed rural infrastructure. I have traveled to just about every state in the country, including Alaska and Hawaii while keeping my home in the commonwealth. During these experiences and travels, I believed that my time at home was always for my children, my husband and our families. Although I did find time to stay active, wellness was not something that I prioritized. So how did I get to owning a Spavia? As I looked at my year ahead, I wanted to provide a service, a product or something that would bring joy, peace and rejuvenation to the busy lives that we all manage. I measure the success of Spavia by seeing my staH continuing their education, buying a new car, getting married, or other milestone moments in their lives.

How has your unique identity contributed to your business?

I am a first generation immigrant. My mom and dad came to the US from Egypt on July 4, 1969, with my sister and I. I grew up in an Egyptian home, speaking Arabic and English,  with two Coptic Christian parents, living in the US from Rochester, to NY, to Baltimore, Philly, and Virginia Beach. Each of the cities had their own personality. My dad was an engineer, and served as a US diplomat in both Saudi Arabia and Egypt. During this time, my parents provided my sister, my brother and I with so many wonderful opportunities. The most amazing thing was the chance to attend boarding school in Rome, Italy. I got to visit  so many countries, from Hong Kong to Thailand, Japan, then Kenya, Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Egypt, and of course Italy. As I think back on these trips, I appreciate and love that I learned to speak Arabic and Italian to a level that allowed me to fully immerse myself in the   culture. I loved learning about traditions and rituals, and understanding how and where diHerent cultures experience life. Then after college, with my focus being on economic development, I had a sincere and deep desire to improve the lives of others through my work and the organization's mission. I truly believe that this exposure provided me with an appreciation of other cultures and this is the foundation for what I oHer at Spavia today to relax, recenter, and renew.

I am honored to say that we have a wonderful team at Spavia and the diversity of the team brings me great joy. We have team members from 9 diHerent countries: Egypt, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Netherlands, China, El Salvador, Canada, Ethiopia and from the East and West Coasts of the US. Our team members can provide services and treatments to our community in Fredericksburg in 10 languages: French, Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, Polish, Dutch, Amheric, Tigrinia, Arabia (various dialects), and English. This is just amazing to share given that we have a 24-member team. I feel blessed and honored to share my days at Spavia with them.

How do you ensure that your spa maintains a welcoming and inclusive environment for all clients?

Well, I live this idea in every aspect of my life. As a child I watched my mom give so much of herself and use her amazing talents of cooking, sewing and genuine love of life to her family and friends. I watched my dad work very hard and always be there for family when someone needed an extra dollar or an extra push to advance to the next level. So, I would say that they instilled in me the desire and love to help others, and to me that inherently meant creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. As a Coptic Christian, I believe that every aspect of my life (physical or otherwise) is a blessing. And I believe these blessings are provided for me, and sometimes even loaned to me, so that I can bring joy, peace and happiness to others. When I married Mark, I realized we shared this same heart, wanting to help others. Mark and I have welcomed strangers in our home, when they needed a place to live; we have mentored and helped so many through early stages of their professional careers, we have volunteered our time and knowledge to help educate others, and by doing these things, we also grow, develop, and gain knowledge and experience. It is very humbling to be asked to speak to a group of people because of your personality, but you do not feel you have all the facts...so what do you do? You hit the textbooks and start learning. All this to say that because our desire to help and bring peace and joy to others is fundamental to who we are, it carries over into everything we do, including the spa we own today, our home and our service.

And as I stated above, my amazingly culturally diverse team is the definition of inclusiveness. I am honored to say that we have a wonderful team at Spavia and the diversity of the team brings me great joy.

Why did you decide to open a business in Fredericksburg?

My husband and I lived in Virginia as children. Mark and his family have lived in Virgina much longer than mine because my family moved overseas. We met in college in VA, and after a couple early jobs, we realized we wanted to get back to Virginia. We built our home in StaHord about 25 years ago and raised 3 amazing children. We are so thankful for our StaHord community of friends, the great schools, the wonderful teachers, the coaches and sports team that they enjoyed. Our sons attended Mary Washington, where they studied and played baseball. Today, they are learning and practicing in the health profession. Andrew and David are married to two beautiful souls, Mira and Kayla, respectively. Gina, our wonderful daughter, is in college and plans to be an entrepreneur and establish a career in the health and wellness industry. Our sons introduced us to so  much of Fredericksburg, when they were in college, that we fell in love with it. The spa located in Fredericksburg is the heart of the Rappahannock region.

What is your favorite part of owning a business in Fredericksburg and being a part of this community?

All the other answers to the questions are super long, but I can answer this in one sentence. My favorite part of being in Fredericksburg is that no matter where we go, we run into a friend. It reminds me of the theme song from the show Cheers: you want to go where everybody knows your name and they are always glad you came. I hope our guests feel this song when they come into Spavia.

How do you keep going when times get tough?

Well, first we absorb the situation, pray, discuss and create a plan with a backup. It doesn't always go as smoothly as I just described. However, I am glad to say that when I am asked this question, and I look back. The ultimate situation in this regard was planning for our grand opening for 15 months only to find it postponed indefinitely by COVID, and the shutdown. Even with our experience and professional backgrounds, we never ran a pandemic scenario in our projections. We kept our chins up with the help and support of our family, many hours of work, we persevered and did not quit. We also relied on faith and prayer :).

If you could share one message with the community, what would it be?

Seriously, people should prioritize self-care. Listen to your body, find time to rest and relax, and enjoy life. Spavia is here to help you. Experience the difference at Spavia.

You can find Nivin at 1668 Carl D. Silver Parkway in Central Park.   

To find out more about all the offerings of Spavia visit their website.

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