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Sleep is often the most overlooked pillar of wellness – overshadowed by fitness trends and nutrition fads, yet fundamental to how we perform, recover, and live.
But there’s one brand aiming to bring the focus back to one of the simplest and most effective forms of recovery. Enter Heveya – a sleep-focused brand which has spent the past decade working to change that conversation, building a brand around natural, non-toxic sleep solutions that has grown from a boutique concept into a global name spanning Singapore, Indonesia, the UAE, and beyond.
At the helm of that growth is Thijs Veyfeyken, Managing Director of Heveya, whose path to the sleep industry was anything but linear. GRAZIA sat down with Thijs to talk about the story behind Heveya, the lessons learned expanding across vastly different markets, why Dubai became a defining chapter in the brand’s journey, and what’s next as sleep takes its place alongside nutrition and movement in the global wellness conversation.
My current role is…
Managing Director of Heveya, where I oversee the global growth of the brand across Singapore, Indonesia, the UAE, and beyond, with a strong focus on positioning sleep as a core pillar of wellness.
When I was younger, I wanted to be…
Some form of designer. I was always drawn to creating things and shaping how something looks and feels. That idea never really left; it just evolved into building a brand and designing experiences rather than physical objects.
My favourite subject at school was…
Marketing. It was the first time I understood that behind every product there is a story, a positioning, and a way to connect with people. That thinking still influences everything I do today.
My first job was…
Selling Belgian beer in Shanghai, China. I speak fluent Chinese, so it was a great way to connect with people, understand a completely different market, and learn how to sell and position a product in a very dynamic environment.
My career path so far has been…
A combination of retail, brand building, and international expansion. Over the past decade, I’ve been focused on scaling Heveya from a boutique concept into a global, wellness-driven brand.
The role the UAE has played in my career is…
The UAE has been a pivotal market for us. It’s where luxury, design, and ambition come together, and it has pushed us to elevate both our brand and execution. Dubai, in particular, has shown how quickly a market can respond when the product and positioning are right.
The story of Heveya is…
Heveya started with a simple idea: to create a better sleep experience using natural, non-toxic materials. Over time, it has evolved into something much bigger. Today, it’s about redefining sleep as a key pillar of wellness, alongside nutrition and movement.
My daily routine consists of…
Early mornings start with coffee and a workout, followed by a mix of strategic work across markets, team alignment, and decision-making. Evenings are reserved for family and winding down.
My role as Founder entails…
Driving the overall vision of the brand, making key strategic decisions, and ensuring that as we scale, we stay true to what makes Heveya unique. It’s about balancing growth with discipline.
The biggest hurdle I’ve experienced in my career…
Scaling across multiple markets while maintaining consistency. Each country operates differently, and finding the balance between global strategy and local execution is an ongoing challenge.
The biggest milestone I’ve achieved…
Expanding Heveya into international markets and seeing it resonate beyond its original base. Launching in Dubai and building it into a strong growth market in a short time has been a key highlight.
A quote I live by is…
“The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.”
What I hope for 2026 is…
That sleep continues to gain momentum and becomes a defining part of the global wellness conversation, recognised as the foundation that underpins how we live, perform, and recover.
