Our Founder

I am Jacqueline McKenzie, founder and owner of The New U Spa Boutique and EON beauty products. I am dubbed a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), Leadership Management Trainer (LMT), Manicurist, Pedicurist, Esthetician, and Poet. I have worked in the picturesque islands of Jamaica, Antigua, and Barbuda for over 25 years.

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BACKGROUND

I am a single mother of three children and four grandchildren. I am the 5th. of 7 children. I was born on the beautiful island of Jamaica.

 

MOTIVATION

I became interested in massage when my second child was afflicted with a rare disease that gave her a stroke and left her paralyzed at only ten years of age. As a single mother with a low income, I couldn’t pay for the needed therapy required to enable my daughter to walk again. My friend Stephanie Edwards, who was a massage therapist, relentlessly encouraged me to pursue massage to assist my daughter. She even went as far as to start training me on the bed that she was sleeping on.

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So, I worked as a housekeeper, saved enough money, and went back to school. Unfortunately, I was not able to massage my daughter because her skin was broken out in sores and was sensitive to touch.

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FIRST YEARS IN MASSAGE

Eventually, I qualified to work as a masseuse. My first job as a massage therapist was with Sandals, Negril, Jamaica, in 1998. I was sent to their sister property in Antigua and Barbuda in 2004, where I worked before moving to Carlisle Bay, Jumby Bay, a Rosewood Resort, Hermitage Bay, and the Royalton, all of which are five stars hotels. During my years of working in the hotel industry, I was able to work with clients such as Paul McCartney and his daughter Stella McCartney, Dolce & Gabbana, Usher, Sanaa Lathan, Ambassador Charles Heimbold, the then US ambassador of Sweden and his family, and many other celebrities, all of whom would repeatedly request me as their therapist, as they would frequently vacation on the Island or stay at private homes. I was recurrently mentioned on Trip Advisor, Conde Nast Magazine, and Google Reviews. My duties extended far beyond the duties of a massage therapist. I also functioned as the opening spa manager, spa manager, and duty manager for some of the aforementioned properties. But nothing beats the love I have for performing massages.

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PROGRESS

In 2020, when the Corona Virus hit and the world closed its doors to work, I opened The New U Spa Boutique on the Island of Antigua and Barbuda in December 2020. I continue my Google 5-star treatments to everyone with whom I came in contact. In the summer of 2021, I moved to the USA to help my daughter who was having her first child and needed my help. I started working as a therapist in the USA for a 5stars spa. But tragedy struck when I lost my eldest sister.  I could not bring myself to continue working on staff as I needed time to recuperate. So, I recreated The New U Spa Boutique in Dilworth, Minnesota, USA, which allows me to work at my own pace, while allowing myself to heal and to pursue my passion for massage therapy.

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

I look forward to you being part of my exciting success story. Visit The New U Spa Boutique to relax, refresh, and recharge. A warm welcome awaits. A revitalizing, restoring, and rejuvenating experience is in store for you.