Millburn Spa Is Immigrant Success Story In New Jersey

MILLBURN, NJ — A Millburn spa owned by a 27-year-old Chinese native is proving to be an immigrant success story in Essex County. And the secret to its success – aside from hard work and know-how – may be the diversity of the local community.

Ying Li, the owner of Soothing Zen Day Spa in Millburn, was born in Nanchang, southern China, near Shanghai. She moved to NYC in 2012 after studying Chinese History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada.

According to a company news release, Li was inspired to open her spa in April 2016 by Grace Macnow of Graceful Services, who she admires as a “self-made Asian women and the first Asian immigrant to open a spa in the NYC area.”

Li’s role model would likely be proud; Li now employs five New Jersey-licensed aestheticians at her Millburn shop and has a business clientele that includes “75 percent business people and attorneys.”

Part of the secret to the success of Soothing Zen Day Spa has been the diversity of the area, according to Li.

“I chose Milburn, only 40 minutes from NYC, because we have a lot of commuters to and from the city here, as well as many businessmen, bankers, attorneys and very diverse communities, including Jewish, Asian, Italian and Caucasian families,” Li said.

Li added that her customer base is 60 percent women and 40 percent men.

• See related article: N.J. Immigrants Are Taxpaying, Hardworking Residents, Study Says
• See related article: 5 Reasons Why Immigrants Make New Jersey Better

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Photos: Soothing Zen Day Spa

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