Meet Jessica McCargar | Massage Therapist and Health Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica McCargar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
I value compassion most of all. I strive in my business to give compassion to my clients, and meet them where they are. I feel that in the health industry a lot of times patients don’t get heard or seen when they are going through a painful experience, and I have been one of those patients. As a massage therapist and health coach I want to make my clients feel seen and heard when they explain to me what’s going on, and create a safe space for them to open up. When I actively listen they realize I am on their side. As a coach and a guide I can help them see where they might be blocked. I can help them move through it, in order to achieve their goals towards a healthier lifestyle.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My love for learning about the body began as a child when I was taking hula classes. My maternal grandparents were born and raised on Oahu, and my grandmother wanted her daughters and granddaughters to dance hula to keep the love for Hawaii and the land alive in our hearts. She danced up until the day she died. I wanted to do something in my life that required just as much passion as she had for dancing. And I knew I wanted to help people. I studied massage therapy at the National Holistic Institute and after about 900 hours and getting certified, I started working with clients as a massage therapist, traveling to clients homes to do at-home private massage sessions. I quickly began to realize that I could help clients heal better if I understood the body and nutrition more. Helping clients heal within as well as in their muscles and tissues. I knew about some anti-inflammatory foods, and I had changed my own personal way of eating to a more plant based diet, but I knew there was a lot more to learn. I decided to attend the Institute for Integrative Nutrition or IIN. A year later I was certified as a Health Coach. Slowly I began to build up my massage clients through referrals and some family and friends were asking me nutrition questions now that I was a health coach. It took about 3 years to get a steady clientele for massage and health coaching. It was challenging because I started my business in September 2019 right before the pandemic hit. Fortunately I had the support of my sisters, parents, partner, and all of my clients. There were a lot of backyard massages and health coaching phone calls to stay safe. I had to be extra frugal during this time, and I began to develop my online presence through a website, blog, and social media accounts. I focused on what I could control at the time and tried to make my clients feel as safe with me as possible. I learned that building rapport and creating safety is essential working in the service industry, and allowing clients to feel and express their feelings is the best thing I could do. Also right before the pandemic hit, I realized I have Endometriosis, and had to change a lot of my lifestyle choices in order to create a healthy environment for my body. I have learned so much about this disease, and how to help myself with nutrition, exercise, and stress management. It has been a long hard journey, and I am still working on helping my body thrive. Currently, I am working on getting certified as a Hormone Health Coach through IIN, so that I can better understand my hormone issues as well as my clients. Hormones are so important to many processes of the body, and I want to help my clients to better understand their body’s, and sync with their cycles using nutrition and stress management. I am most proud of all that I have learned through my own healing journey as well as what I have learned from my clients. I love working with and helping people that want to live healthier lives.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I absolutely love outdoor spaces so I would take them to the beach of course; either Venice, Playa Del Rey, or Manhattan Beach or all three. The Huntington Botanical Gardens are beautiful and such a special place to see and experience. The Lake Shrine or Self-actualization center up in Pacific Palisades is a great place to walk around and enjoy some nature. Uovo in the Marina is a delicious Italian spot with a gorgeous view of the Marina. Dan Modern Chinese I recently tried and they are delicious. Any Vegan restaurant since I am more plant based; Sestina in Culver City is great, Shojin great Japanese Vegan spot. Sachi LA is super cute coffee/tea spot run by two sisters. The Cow’s End near the Venice pier is one of my other favorite local tea/coffee places. Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica is pretty cute and puts on great plays and musicals. Pantages theater is also great for famous musicals.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to thank my family especially my sisters for always supporting me in my business, and inspiring me to do great things. I also want to thank my grandmother and her love of Hula and Hawaii for nourishing in me the respect for the land, and respect for dance.

Website: nourishlokahi.com

Instagram: @nourishlokahi

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-mccargar-a7320238

Facebook: @nourishlokahi

Image Credits
Jairo Giron