Meet Mark

When mark was just six years old…

he told his babysitter that when he grew up you could find him braiding hair in the Bahamas. At seven, he was already dreaming of opening his own salon. Every summer since, he and his cousin played “hair salon” where he would braid her hair “in as many ways as my little 2nd grade brain could conceive.”

Growing up, his mother had always cut his hair. It wasn’t until he was sixteen, with a fresh driver’s license in his hand, that he drove himself to his very first professional hair salon. The love for the art of transforming hair grew organically in Mark and there’s no sign of that love slowing down.

Now 39, he is about to make his all his seven-year-old dreams come true with the opening of Alchemist; A comfortable salon with a strong love for people, plants, & books.

In Mark’s own words:

“Imagine a retired professor’s living room or library who may have a slight obsession with houseplants. That’s kind of the vibe I’m going for. It’s basically just a reflection of who I am. And I want to share that with all the guests that come through our doors. So they leave with great hair, some book club advice, and maybe a tip or two to help with caring for their houseplants.”

Q & A

with mark massa:

what do you love about living in nashville?

I love that Nashville is becoming a big city—(not for the traffic, of course.. or the waiting lists to get into restaurants). But because it has more things to do, more food to eat, and more people to meet & experience life with. It’s amazing to have so much diversity in this small southern town that has found itself becoming to be a progressive little (soon to be bigger) city.

how long have you been doing hair?

I have been licensed for 15 years but have been doing hair in my kitchen since I was a kid.

you’re stranded on an island and can only bring your favorite book to read for the rest of your life. so, which one would it be?

This is too hard! Besides the Harry Potter series, which I’ve read completely through 5+ times, the only books I’ve read multiple times is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett and East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Oh and I do love Steven King’s The Dark Tower series..If my mom is reading this she would want me to say the Bible since there is so many hidden truths throughout its stories.

which plant best represents you as a person?

If I had to say what plant is like me I would say philodendron— Easy going and low maintenance. They are also easy to propagate and share with close friends.

what is your favorite hair transformation moment of your career?

My favorite hair transformation was when a blonde girl from Vanderbilt with shoulder length hair came into the salon and asked for a Mohawk. After some conversation we decided to cut her hair in a way that look like a mohawk if she stood it up but it could be presentable when she went to school otherwise.

Cutting off 12-14 inches of hair on a perfect stranger definitely felt like a unique transformation. That being said, though I like doing all types of hair, I’d say women’s short hair and guys cuts tend to be my favorite after all these years.