We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marissa Penney. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marissa below.

Marissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

As a kid, for sure! The second I was able to style my own hair I started experimenting. Not all my experiments were great but I sure went for it! I must have been about 7 or 8 years old when I decided to chop my hair off to my cheeks (at the salon) because I wanted to look like my adorable little sister. That was a huge regret, I definitely didn’t look just like her. A few years later, I was introduced to spray color and I was in my spice girl/no doubt era, imagine scary spice space buns in royal blue, paired with a Betty Boop tshirt, flared jeans and soda platform shoes. After that we rocked a natural look for a while. In school, I always enjoyed any art or music class and of course, socializing. In high school, a friend really discouraged me when I told her I wanted to be a cosmetologist, so I decided not to pursue it. 10 years later, my husband was and still is my biggest supporter when he said to me, “stop talking about it and just do it, you obviously love it!” So grateful he was there to cheer me on to take the leap, otherwise I wouldn’t be where I am today.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi, I’m Marissa, owner and hairstylist at Mane Haus in Peoria, Arizona. I am a color and balayage specialist which means I have identified some of my fave services but also not limited to be lived-in balayage and dimensional rich brunettes. I am an Arizona native where I grew up in Glendale most of my life. I am also a fiery Latina and proud daughter of immigrants. I met my husband over 15 years ago, together we have 4 kids, 4 dogs and 1 cat. Life stays busy but I love the hustle, the culture and everything it brings. I started doing hair in 2017 after working in the medical field for almost 10 years. I realized that being a hair artist is what I always saw myself doing for as long as I can remember, so to be passionate about my work was like a dream. Every day is a canvas waiting to be painted with beautiful transformations where the ever expanding possibilities make the journey feel like an adventure. I can make people feel confident while also being creative and passionate about my work.
I opened Mane Haus in February 2021 after a wild year and a half, both personally and professionally. Best decision ever! I want potential clients and followers or just any one in general to know you can come to Mane Haus for the hair, the vibe, the stories, the snacks, the energy or all of it, I’m here for it all either way!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The result of course! However, doing something I actually love and making people happy is a fulfilling and rewarding experience. When I see my clients smile or excitement after the service, I totally get that feeling of, “ I did that!” Hair services can vary from 30 min to 6 hours plus, so yes, I may be dying to go home after a long day or a client may want to skip the blow dry but one way or another, I NEED to see the true result of what I just created.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Pivoting in career and life has had to happen a few times to me over the last few years. Most recent in 2019, my husband had some serious health issues going on, and soon after, the pandemic began. Like many, we thrived and suffered through the highs and lows of it all. During that time is when I decided to open Mane Haus. I had an idea about my own salon space but never did I think I was going to make that idea real any time soon. My husbands health had begun to take a turn which forced him to retire all while I was in the middle of opening my first small business. As the sole provider for family, the hustle was REAL in my first year of business. We made it! And today, in 2023, Mane Haus is still succeeding and hoping to maybe pivot in 2024 to something a bit bigger.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ManeHausAz.com
• Instagram: @marissapenney.hair
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@marissapenneyhair?_t=8hE6sgaccso&_r=1