Mover and Shaker Macy Smit has faced adversity and trauma that could easily have left her bitter, resentful, and angry. Instead of wallowing in the darkness, she channels the good and bad parts of her journey to serve Cookeville through hair design each day. 

She stated, “Being a Mover and Shaker means so much to me because my story is a heavy one. A series of events took place in my life about three years ago that I never saw coming and I was left with what felt like the weight of the world on my shoulders. I was no stranger to starting over, having moved many times in my life, however, this time I was starting over as a single mom. I had decisions to make that I’d never made on my own and I didn’t know how. Thank God for family and friends!” Macy continued, “What I love most about my job I would have to say the connection I get to make with my clients. It’s never just hair when you sit in the chair, it’s so much more than that. It’s release from whatever it is that you need it to be from, It’s deep conversation and a relationship. I love that the most.”

On her transition to Cookeville (by way of Nashville) and the process of becoming a single mom to her now six-year-old son Carter Macy stated, “I moved myself and Carter there through God’s calling to stay in Tennessee and an opportunity that fell in my lap. At the end of our time there, which was a year and a half, I realized that God kept me in Tennessee but not for Nashville.” She elaborated, “He knew I would find my way back home and he had so much more in store for us here, so I moved myself and my son back to Cookeville. Through the grace of God, I was able to find my salon home as well as a great Elementary school for my son. What I love most about Cookeville is the strong presence of God, the feeling of knowing it’s ok to slow down a little, and the sense of family values I feel here. I’m grateful for how God has moved in my life and I’m thankful for this opportunity!”

As a deeply skilled, classically trained stylist, Macy has a specific aesthetic that she incorporates into her design style. On this she said, “I’ve been a hairstylist for 13 years, graduating from Paul Mitchell The School Honolulu.  Since finishing my schooling in Hawaii, I tend to draw most of my inspiration from the beach and atmosphere from the coast, hence my love for lived-in color. There’s nothing I love more than a lived-in head of hair and natural dimension. Just color that lives with you.” 

Macy is an artist. 

She is driven, kind, and empathetic.

There is so much to her as a beauty authority and person.

A deepness exists within the fullness of her story that we think can be best told by Macy herself.

So when you see her on the streets, smiling, full of life despite everything she’s been handed, say “hello.” You won’t regret it.

To conclude this feature, we’d like to say that by answering hurt with love, suffering with healing, and loneliness with acceptance, Macy Smit is an inspiration, a genuine source of joy, and a Mover and Shaker we’re so proud to celebrate.

– by Andrew Buckner, photos by Abby Weeden