by Amanda Rink, Editor
“Wright County at Work” is a bimonthly series highlighting and reviewing the businesses and people who keep our communities running. From Clarion to towns across the county, the goal is to showcase the services and stories that make Wright County strong.
For my second Wright County at Work feature, I didn’t have to look far. Marcie (Lager) Brodersen has been cutting hair for people in my family for as long as they can remember, even giving two of my own children their very first haircut. Naturally, she came to mind right away. Though hesitant at first (she’s not one to seek the spotlight), Marcie agreed after some mild coaxing during my son’s latest haircut.
While she may shy away from the limelight, she’s no stranger to preparing others for it. Since opening Main Street Style in 2005, she and the talented women she works alongside have been cutting, perming, coloring, and styling Clarion’s hair with one shared mission: to help people look and feel their best.
Marcie’s journey in beauty didn’t begin on Clarion’s Main Street, though. She first trained in Ames at PCI and was licensed in October of 1986. She opened her first salon in Ames, where she worked for six years before moving on to a salon in Webster City. Eventually, she found her way back to Clarion, opening Main Street Style in 2000. Today, Marcie lives in the Des Moines area, but you’ll find her back in Clarion the first and third week of each month. When she’s not there, stylists Cassie Nerem and Marissa Livingston keep the shop buzzing.
“I have always rented the chairs out. I feel like that is the best way for whoever is
renting them to make money. They buy their own supplies and set their own hours,” Marcie told The Wright County Monitor.
Cassie Nerem, who began her career in 2013, joined Main Street Style in 2020. She usually s
tarts her days at 8:30 A.M., Tuesday through Friday. When I asked her about her favorite service to offer, she didn’t hesitate: “I love highlighting a
nd coloring.” That love was clear when I stopped by her chair; she was working on a client who had traveled from Hampton, sharing that she and her mom had been going to Cassie for years.
But for Cassie, the work goes beyond the hair. “My favorite thing about going into work is making people feel beautiful and laughing with Marcie and Marissa,” she said.
Marissa Livingston became licensed in 2017 and joined Main Street Style in 2022. She starts her days at 8:00 A.M., Monday through Friday, with her first appointment usually beginning at 9:00.
“I love to beautify,” she told me, and her chair reflects her fun, uplifting spirit. The space is decorated with cute, quirky touches, including my favorite: a scented “freshie” made by local Brooke Rasmussen, featuring a rock ’n’ roll hand sign gripping a pair of hair-cutting shears.
Ultimately, Marcie opened Main Street Style because she wanted to work for herself. Nearly 20 years later, her drive has kept Clarion looking sharp. For my family and many others, it’s the go-to spot.
I’ve been going to Main Street Style for years and will continue to recommend them. The services are reliable, the prices are fair, and you always walk out feeling better than when you walked in.
If you or someone you know runs a local business, be it retail, entertainment, food, or a home-based retail shop, and would like to be featured in an upcoming review, reach out to me, Amanda Rink, at news@wrightcountymonitor.com.
