We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Litedra Burgess a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Litedra, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

The idea of creating a salon that specializes in natural hair care was birthed from personal experiences. At the age of 18, I had a desire to see what my true identity was. At that time, I had a relaxer or some chemical treatment on my hair since I was five years old. So, at 18, I did a big chop to see all the fuss with managing my hair. Boy, did I struggle, but after the struggle, I discovered that I had very tight curls. In 1994, no products were available to help address all of the concerns with my hair, and without social media, it was not a community of people to share information with. Nor was there any stylist that worked with the client’s natural texture. So, for two decades, I would go back and forth from locs or straighten my hair to manage it because the more it grew, the harder it was for me to care for it. By the early 2000s, I had tired of using chemicals to alter my client’s hair.

From there, I begin working with their natural hair, altering it by twisting or blowing it dry and straightening it. I was now closer to working with our natural state and beginning to see the curls I once saw in my hair 20 years earlier, and I began to be intrigued all over again. In 2018, the social media buzz surrounding natural hair care grew, and I was introduced to I Am Black Girl Curls. From there, I began to seek education from the professional division Cut It Kinky, where Aeleise Ollarvia mentored me through many of her classes. During this time, my top priority was educating clients and professionals on mastering their curls. I inform clients through in-person sessions, virtual packages, and specially curated product kits. I offer one-on-one hands-on sessions and look-and-learn classes for professionals who desire personalized attention and want to enhance their proficiency in working with their clients’ natural curls.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Litedra Burgess, a third-generation Unity Salon and Spa Center business owner and a Tight Curl Specialist from Pensacola, Florida. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in hair and have been intrigued by the unique qualities of natural hair. I opened my business when I was 21 and focused on healthy hair care. However, in 2007, I made a radical choice in my industry: to eliminate chemical relaxers and concentrate solely on offering services for tight curls. I developed a system that allows clients to come to the salon or utilize virtual options. I created a home starter kit with products, tools, and digital access between appointments. Once a client has received training and becomes proficient with the Wash-and-Go process, I recommend they come in every three to four months for routine maintenance. My goal is to help clients embrace the beauty of their natural hair and gain the proficiency they need to feel comfortable managing their hair care routines. I am proud of giving my clients the confidence to take care of their hair, wear their curls, and feel beautiful, expressing their natural beauty.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2020, right when the COVID-19 shutdown had happened, I decided to create a significant shift in how I would do business. In 2019, I attended several Cut It Kinky classes and started immersing myself in curly cuts and learning the techniques for achieving long-lasting wash-and-go hairstyles. However, I had a very demanding schedule with my current clientele and needed more space to offer a new service, which required teaching clients how to style and maintain their hair between visits. In the past, my business thrived due to clients who relied on me for all their hair care needs. Over 90% of my clients did not enjoy and were uncomfortable shampooing their hair independently. Although their lack of interest and inability to maintain their hair at home guaranteed my business stability, it took a negative toll on my body. It left minimal opportunity for a healthy work-life balance due to the overwhelming demand for services. When the salon reopened after COVID-19, I decided not to provide the services I previously made available. It was an opportunity to pivot by partnering with my clients to teach them how to independently care for their natural hair. Four years later, I am now an exclusive Curl Specialist, maintaining my clientele in Pensacola, Florida, and traveling bi-weekly to my salon in Georgia to support the growing demand right outside the Atlanta area.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I’ve always perceived myself as a woman who had to get things done independently. However, while contemplating and preparing for this article, I realized that my idea of “getting things done” was a testament to my resilience. Since my Grandmother and Aunt owned a beauty salon/barbershop, they exposed me to the beauty industry at a very young age. So, I opened my first salon when I was 21 years old. Although my passion for hair care was intense, opening my salon and building my clientele wasn’t easy. I inherited familial ideas of how I should run a salon, but over 20 years, I had to learn how to incorporate my passion for doing hair the way I envisioned. Changing how I did business was risky because I was going against the traditional norms of how women viewed their natural hair. I wasn’t selling a trend. I was promoting a lifestyle. Along with the typical challenges of entrepreneurship, I was a single parent of a fantastic son and daughter whom I homeschooled during their formative years. All while battling an undiagnosed debilitating illness that caused periodic periods of what I refer to as sleeping spells during the early years of building my business. But when I look back over the years and reflect on all I’ve accomplished to be at this level in a global natural hair care industry of over 9 billion dollars, resilience is an integral part of what helps me think outside the box for creative approaches to business. Despite all the roadblocks, I continue to thrive by utilizing my passion and problem-solving skills to grow my business in the face of every challenge, loss, and adversity. My resilience and creativity helped me rebound from illness, setbacks, and business transitions in a way that honored my legacy, myself, and, ultimately, my clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: myunitysalon.com
• Instagram: unitysalonandspa
• Facebook: Unity Salon and Spa Center
• Yelp: Unity Salon and Spa Center

Image Credits
Photo Credit to: Phillip Makselan & 828 Digital Media