Litha Macon

We have, right here in our own city, a somewhat hidden treasure. She has never wavered in her belief in herself and others. She stands out for me as someone who truly believes in paying it forward. I think you’ll find her story interesting and so, I’d like to shed some light on Litha Macon, owner of Roman Ricci Salon.

Litha moved to the Cleveland area in 1995 to be closer to her family. A hair stylist by trade, she left three thriving salons in Washington DC to make sure her mother was well cared for in her final days. In 1997 she was approached by a friend who suggested she buy the Mark Leonard salon in Lakewood.

She fell in love with Lakewood. According to Litha, she felt more comfortable here because Lakewood was like the community she had left in Washington. She likes the idea of so many storefront businesses and the opportunity it gives people to open a business on any scale. Litha enjoys the convenience of Lakewood – that she can walk to the library, the store, the park, and her shop! In addition, the residents of Lakewood welcomed her. She never had a concern about being an African American woman business owner in Lakewood. She’d been told by people that she’d meet resistance – she never did.

That’s why, when the salon burned down just six weeks after she had taken ownership, she made the decision to open another salon and build it from the ground up. For two years she worked alone. She grew her business to include employees and at one point had as many as eight stylists working for her. She currently houses her salon, Roman Ricci, at 17309 Madison Avenue and is celebrating her 10 year anniversary!

Now, this would be a great story even if ended here. But that’s not the end by a long shot! In 2003 Litha started coaching girls and women. As hair stylists tend to do, she listened well to her clients. She found herself offering them suggestions and advice. One of her clients asked Litha if she’d be willing to talk to her daughter in Florida. That started her coaching career.

Litha had dabbled in psychology courses on a college level but had never completed her studies. Her interest in helping others, however, never faltered. She found a real interest in helping girls and women develop better self-esteem, and a sense of self-worth. Litha believes this is a crucial issue that parents struggle with. Many times they miss the cues and realize there’s a problem when it’s too late. This subject hits especially close to home as she raises her daughter, Price, now 10 years old.

As her salon clients began calling her at home, she started offering her coaching services to more and more people. In addition, the more women she works with, the more they tell their friends. She even has clients who schedule hair appointments for their daughters so Litha can meet them and get a sense of where they’re at.

In a day and age when kids are growing up too fast, and parents are juggling a lot of balls, it’s nice to know there’s someone right here in our community who is making a difference in young women’s lives.

As an extension of her coaching services, Litha is launching a Girls Social Group in February. This is a weekend program, meeting on Sundays from 3:00 – 6:00 pm at her salon. Litha set up this group because, as she says, girls need to learn to get along with each other. The format will be to work with a group of young women to help them discover their hidden talents, nurture their self-esteem and confidence. The goal is to help them learn how to make better life choices. Some additional outcomes will be better school performance and behavior, as well as learning how to compete with themselves instead of others. The group size will be 10 girls between 10-13 years of age. This is a four month program that will go through May 2008. Parents can contact Litha at 216-221-7994.

Copyright© 2008 Diane Helbig