From backwood to backyard of glam world

Dr Vijayalakshmi Goodapati, the founder of Mirrors Luxury Salon, hails from a small village Vakadu in Nellore district and that did not deter her from pursuing her dreams to achieve something big in life. “You can actually make a movie on my journey to success,” she says with a bright smile. Dr Vijayalakshmi states that she would always go the extra mile in whatever work she used to do. “In my small world I created a few things for myself and then I was not happy with what I had. I wanted to achieve something in life and that was my burning desire,” she shares.

To pursue her passion Dr Vijayalakshmi came to Hyderabad immediately after completing her MSc in Mathematics. “My mother’s younger sister was working in Hyderabad with the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Janardhan Reddygaru and I had an opportunity to stay at his house.

There (at Chief Minister’s residence) I got an opportunity to meet stalwarts of Telugu film industry like Chiranjeevi garu, Dasarigaruand also Suresh Naidu sir, who offered me a job as a studio in-charge. At that point, I felt like God have given me an opportunity to prove myself. Initially, my parents opposed the idea of me working in the film industry, however, I was able to convince my parents to let me work as studio in-charge. I used to take care of every work in the studio and I worked there for six years.

After marriage, I quit my job, but I was feeling something amiss in my life and I was not financially independent too. I planned to venture into business and I opened a salon in outhouse only with two chairs as I only had Rs 40,000 as capital.”

“I started a beauty salon as when I was working in the studio, I used to keenly observe the makeup artistes working on actors. Interaction with these artistes gave me knowledge about beauty products and makeup although I had no earlier experience in this field my observation and desire to learn things helped me a lot. And during my stint people started loving my work. Late Sri Devi, Nayanatara, Sara Ali Khan and Sushmita Sen amongst others are my regular clients,” she informs.

Dr Vijayalakshmi’s clientele also includes the current Chief Ministers of both Telugu speaking states. “People think that this field is very small and also they do not have a high opinion about it, but I will make sure that I will work hard and make the grooming industry big. I am going to take this into the next level,” she shares.

Being a stalwart in the grooming industry Dr Vijayalakshmi feels that beauty is within. “If you do not have a positive attitude nothing will show on the face. Start thinking positive and have a vision of what you want to be in life which is very important. We women have two careers, one is domestic, and the other is professional and that has to be balanced. Time management is important and more than that you have to look good and fit.

So, do not forget to exercise every day for at least 30 minutes and do not stop loving yourself, which I have tattooed on my hand. A woman is the head of the family and the entire responsibility is on her shoulder and so they have to be fit and healthy. I feel so proud of being a woman,” she concludes.