Ludmila Godunova is the creator of MedLoft Luxury Spa & Hair Salon in Limassol. Cyprus’ residents and visitors, for over a year now, have had the opportunity to indulge in exclusive world-class luxury spa and hair treatments. Ludmila took a long time to start her own business in Cyprus, but the end result was worth the delay. She invites Premiere readers to share, firsthand, how combining luxury with intuitive financial knowledge, as a hobby and life experience, paves the route to success. In an exclusive interview she reveals the winning formula of her business achievements and family values.

Ludmila, you have been in Cyprus for almost 25 years – how did the idea to start your own business come to you only recently?

To be honest, I never saw the point of starting my own business, despite the fact that my mother  would always say: “daughter, you’re so smart, you need to do your own thing and start a business”. Of course, for our mothers we will always be the smartest and the most beautiful, so I never gave her advice much thought. This was the case until, in my own time, I started to realise   that I wanted to create a beauty salon in our island, where the atmosphere is truly intimate and where the details are appreciated, and you feel like you are flying first class even though you bought a ticket for business class but got lucky because you know the captain or the owner of the airline.

I graduated school with a gold medal and then continued my studies at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. From 20 to 22 years old, I worked at Ernst & Young CIS in Moscow in the Oil & Gas group, where our clients were Lukoil, Rosneft, Tataneft, and Slavneft.. At the Financial University, I received a diploma in state budget and taxation, and a  year later my husband and I moved to Cyprus. At first, I thought that our visit would be brief; it couldn’t be that we would be stuck in this small country for more than a year. But in the end, we stayed here for 25 years.

Soon after our arrival here, we unexpectedly opened a restaurant with a local partner, but then realised rather quickly that we had to leave the project before it was too late. Even though, it was already too late, and this became the project where we inevitably had to lose all our money not to  become attached to it. Shortly after this, our two daughters were born, and I dedicated myself and all my time to raising them. Now that they have grown up, and my husband and I grew up with them (to the point where we understand each other telepathically), our resources have been freed up and an interest for something new came along.

27 years together is a serious amount of time. Could you share your secret to a long and happy family life?

 I believe that all families go through hardships. Our family is not an exception – we were put through challenges that have undoubtedly brought us closer together. It is always important to remember that whatever you’re going through is inevitably leading to something better, so you have to approach any trial with love. A result of this love is our third daughter, who is now 10 months old. While in my womb, she went through all the stages of construction of the salon; that could be why she is now unaffected by the sounds of a jackhammer or a drill, while at the same time being greatly appreciative of colour and beauty at such a tender age. Many couples break up because they mistake fleeting passions for love, or cling to illusions and promises of happiness, or consider “flings” on the side because that’s fashionable. But all this has nothing to do with love.

Love for me is that deep connection that lets you feel the pain of the other person. It is when you hurt the other person, but this in turn makes you feel a hundred times worse. It is an incredibly wonderful feeling, a connection on a very special level. Love is the desire to be together.

We have strayed from the subject of your beauty salon a little bit. How did it all begin?

I never considered the idea of my own salon and even now have my doubts about it being a fulfilling job.

I’m grateful to my mother for her criticism throughout my life – it has been a great incentive for me to continuously grow and become better. However, trying to prove to others that you are the   best in any given thing is pointless; people are only ever interested in themselves and to them you are merely a reflection of their own issues. So, even if I were trying to prove something to someone by opening this salon, it was only to myself. And, perhaps, this is the continuation of the path that I have always been on: whatever I set out to do has to be better than what has already been done.

I approached the making of the beauty salon in the same way. I worked with a designer with great taste and a similar understanding of colour as mine, and together we created an unforgettable space where our guests can feel safe. This, in conjunction with services of the highest quality, as well as a focus on the guests’ unique needs, results in the maximum sense of    comfort for anyone that comes to the salon. When I was working on the concept of the salon, I understood that, as a business model, it is not profitable enough, but no measures of economic efficiency could stop me from following the chosen path. I have always taken an interest in interior design and have read a substantial number of books and magazines on the subject; it is my passion and I believe that I would have been a great interior designer.

On the other hand, besides the focus on beauty, all of our equipment is fully comfortable and effective. In the process of developing the plans for the salon, we considered all aspects of the functionality of each piece of equipment from the point of view of the professionals that will be using the given tools, with the comfort of the guest always in mind.

What services do you offer at MedLoft? 

Our experts can transform anyone from head to toe. We use the whole range of non-invasive techniques for the body and face: from masks and peels, to various types of wraps and massages. The only invasive procedure we offer is mesotherapy using a special dermapen.

Our Delux Diamon Dermabrasion is very popular – a gentle diamond peel for the face and body, during which the topmost layer of skin is removed, leaving your complexion renewed, fresh, and   radiant. This is a very gentle technique and by the evening of the same day you will be ready to go out.

You said that your salon has an unforgettable interior – tell us about the most interesting features.

In designing the space, we used only natural materials – oak parquet, granite, quartzite, marble, wood – and antique furniture and mirrors. We wanted to create a special intimate place, in which every visitor would feel as though they are a guest of someone who not only collects, but also values, art. This is facilitated by features such as our bar, where you can sit after your procedure and enjoy our specialty detox lemonade made with lemon, orange, mint and ginger.

A great example of the integration of interior design with functionality in the salon, is our hairdresser/barber equipment which comes from the historic Japanese world leader Takara Belmont. Only in our salon you will find their Maxim chairs, which allow for the utmost comfort during procedures such as eyebrow and eyelash lamination, or the Yume chair that guarantees the most comfortable hairdressing experience. Meanwhile, our Spa Mist hair processor can be set to   open the cuticles for better penetration of nutrients from the masks applied, or to clean the scalp with a special scrub – both traditional haircare techniques originate in Japanese culture.

Our Gharieni massage beds are the Rolls Royce of the massage industry; they are beds of the highest degree of comfort, with a variety of built-in features such as music, adjustable temperature controls, recognition of female clients’ breast size, and the Trendelenburg position.

What cosmetic brands does the salon work with? 

We work with the Swiss luxury brand Valmont, the Italian manufacturer of Phyto cosmetics for  the body Vagheggi, as well as the Spanish leader of cosmeceuticals mesoestetic.

Our procedure for lymphatic drainage and weight loss with Valmont is in great demand. For   haircare, we use Kevin Murphy and Alterna.

How do you see your ideal client?

Our ideal customer is someone who does not reduce an interior to simply a renovation. They must value intimacy, peace, and quiet, and the fact that they are one-to-one with the expert.

Our spaces are isolated from each other with this in mind; our professionals work in separate rooms,   dedicated to their specific crafts.

We are not selective based on gender: our clientele is equally male and female. They are   businessmen and women, who know what they want.

At first glance, most people would assume that our services are unaffordable. But this is just a   stereotype – that the services provided must match the expensive look of the salon. However, with us, you can experience first class while only paying for business.

You opened in the midst of a pandemic. Has this somehow influenced the implementation of your business ideas? 

In general, I was planning to make MedLoft an analogue of the spa salon of a five-star hotel. But later it became clear that it will take some time to find the appropriate staff in so changed world and find specialists of this level.

For me now, the best compliment are the words “Oh, it’s like in Moscow here!”. I hear this very   often, and I’m very grateful. I’m grateful that the salon is a little like Moscow, a little like Paris, a little like London. We need to keep this brand and so far, we have been successful through improving our service standards, training our staff, and introducing new technologies.

How would you reach out to those who haven’t visited yet?

I will always advocate for freedom of choice; people must feel a desire in their hearts to come to our salon. It is then our duty to do everything we can to make the first visit to our salon a beginning of a long-lasting friendship with the guest. After all, only service of the highest quality can make a customer fall in love with the company, and the reciprocated loyalty from the customer will make this love mutual.

20 Vasileos Georgiou A’ 4047 Germasoyia, Drakos Beach House, Limassol, Cyprus
+357 99 111331
www.medloft-beauty.com