Merchant Profiles

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: ROCKS by Jolie Ray is a full service jeweler in the heart of Armonk featuring contemporary designer jewelry at affordable prices. “We choose our items with great care with the hope of offering a variety of pieces that appeal to many different tastes and budget considerations,” states Marjorie. “People are thrilled that there is finally a contemporary jewelry store in the area with such a great variety of jewelry at every price point. We have built such a nice following over the past five years that our customers are so happy that they can now come see us anytime.”

BACKGROUND: Tanya and Marjorie have been designing jewelry for five years (Jolie B. Ray Designs). From the time they met at a “mommy and me” class, both of these dynamic Chappaqua residents knew they wanted to find careers they enjoyed but still have time for their families.  “We were both drawn to fashion and shared a love of jewelry. They ultimately decided a retail shop would provide the opportunity to display their designs on a daily basis, as well as carry other great lines, at every price point that both complement their line and also support their vision for contemporary jewelry. “We both have corporate backgrounds, so it has been quite a journey learning the business,” states Tanya.

GREATEST STRENGTHS: The partners agree that it is spending the time to get to know their clients and what their needs are in a warm and friendly, inviting environment. “We are always up for the challenge to search high and low for the perfect piece of jewelry for a customer,” they offered.  “We will stay late, open early and even deliver to one’s home or office to make sure they have the perfect piece of jewelry in time for any special occasion.”

PROUDEST MOMENT: “Besides becoming moms, designing our first line of jewelry (Vino Collection) and opening up ROCKS by Jolie B. Ray.”

SPECIAL PLANS: This February, for Valentine’s Day, Rocks will offer special gifts that stand alone as the perfect present or complement any other gift you have in mind for a loved one. Come spring and Mother’s Day and ROCKS will be offering beautiful, interesting colors and designs for Mom.

HOPES FOR THE FUTURE: “We plan to continue to offer our clients unique and beautiful jewelry with excellent customer service.”

ROCKS by Jolie B. Ray
PROPRIETORS:
Tanya Tochner and Marjorie Troob
IN BUSINESS SINCE: 2011
www.joliebray.com

With its much talked about expansion on King Street–a virtual tripling of its former space–Desires by Mikolay promises and delivers “a taste of Madison Avenue in our customers’ beloved downtown,” says Tara Mikolay. “2008 and 2009 were tough years,” she notes. “We really wanted to firmly invest in the town. We expanded the showroom quite a bit to include gifts and watches, and have also expanded our repair shop. We are so much about custom design and jewelry repair and redesign that we really have earned the communities trust in this area.”

In addition, a “client entertainment room” is planned! “We are offering a great room where our male clients can go in and watch the game while their wife shops, or host a private dinner to those interested in the latest in jewelry, and more! We love, love, love to entertain! And we love bringing special events and some fun into Chappaqua.”

To that end, Desires practically embodies the “Shop Local, Shop for a Cause” movement and hosts multiple fundraisers for worthy causes each year. “Everyone has gifts they need to pick up to celebrate a special occasion. Among others, Desires has supported Pets Alive and the SPCA of Briarcliff, both local no-kill shelters rescuing animals and placing in their forever homes. Scott and Tara have also thrown their support behind the Pace Women’s Justice Center, a local leader in providing free legal aid to victims of domestic violence and this spring will be hosting a fundraiser for the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund, date to be determined. This past December alone, Desires raised over $10,000 for local charities.

As for its selections, Tara notes that she and Scott really “listen” to their customers–and deliver. For example, they were receiving many requests for great timepieces. “We now have timepieces from $500-$50,000 carrying brands from Milan such as Brera, the American watch company, Ball, and the French company, Hermes of Paris!”

And of course, you can always count on the dazzling array of original jewelry choices. The bestselling line is still their very own designer line, Designs by Scott Mikolay. It just speaks to so many woman for its use of color, quality and distinction.” Also very hot this year, says Tara, is Monica Rich Kosann. “She is featured in Town and Country every month and has these amazing key pendants that are so wearable and can be worn over a tee shirt with jeans and looks super chic. We also do well with Sydney Evan. She is known for her beaded bracelets with charms and her signature ‘love’ necklace worn by celebrities. Very hot.”

Tara emphasizes too that Desires offers amazing opening price points of $35 and up. “We are absolutely a one stop shop if you need something for men too. We have men’s jewelry, writing instruments, leather goods, wallets, money lips, journals and more!”

You can also find fine crystal, jewelry boxes, baby and wedding gifts, and more. “We really could not be more proud of the gift selection.”

Editor’s Note: As a long time Chappaqua resident, I think it’s great to see an expansion of this kind. It’s a vote of confidence in our town.

Desires by Mikolay
PROPRIETORS:
Scott & Tara Mikolay
IN BUSINESS SINCE: 2004
www.desiresbymikolay.com

Products and Services: COUTUREDossier is the Ultimate Trading Platform of Luxury ™ It’s an innovative and fun “Wall Street” like model of buying and selling to fashion. Our customers love the idea of being in charge of their fashion portfolios. Whether it is to raise money for new life style adventures or a new purchase, it’s ultimately up to them to decide what to do with their fashion asset. They can Swap it–exchange it for anything else in the store; or Spot it–sell it same day for cash; or Sell it–leave the item and get paid later; ultimately it’s their decision. COUTUREDossier is a fun place to shop too. You can find here timeless designs by CHANEL, Hermes, PRADA, Dior, Christian Louboutin. Limited edition purses and beautiful cloths, once featured on celebrities, become available to you at a fraction of the retail price.

Background: Over a decade, Yulia Omelich worked in both the diplomatic world and Wall Street, managing a large portfolio of Fortune 500 companies in a wide variety of industries. Her successful career on Wall Street (Barclays Capital, HVB Group, Morgan Stanley) was a result of her ability to utilize creative thinking in analyses and developing a typical hedging strategies ahead of competition. As much as she enjoyed walking around with complicated financial strategies rattling around in her brain, Mrs. Omelich decided to leave the fast paced world of Wall Street to take care of her two sons, now aged 14 and 3, and start a career that would allow her to do so. “My passion was always retail fashion industry with all its different angles, and investment is one of them.” So, with support of her husband, she leveraged the lessons she learnt from working with the world’s top retail brands and built COUTUREDossier.

Greatest Strengths: The central operating standard of COUTUREDossier is its customers and Omelich’s determination to serve them well. Yulia and Andrey both believe that it is because of its flawless reputation in the retail and e-commerce world, COUTUREDossier was able to grow their customer base to more than 600 in one year.

Proudest Moment: My life today. Besides being a mom and able to witness my children’s growth as individuals, I have a chance to do what I love, get to know interesting people, work with the amazing editors and TV producers, hearing their stories and most importantly making people happy by helping them find the “IT.”

CoutureDossier
PROPRIETOR:
Yulia and Andrey Omelich
IN BUSINESS SINCE:  2010
www.COUTUREDossier.com

By Grace Bennett • Photos by Isabel Greenberg

For too long now, I’ve harbored stubborn inches in certain spots and a higher number of excess pounds I’d be delighted to permanently shed. After a certain age, that can be a deceptively challenging task and the desire to work with a trainer took hold. I’d heard about the professionalism at Prescriptions for Fitness, now in its 15th year, and so I asked owner Scott Reilly if I could experience Prescriptions and report for Inside Chappaqua. After 15, one hour sessions working with Derek– following a session with Scott too– I’m happy to be seeing and feeling a difference, and my friends and family are too!

I wanted to train in town and so appreciated the new digs in an attractive house at the top of Maple at 255 King Street. According to Scott, whose motto is “getting Chappaqua fit: one client at a time,” my desire for convenience was hardly unusual. “We have a lot of clients “on the go” who also choose Prescriptions for its “expertise and targeted training.

“We personalize workouts to meet the high standards of professional, educated individuals in the area,” he continued. “ We also work with kids and teams, so naturally the goals and training for a 17 year old hockey player is going to be very different from a 50 year old man with cardiovascular issues!”

The hour-long sessions combine cardio with circuit training which has been deemed the most efficient way to burn fat optimally. “For maximum results, we encourage clients to get as many ‘reps’ in with each portion of the circuit, with a limited rest, before repeating or moving on to the next part of the circuit. We alternate reps with cardio activities.”

Moving Past Plateaus
A key challenge in successful workouts is plowing past “plateaus.” That’s when you are, say, five to ten pounds short of achieving a goal but can’t seem to get any more mileage out of a workout. “If you give your body new and different challenges,” Scott says, “it will propel you out of your comfort zone so that you can get ever more strong and fit.”

Scott has been training clients in physical fitness since high school when he was captain of the varsity wrestling team at John Jay High School. He went on to eventually manage a string of Gold’s Gyms before opening up Prescriptions for Fitness in Chappaqua, at its first location, 15 years ago. He is married to Lyn Reilly, who sells real estate in Newtown, CT. Their two daughters, Jillian, 8 and and Devyn, 4, are both avid dancers.

Many Prescriptions clients have trained there for a decade or longer and avidly attest to positive results. Chappaqua regular Paul Jenkel said he joined Prescriptions after watching his wife Barbara’s health profile literally transform from her workouts there. She had come to Prescriptions following a cancer scare and an osteoporosis diagnosis. Training two or three times a week with intense cardio and weight bearing exercises reversed her diagnosis. Another client, Chuck Rockefeller, has improved his golf game and overall fitness “tremendously” via a multidisciplinary golf clinic Scott set up at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club. “We are one of the only facilities in Westchester with Titleist golf performance Institute certified trainers who will evaluate and design an exercise program tailored specifically to your individual golf game,” explains Scott.

Scott is never surprised by the transformations he witnesses but always proud to be of service. Fitness goals, he says, are “a journey…you want to move forward, not backwards. There’s no easy way to lose weight and keep it off permanently without a commitment to regular exercise and training too, particularly as you hit middle age and those upper baby boom years. When you get in better shape, you feel and think and sleep better and you naturally make better food choices too.” With the holidays behind all of us, training this winter might just be the perfect time to give optimal health a try. For more info, visit www.prescriptionsforfitness.net.

Grace Bennett is the Publisher and Editor of Inside Chappaqua Magazine. Shutterbug Isabel Greenberg is a sophomore at Horace Greeley High School

SERVICES:  Bonnie Golub is a respected and recognized name in the Westchester real estate scene. She is a sought after agent who offers first class service by bringing buyers and sellers together in all phases of real estate–condos, single family, multi-family, rentals, commercial properties, and land.
GREATEST STRENGTHS:
Golub’s decades of experience and multiple awards as a “Top Producer” regionally has provided her with the knowledge and insight into how to close on deals together with optimal results for either buyers or sellers. “Marketing a home for sale, or finding the right home for my client is only part of the transaction,” she explains. “Defining the terms of sale and negotiating are equally important, and I believe that I am exceptionally patient and diligent in this regard. Typically, at the close of a transaction, my clients turn to me and say, “We were so happy to have you on our team!”

Bonnie Golub, William Raveis
A Licensed Real Estate Broker Since 1974 Celebrating a First Anniversary at William Raveis in December 2011