Dentistry with Monique
475 Avenue C
(201) 339-2142
dentistrywithmonique.com
We visited Monique on one of those cool sunny days last May. It’s a compact, well-designed office. She was in-between patients, so it was quiet, just Monique and her two staff members, Meredith and Marta—and a workman inspecting the front door. You could call Monique’s team the three M’s. For 10 years, Marta was an employee of Monique’s mentor and stayed on when Monique took over. Meredith worked in another office for two years with Monique. “I knew she would be an asset if I opened my own practice,” Monique says. “When that day came I asked if she would like to join me, and she gladly accepted the offer. I am proud of the team I have and know that the success of the practice is never because of one person but because of the team as a whole.”
After talking to Monique, I wasn’t surprised that she ran such an efficient operation. She’s hands-on. She does it all herself, whether it’s dental-cleaning or oral surgery. At 34, tall and slim with long blonde hair and electric-blue high heels, she’s not your grandmother’s dentist. She’s a general dentist. “I love oral surgery, taking teeth out, implants,” she says. “There’s nothing I don’t like.” Monique knows when she has to refer a case to a specialist, but “nowadays patients like one locale where they can find everything they’re looking for,” she says. “It keeps me focused. I like the challenge. I wouldn’t want to do just one thing all day.”
Here’s Monique’s back story, in her own words:
I moved to Bayonne in fifth grade, attended St. Mary’s Star of the Sea, Bayonne High School, St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, and finally the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
I began my venture in the dental profession at the age of 18 when my dentist Dr. Grazyna B. Zielinska offered me a job in her office. It was the best decision I could have made because it changed my world and was one of the reasons I do what I do today. I wasn’t one of those dentists who knew at a young age that this would be my career. I had a friend in high school who always knew she wanted to become a dentist, and my response was, “that is disgusting, you want to dig in people’s mouth? Gross!” We went to separate colleges and lost touch for a while and then met up in dental school. The look on her face was priceless when she saw me on the first day. Of course her reaction was, “What are you doing here? Didn’t you say this was a gross profession?” Obviously, she was laughing as she said it. “Well I guess it isn’t as bad as I thought” was my response.
Starting off working as a receptionist and then progressing to assisting and managing the office is where my passion for dentistry began to bloom. Over the years, Dr. Zielinska not only was my boss but became my mentor. We grew a mother-daughter bond. She was like a second mother to me. She had two sons, so I was the daughter she never had. Watching her over the years as an entrepreneur and assisting her during dental procedures made me realize that this is my calling. I enjoyed going to work every day. I enjoyed the dentistry and finally over time I could picture myself treating patients.
It is a very rewarding profession on so many levels. My parents emigrated from Poland, and my father worked hard as a young man so he could provide a good life for his family. His dream was for his children to have a better life than he had as a child, and he always pushed us to work hard. My siblings and I were raised to be kind to others, work hard, get a good education, and good things would come our way. So, when I finally found my path in life, I knew my parents would be happy that their hard work had paid off. That was a reward in itself for me, to make my parents and my mentor proud.
Now that I’ve been a practicing dentist for almost 10 years, it’s rewarding when I am able to not only change patients’ smiles but their lives as well. When that patient first walked through the door, she barely smiled because she was embarrassed by her teeth. After the work is completed, a whole new person walks through the office doors, beaming with happiness, confidence, and a smile you can see from a distance.
It is also satisfying when I can comfortably take a patient out of pain. I understand most patients fear dentistry or were traumatized at one point in their lives because of a bad dental experience, and it’s rewarding when I can gain that patient’s trust and give them a gentle, comforting experience that enables them to gain trust in dentistry again.
It’s a real thrill when I work on a patient, and they fall asleep in the chair. Crazy as it may sound, it happens often because I know that patient feels comfortable and relaxed. The benefits of dentistry are many. I’m a dedicated wife and mom of two, and I am also dedicated to my practice. I make sure the patients feel my dedication to them because I want to create a lasting relationship and assure them that each time they walk through that door, the experience will not change.—BLP
Monique places implants and provides same-day denture fabrication, repairs, and relines. Visit dentistrywithmonique.com to view a full range of dental services.
Stanlaw Fitness
629 Broadway
(201) 339-1400
stanlawfitness.com
Walk into Stanlaw Fitness, and you know you’re not in your grandfather’s gymnasium. It’s light and airy and new, with none of the garish colors and lighting that you get in some fitness clubs.
Owner Mike Stanlaw, a BHS graduate, born and bred in Bayonne, sets the tone. He’s young (30) and enthusiastic and is living his dream.
After earning a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master’s in social work, he started to take stock.
“I was always interested in fitness and enjoyed it,” he says. “I’ve been working out since I was a kid. I did weight training and boxing.”
He’d been working part time as a trainer at New York Sports Club, Bally’s, and Total Fitness. “I was confused about what I wanted to do,” he says. “I wanted to go with my own creative vision. There were certain things I wanted to do, and I was limited in the gyms.”
He started thinking about owning his own business. “There’s a little bit of entrepreneurship in the family,” he says.
His sister and brother-in-law own funeral homes in Jersey City and Belleville. You could almost say that his business would compete with theirs: Stay healthy long enough and you can stave off the funeral home.
In 2014 he sat down with his family and his fiancée (now wife) to discuss the risks of starting his own business: looking for a building, buying equipment, insurance, legalities. “Everything went as flawlessly as possible,” he says. “My family is my biggest supporter.”
Exercising Inspiration
“I really want to get Bayonne into the best shape ever,” he says, “not just in the physical sense, but feeling great. This should be a healthy place, where they come to get the stress out and meet their physical goals.”
Mike’s background in psychology and social work helps. “You have to adapt to every single client,” he says. “While I’m assertive, I really go with the flow. You learn what makes people motivated, and what discourages them.”
Everyone’s different. Some, he says, want to look good for the beach or their weddings. Others want to improve athletic performance or relieve anxiety.
Group dynamics is an important element of the Stanlaw experience. “Comradery is part of the group workout,” Mike says. “Members know each other, they have fun, they laugh, and then there’s the hard work.”
Three trainers help Mike make it happen.
Mother Knows Best
Mike learned a lot from his mother, who’s been a hair colorist for 47 years at Hair Cutting Plus, two blocks away from the gym. “I learned customer service and how to treat people with respect from her,” Mike says. “Your client is the only person who matters. She’s made some amazing relationships with clients, who associate her name with quality service.”
A lot of mothers will be thrilled with Mike’s youth fitness program. “We see a lot of kids who are healthy and energetic, who have ambition and do well in school,” he says, “but the expansion of technology—iPods, iPhones, video games—is definitely leading to childhood obesity and a lot of laziness.”
The center offers kickboxing, weight training, yoga, spinning, TRX, and many other activities, classes, and training programs for both kids and adults. For a full rundown of offerings and schedules, visit stanlawfitness.com.
His Own Personal Best
Stranlaw Fitness opened in July 2015. One year out, what are Mike’s goals? “I just want to continue building the business and keep the personal touch,” he says.
He’s up at 3 a.m., and sometimes isn’t home until 9 p.m. after taking a yoga class. But, he says, “I still have a smile on my face. I absolutely haven’t worked a day in my life.”
He says, “I love the fact that coming here is the best part of somebody’s day.”
Morrissey’s Moving & Storage
792 Broadway
morrisseymovingcompany.com
(201) 222-1224
You’ve probably seen that hilarious Optimum ad showing “Three Brothers Moving” throwing boxes of snow globes down a steep staircase. The commercial is funny, but there’s nothing funny about your precious belongings getting broken or lost in a move.
Moving is right up there with wedding-planning and department-of-motor-vehicle visits when it comes to stress levels. You might be abandoning a beloved homestead, headed to a new city, or just worried that you’ll never see your stuff again. That’s one thing you don’t have to angst about with Morrisey’s Moving & Storage. Those breakable heirlooms? They’ll arrive safe and sound.
The company, which has been in business for about 34 years, has offices in Hoboken, Jersey City, Roseland, and recently moved to a new location in Bayonne at 792 Broadway.
“Now we have more foot traffic with more visibility,” says owner Ralph Morrissey. “It’s nice.”
Though he comes from a family of longshoremen, Morrissey has long been into moving. “In the Army I was always getting things from point A to point B,” he relates.
When people move, the storage end of the business also prospers. “A lot of stuff they can’t take,” Morrissey says, “or they don’t know what to do with it.”
The company also offers bin services, packing tips, and moving preparation.
Morrissey operates all over the tristate area, as well as in Pennsylvania, with a small fleet of trucks, ranging in size from 14 to 53 feet.
Anyone who’s ever hired a moving company knows that the work is backbreaking. “If it wasn’t for those people, we wouldn’t be so successful,” Morrissey says, referring to the movers. “They are so dedicated and honest and hardworking. If someone asks them to do something they smile and do it. If we have to move something 10 times to make the client happy we’ll do it.”
Morrissey movers follow U.S. Department of Transportation guidelines and are given the latest equipment and tools to do their jobs.
“Customers get quality service at a reasonable price,” says Morrissey. He offers in-house written estimates and doesn’t change the price, once the job is done.
Says Morrissey, “We protect your furniture and treat your family with respect.”