Dr. Steven Reiss
Annamarie Faubel
The Dental Team
(203) 775-1771
109 Federal Road, Brookfield 
Dr. Reiss has become a household name in Brookfield as he has been practicing dentistry for 36 years, 29 years at his present location on Federal Road in Brookfield. He has served three and sometimes 4 generations within a family.Continue Reading
Dr. Steven Reiss
Annamarie Faubel
The Dental Team
(203) 775-1771
109 Federal Road, Brookfield
Dr. Reiss has become a household name in Brookfield as he has been practicing dentistry for 36 years, 29 years at his present location on Federal Road in Brookfield. He has served three and sometimes 4 generations within a family.
Dr. Reiss, originally from Long Island, attended the University of Missouri where he played Baseball and graduated with a BS degree from Adelphi University. He received his DDS degree from New York University College of Dentistry. The opportunity to move to Connecticut became available soon after graduation because of a change in state licensing exams that allowed him to take one certification test which was recognized in CT as well as in NY. Longing for a great quality of life…and to be closer to skiing… Steve, settled in first Danbury and then Brookfield where he and wife Elsa raised 2 daughters, Sara and Rachel.
Dr. Reiss’s goal in setting up his dental office was to provide outstanding and caring dentistry with the most up to date techniques and technology. He knew that he wanted to have an in town business in order to become a part of the fabric of the town and be present for his family.
Dr.Reiss is an avid gardener and his home has been a visitation stop for the local garden club. The grounds around his office show that same love. “It’s OK to have weeds in your garden and in your life” is one of his mantras, as he points out that everyone just needs to slow down and appreciate every moment and each other more.
His practice currently houses 2 other full time dentists and a periodontist. About 2 years ago he added Annamarie Faubel as his Executive Director. Together, they make quite a team as Annamarie handles the facility, IT, compliance and HR functions which frees up Dr. Reiss to be present for his patients. It is all about the people for Dr. Reiss. As he put it, “Molars are important, but the PEOPLE behind them are phenomenal and take precedence.” His patients become his friends, his family, and his primary concern. The values he brings to his practice include kindness, communication, compassion and education. He wants to make the process of dental health fun and stress free.
Dr. Reiss has been appointed by the Governor as 1of 6 Dentists who serve on the State of Connecticut Dental Commission. He believes everyone deserves adequate care and will accommodate any patient to make sure their dental needs are met.
The majority of his staff have been with him for decades. His key to success is to surround yourself with the best and most talented people. To be able to trust people and to delegate without hesitation is critical.
The monthly Lunch N’ Net sponsored by the Brookfield Chamber of Commerce, featured speakers were Miranda Goodspeed, Director of Sales and Patty Kane, Senior Sales Representative for Town Square Marketing. Most commonly known for owning local radio stations, they presented a unique and timely message to the attendees. The goal of the radio, and the events that they sponsor is to drive people online to find meaningful content. The radio and events serve as “THE CARROT’, to get listeners and attendees to their website. They challenged the group to think about how a consumer who does not know them or perhaps has seen them marginally but needs to contact them might find them. With continual, unique, multiple touch points that speak to what differentiates you, your product, service or message the goal is to become known before you are needed and to be easily found at the critical decision making moment.
The way consumers make decisions has changed dramatically over the years. In the past. Marketers have pushed their message to the consumer. The world has changed from a marketing controlled buying cycle to a consumer controlled process. By differentiating and providing value before it is needed the business hopes to PULL the consumer to them. Before you can be good and provide service, you need to be different and memorable. Marketing needs to be solution focused. It needs to identify in its message the problem or desire and show the consumer the answer. The business owner needs to “SELL” the benefit first and then tie it down with the feature rather than the other way around. The Marketer needs to understand who their market is and how and where they get their information. Did you know, for example, that 24% of households have 5 or more mobile devices, making the inclusion of SEO, mobile websites and social media strategies more relevant than ever? They noted that 78% of people research buying decisions online and 62f% check social media. They also noted that the consumer is not only going to rate the product or service online but also the entire transactional experience. Media is becoming more mobile, personal and interactive.
Miranda and Patty stressed that to be successful you need to WIN ON THE WEB, and be able to be found to a wide consumer pool 24/7/365. You need to BE your brand and that starts with knowing what your brand is and what your message is. Town Square Media offers consultative marketing services to help businesses increase their visibility to their target market.
Whether it is creating an interact mobile website or having a presence on the Town Square Marketing sites, call Patty Kane for more information 203 775-1212, Patricia.kane@townsquaremedia.com The Brookfield Chamber is holding these topical presentations monthly on the 4rth Thursday of the month from 12:00-1:30. Either call the chamber office at 203 775-8282 or go to www.brookfieldchamber.org for upcoming event.
At the monthly Lunch N’ Net sponsored by the Brookfield Chamber of Commerce, 
featured speaker was Charlie Williams, the Senior Security Officer for the Savings Bank of Danbury. He spoke on the topic of protecting your financial information. He told the audience that banks lose more money to fraud and scams than they do to robberies. Beginning with an overview of the most common SCAMS, he touched on Lottery Scams, Bail money for family members, IRS, Quick Car Sales, and others that ask the “Victim” to wire money. No legitimate enterprise will ever ask you to wire money for any reason. Employees at Saving Bank of Danbury are especially vigilant about asking for details before agreeing to do wire transfers. Mr. Williams pointed out that once the money is wired there is no way the Bank or anyone else can help you to get it back.
ID theft, he noted, is one of the fastest growing crimes. With the convenience of debit cards and online shopping come some risk. He advised being especially protective of allowing anyone assess to private information. Tips included shredding bills, mailing outgoing bills from the post office, paying bills online and not routinely carrying credit cards in your wallet. He recommended ordering online only from secure sites rather than 3rd party wholesalers. The good news is that as a consumer you are able to contest fraudulent charges up to 60 days. Not so for business accounts. They need to be reviewed daily as the “look back” period is only 48 hours. The first thing to do if you suspect your identity has been compromised is to alert the 3 credit reporting companies, Experian, Equifax, and Transunion and ask them to put a Fraud Alert on all of your cards. He also recommended having photocopies of all of your documents including social security card, license and credit cards stored in a safe place.
New forms of credit and debit cards will be available shortly with implanted EMVchips. Vendors will need new scanners to accommodate this change. These cards have been used in Europe for years. The new Apple Pay is one of the most secure ways currently used. Rather than carrying a card it is actually on your smartphone and is fingerprint protected. It works like a debit card and can be presented to many vendors at this point.
Thank you to Branch Manager, Linda Wagner, for arranging this informative talk. The Brookfield Chamber is holding these topical presentations monthly on the 4rth Thursday of the month from 12:00-1:30. Either call the chamber office at 203 775-8282 or go to www.brookfieldchamber.org for upcoming event.
Krissy Morris
Computer Trouble Shooters
(203) 702-2103
355 Federal Road
Krissy is a new face at Computer Trouble Shooters. Owned by Rick VanAkin, she answered an ad about
a year ago and has taken on the role of Marketing and Client Relationship Director for the already successful business. Krissy oversees the overall marketing operation from managing the budget to posting on social media including Facebook, Pinterest, Angie’s List, Twitter as well as working with the website to increase SEO activity. She researches and has identified media outlets that will work and not work to attract and support their ideal client base. This, she identifies, as local individuals and small professional businesses within the Greater Danbury Area. They have great insights into the business needs of professional offices including insurance, chiropractic and attorney offices, among others. Statewide and regional advertising has been eliminated in favor of client referral appreciation and strategies that include Angie’s List, Groupon and Google Ads. Networking and Business to Business activities help get them in front of their ideal clients.
She pointed out that, with a small business, Rick will assess what will work best for the client, thus optimizing the clients technology dollar. Computer Troubleshooter sells cost-efficient, high quality technology solutions and services that helps their clients become more productive and help solve business problems …not just computer problems. They spend time analyzing and counseling the client in order to SMART SIZE their technology. They help the client budget for continual improvement and reduce down-time.
Services include all things IT from selling new and refurbished equipment, voice over IP phone systems, servers, data storage, backup and recovery, tune ups, hardware repairs, software configuration, to hosting of both email and websites, building inter office networks and offering “peace of mind “ service plans.
Krissy is excited to learn from Rick, as her background is in customer service in the Health and Wellness Field. She has served in the capacity of Member Service Director for a New Jersey YMCA and worked with various large companies to create wellness marketing plans. Krissi enjoys the creative side of working at Computer Trouble Shooter, the learning and the client interaction. Krissi and her husband have lived in Brookfield since 2013. She has three children, girls 16 and 14 and a 9 year old son, three step children and three dogs. Her husband is a Captain at the Garner Facility in Newtown.
A lesson in DELEGATION, Krissy allows Rick more time to work in the field assessing client needs. Her keys to success are to treat everyone with equal importance and to be her authentic self. Rick’s keys to success is delegating so that he can be the touch point for his clients and never treating the question from a client as a “stupid question”.
Debra Dlug
Brookfield Family Chiropractic
(203) 775-7102
499 Federal Road
De,. Deb is a recent graduate from the University of Bridgeport where she graduated with a Doctor of Chiropractic. 
Originally from Long Island, Dr. Deb knew early on that this would be her path. With a Chiropractor in the family, her Mother believed in the holistic approach to treatment and from infancy through various sports related injuries, it was their first line of medical treatment. Dr. Deb relies, not just on spinal adjustments, but also does counseling in nutrition, exercise and uses various methods of treatment including soft tissue massage, manipulation and mobilization. Her focus is on treating the nervous system, which, as she explained, influences the immune system as well as the dynamic functioning of all organs, not just the muscular/ skeletal system. Since all nerves fun first through the spinal cord, correct alignments insures that there are no energy blockages through these portals.
Dr. Deb cam to Brookfield Family Chiropractic through an inquiry for a practitioner through her graduate school After joining the practice, the former owners decided to sell and she took advantage of the opportunity to open her own business. She anticipates adding a massage therapist, other practitioners, physical therapists and creating a wellness center. She already offers seminars on various wellness topics.
Dr. Deb treats clients of all ages but her specialty is in pediatrics. Ear infections, reflux disorders, and asthma can benefit from chiropractic care., As a member of the ICPA (International Chiropractic Pediatric Association), she has taken extensive seminars in pediatrics as well as on the issues specific to pregnant women. She conducts a thorough pre treatment exam for all of her patients which may include an assessment with an Insight Millennium Subluxations Station, X-rays, Thermal Scan and uses an Antioxidant Scan to help assess a patient’s overall antioxidant levels with advice on supplementation.
Dr. Deb hope to become an active participant in the community and has already interfaced with various Mom’s Groups, the High School Boosters Club and sponsors the Park and Rec. Road Races. A runner herself, she has just completed her first full marathon,. Dr. Deb enjoys Yoga and teaches gymnastics in her spare time. Her key to success is to build meaningful individual relationships within the community through networking. Her goal is to help patients achieve ultimate wellness..
Did you purchase your condo during the height of the market?
Has your family or your lifestyle changed?
Do you feel that there are no options out there for you?
I am here to tell you that I deal with these situations almost on a weekly basis and you DO have options. When you feel totally stuck, it is hard to move forward and see the light at the end of the tunnel. One of the things that I enjoy most about what I do is to talk people through their options. Each scenario is different and thus each solution is unique to the circumstances.
Are you staying local?
How is your credit?
Do you have ANY equity in the condo?
Can you afford to carry both the condo and a new home?
Are you employed?
Do you have other assets…401K, Savings, parents, etc.
What is your current interest rate on your mortgage?
What other debt do you have?
What are you long term financial goals?
As you can see, there are many, many combinations of goals vs. financial ability. I have counseled four couples recently with 4 very different outcomes.
Scenario One– This couple had a 2 bedroom condo which was “under water”. Since they had purchased it their family had grown from two to four. They had bought it for $250,000 and today’s value was $180,000. Because they did not have a 75% equity position in the condo they could not use any potential rental income to offset the mortgage cost. They did, however, have excellent credit and great income. They had very little money saved but could tap into a 401K. Since they had no equity in the condo they could NOT refinance into a lower interest rate. The carrying cost exceeded the amount we could rent the condo for.
Their Decision–RENT AND BUY We rented the condo at a monthly loss of about $150. They are going to pay down principal as fast as they can and with future appreciation they will refinance when they can. They are planning on keeping the condo for 20+ years as a passive income stream in the future. They could qualify for carrying BOTH the condo and their next home so they purchase a modest but nice 4 bedroom colonial using a VA loan with NO money down. The Seller paid most of the closing costs.
Scenario Two- This couple had suffered a job loss and although they had stayed current with their mortgage, their credit had dropped to the low 600 level. They were living in a 2 bedroom condo and their two children needed more room and a yard. Although their condo had lost considerable value, after I did an opinion of value and a net sheet, they had about $20,000 worth of equity.
Their Decision-SELL AND RENT This couple is going to sell their present condo and with the equity pay fees (2 month security, 1st month rent) in order to get them into a suitable single family home rental in the town and school district that they want for the children. They have upward mobility now with new jobs and they will save and re-establish their credit in order to buy within the next two years.
Scenario Three- This couple had a job opportunity out of the area. They had lost considerable equity in their condo and did not want to “cash out” and loose money. They had bought the condo at a 6% interest rate.
Their Decision- RENT AND RENT- Since they had enough equity still available, they were able to refinance to a 3.5% loan and thus realized a $300 profit from renting. They are planning on continuing to use the condo as a rental for at least the next 5 years until they can get back what they put into it. They moved to their new job location where they are renting a home. They will probably have saved enough to purchase within the next 2 years.
Scenario Four- This couple had some bad luck with job losses and some medical bills. They too were “under water” on their condo.
Their Decision- SHORT SALE AND RENT- Since they could demonstrate a “hardship” (job loss, divorce, medical issues, death) they could qualify to do a short sale. We sold the condo well below the mortgage amount. The bank “forgave” the difference. Of course it hurt their credit. With a family member as a guarantor on the rental, we were able to find them suitable housing. Since that time, they have found jobs and within two years will qualify to purchase once again.
I could go on and on, as there are as many solutions as there are people who feel that they cannot get out from underneath their condo. My job, as a Real Estate COUNSELLOR, is to get people from where they are to where they want to be. Call me for a FREE consultation to help you to define your housing and lifestyle options. Linda McCaffrey 203 994-3666
In the past I have defined the Boomerang Generation as the post college adults who, instead of buying, choose to come back and live with parent. There is now a new definition of BOOMERANG buyers. They are now defined as those homeowners who, either through foreclosure or short sales, lost their home during the recession. There past homeowners are slowly passing the milestones that allow them to reenter and qualify to buy once again. For Short sale victims, the threshold is 2 years, for Foreclosure victims it is 7 years. As long as these people have found jobs and re established credit, they will be starting to enter the housing market. Below you will find the numbers entering the market by year.
Potential Boomerang Buyers Nationwide
2015 551,359
2016 1,019,303
2017 1,125,827
2018 1,324,803
2019 1,112,584
2020 972,875
2021 721,005
2022 455,489
TOTAL 7,283,345
This is just one of several factors that will be affecting the number of buyers in the market, but it is significant. Other factors that I watch closely include household formation, job growth, student debt and of course mortgage availability. At McCaffrey Professionals it is about KNOWING the market and future trends to help our buyers and seller make wise housing choices.
Alise Beccaria, LAc
Lotus Flower Acupuncture and Wellness Center
(203) 546-7117
499 Federal Road
www.LFAWC.com
Alise did not plan a career in Acupuncture. Her family business was Asbestos, Mold and Lead Abatement. 
Her schooling was in psychology and she was planning on becoming a chiropractor. When she graduated from college she went to work, instead, in the family business learning skills that would be her keys to success later on. Organization, corporate structure, dealing with the public and sales techniques is not part of the Acupuncture curriculum. These skills along with her degree in psychology make for a unique and effective skill set when she deals with her business and her patients.
After meeting husband Pat, owner of New England Environmental Tank Service, and moving to Brookfield (also by accident in 2003) she began treatment herself and discovered her calling. She commuted from Brookfield to New York City for four years studying Traditional Chinese Medicine and earning her Masters in Acupuncture. She later went on to become a certified Heath Coach to offer her patients even more options for wellness.
Lotus Flower Acupuncture and Wellness Center has been open since 2010. As an acupuncturist she uses not only needles but also many other modalities like cupping to help relieve stress and pain by unblocking and balancing energy channels. Alise believe that traditional medicine treats the symptoms while her treatment is about alleviating pain by treating the underlying imbalance whether it be emotional or physical. By stimulating the production of endorphins and channeling energy to the appropriate location she treats many illnesses from insomnia to digestive problems, menopausal symptoms, headaches, golfers elbow, joint paint, stress and more. She is introduced to her new client by way of a 2 hour counseling session where she assesses, diagnosis and recommends alternatives.
Alise is a student of Yoga and also enjoys reading and meditation. She would like to expand her knowledge of Yoga to be able to help her clients quiet their minds and heal with stress related illnesses.
During the three months following the Sandy Hook Tragedy, Alise could be seen volunteering to treat trauma cases, seeing over 400 patients during that time at the free community clinic that was set up there by local Acupuncturists. She has a passion for giving back to the community and also volunteers her time treating at a free community clinic in the Bronx.
Dawn DeCosta
Tech Savvy
(203) 830-9673
www.techsavvyd.com
In 2013, after working for Apple both in their retail and business services group, Dawn found that 
she really enjoyed the teaching aspect of her job and after several clients expressed interest in “taking her home”, she launched Tech Savvy. With the mission to make technology less intimidating for those who are just getting started or have slipped behind the times in terms of mastering the latest technology tools, she has conducted numerous individual and group training sessions throughout the Danbury area. Her clients follow two profiles: older adults who have not been brought up with technology and small businesses who need to learn to use technology more efficiently.
She also is passionate and gives classes about keeping children safe on the internet. She encourages parents of children of all ages to check what they are doing online and encouraging them to make good choices.
Dawn provides onsite, one to one coaching, in areas such as iPhone and iPad tutorials, PC and Mac training, Email file customization and how to integrate multiple pieces of technology to work together.
Previously, Dawn worked as a technology consultant and database administrator for the Brookfield Public School System. She, and husband Mike, are the parent of two teenagers and she has been an active volunteer in the community. She has served a the Co-President of Brookfield Neighbors and Newcomers and was a long time member of the Brookfield PTO Cultural Committee.
Dawn graduated from Marist College with a degree in marketing and attended Boston University’s Graduate School of Communications.
Besides loving all things “techy”, she also enjoys times with good friends and escaping to NYC. Her key to success is when you give you get back 10 fold. Life is about balance but also about helping others.