Business Profile: Shear Designs, Mohegan Lake
Rilinda “Rita” Rexhaj, owner of Shear Designs on Lexington Avenue in Mohegan Lake, is living the American dream.
“I’m very proud of what I do and be able to come here and be successful and give my children what I never had,” she said inside the salon that she opened in 2007. “I have a passion and a love for what I do.”
A native of Albania, Rexhaj, the youngest of 10 children, said growing up she originally intended to be a nurse but after coming to the United States in 1993 and struggling with the English language, beauty school became an easier route.
“I wanted to serve people,” she said. “I was raised by great parents. My father was a doctor and they were always giving to people. I was pushed by my parents and I wanted to do something to make them happy. Being a hair stylist I would still give to people and make people happy.”
When she was eight years old, Rexhaj, her parents, two sisters and a brother endured a difficult experience, starting in 1981, when they were taken to a concentration camp after her older brother was caught trying to flee Albania to the United States. He was arrested and sentenced to 18 years in jail. He ultimately served 10 years. Meanwhile, the family was required to spend five years in a concentration camp.
While at the camp, her younger brother and friend tried to escape. He was missing for 10 days before he was captured, arrested and sentenced to 16 years in jail. He was let out after seven. However, the rest of the family paid the price again, receiving an additional five years in the concentration camp.
“We were crying. We were afraid. We didn’t know where we would go,” Rexhaj said. “I felt miserable. I don’t blame them (brothers) for what they did. I never forget what I went through and where I came from.”
Rexhaj attended beauty school in Manhattan and worked in several salons before moving to Putnam Valley in 2005 with her husband, Augustin, whom she married in 1990 as part of an arranged marriage. The couple has two children, Joanna, 19, who works in the salon and is an aspiring dentist, and Daniel, 15, who attends Putnam Valley High School.
“I decided it was time for me to open my own business. I liked the area a lot. Good schools, great people,” she explained. “I knew exactly what I wanted and when I first saw this place I fell in love with it.”
Serving women, men and children, Rexhaj emphasized she is grateful for her loyal clients, many of whom travel as far as Rye and White Plains. Besides herself, her talented hairstylists include Eileen Browne, Maria Velez and Jacque O’Brien. The salon specializes in hair cutting and hair coloring and is looking to expand its staff.
“I can look at a person and envision what will look best and make them classy and elegant,” she said. “I always have a great attitude. If you put 110% into your service and be honest with people, you always will grow.”
Another hallmark of Shear Designs is its charitable endeavors. Rexhaj recently donated $1,000 from one day’s earnings to the American Red Cross for the Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. In 2011, she donated $2,000 to Support Connection, contributed $500 to the Leukemia Society and made a donation to the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla.
In addition, Rexhaj volunteers her talents every Monday to the Ronald McDonald House in Valhalla. “It’s such a beautiful place. Hearing their stories, it’s so hard, but they make me feel really good by what they do,” she said.
Shear Designs is running a special during Valentine’s Day week with a 20% discount on all services. New clients also get a 20% discount on their first visit. Appointments are recommended but walk-ins are welcomed.
“I’m never going to stop. I have something in me that I will never stop,” she said.
Shear Designs is open Tuesday through Saturday. ( T-W 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thurs. 10 to 8, Fri. 9 to 8 and Sat. 9 to 5). It can be reached at (914) 526-9188.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/