Say Yes to Better Hearing

Ronnie Rothstein  of the top-rated show Say Yes to the Dress.
Kleinfeld Bridal is the New York City destination-of-choice for brides around the world, boasting the largest selection of designer wedding gowns anywhere and an impressive staff of 250 bridal consultants, fitters, seamstresses, beading specialists and fashion gurus.

In the elegant Grand Salon, fit for a princess, brides-to-be in taffeta and lace, silk and tulle chat excitedly with mothers, grandmothers, friends and the occasional anxious groom as efficient and friendly consultants guide them through the process of creating a flawless look for the big day. It's a setting that has captured America's heart on the top-rated Say Yes to the Dress that airs weekly on TLC TV Network.

America may be tuning in to enjoy a day-in-the-life of this iconic retail establishment but for anyone with a hearing loss, the acoustics of the busy, oversized Grand Salon and onslaught of soft and high-pitched voices coming from every direction are - as Woody Allen might say - your basic nightmare.

Not so for Kleinfeld co-owner Ronnie Rothstein who was first diagnosed with a hearing loss more than 18 years ago. Often the only man on the floor, Ronnie navigates the Grand Salon with confidence, speaking to brides and their families, solving problems and offering advice. He is a model of experience, intuition, hard work and grace under pressure.

"We have 35,000 square feet at Kleinfeld and at any one time there may 40 to 60 people in the Grand Salon.  My eyes are going all over to see where I'm needed or where I should be. And it's not only my eyes that are going, it's my ears too," says Ronnie. He proudly points to his new Oticon Agil hearing instruments. "I am able to see and hear because I'm wearing glasses that make my vision 20/20 and new hearing aids that enable me to hear all around me, a full 360 degrees. This allows me to move quickly, quietly and unceremoniously to where I am needed to solve a problem or answer a question."

The 22-foot ceiling on the main floor of Kleinfeld Bridal was created to accommodate the lights, cables and sound equipment needed to film the popular weekly TV series and to meet the needs of the local, national and international media that travel to Kleinfeld to report on the newest bridal trends and designers. "The space is magnificent," laughs Ronnie. "But it really wasn't designed for a 67-year-old guy who can't hear!"

Ronnie first began wearing hearing devices when he turned 50. A self-proclaimed gadget guy, he regularly updates his hearing instruments as new technology becomes available. His most recent upgrade to the new Oticon Agils has taken him to a new high. "I switch hearing aids so I am better able to hear what my staff is saying to me, to hear what my brides are saying to me and to be able to respond quickly. If you don't hear perfectly, you aren't responding intelligently. You end up looking foolish or as if you don't know what you're doing. Clarity and effortless hearing - instinctual hearing - are extremely important to me. That's what I get with my new Agils." 

With a busy schedule that includes 10-12 hour work days, nightly dinners out with clients or designers and at least one wedding, anniversary party or celebration per weekend, Ronnie appreciates that his new hearing instruments allow him to hear effortlessly so he can save his energy for other important activities. It is hard to believe that the thought of a friendly social engagement once struck fear in the heart of a man who meets - and charms - more than 60,000 women a year.

"I eat out with my staff, my designers, and my brides and when we go to dinner they always want to go to a hot, trendy restaurant. Hot and trendy means one thing to a person with hearing loss - overwhelming noise!" explains Ronnie. "I've had my new hearing aids for just two months and I find that they adjust to this kind of background noise better than anything I've worn before. I can hear clearly. Before I would have to turn up the volume to hear conversation at the table. This increased the intensity of the background noise so much that it blasted my ears. I don't have that problem anymore. Tonight, I am taking some clients to one of the noisiest, trendiest restaurants in New York City. I'm not fearful to go there because I know I'll be able to enjoy my friends. In the past, I wouldn't enjoy myself because I couldn't hear. I would find myself nodding my head, smiling and agreeing to things I never heard! My hearing may not be 100 percent but I'm going to hear 95 percent of what is said tonight. And that will be a much better time for me and for my friends."

Clarity is especially important for Ronnie in his day-to-day interactions with staff and customers. "Being able to understand conversation is critically important to me," Ronnie says. "A wide variety of people come into Kleinfeld every day. Some people speak loudly, some speak with accents, some speak with different types of speech impairments or they speak in strange languages. Now I can hear it all and that has made a major difference in how I feel while I'm on the job and at the end of the day."

Hearing clearly on the phone with his new Agils is an extra plus for a man who estimates he receives a few thousand calls each month. "When I'm driving, I use the Streamer to take cell phone calls," he adds. "Before I started wearing Agils, I had special Bose speakers installed in my car so I could hear more clearly when calls came in on the car's Bluetooth. There's no comparison to the clarity I experience when I use my Streamer. It's a phenomenal improvement."

Although Ronnie acted immediately when he suspected he might be missing things due to hearing loss, he has firsthand experience with the devastating effects of untreated hearing loss.

"Not addressing your hearing loss and trying to 'get by' saps your energy. I think that is what happened with my father," Ronnie recalls. "His hearing became bad when he was in his late 40's and he refused to wear hearing aids until he passed away at age 82.  I think a lot of the strain and stress he had was related to the fact that he was an old fashioned guy that didn't think it was cool to wear hearing aids.  If we spent a day together, I would repeat the same things five or six times. It was exhausting for me and certainly exhausting for him to ask again and again for me to repeat. More than that, it was tragic for me and tragic for him that we couldn't communicate. Hearing is such an instinctual thing that when you lose it as my Dad did, everything you do becomes a strain and a major effort - even speaking with your son and telling him how much you love him.  With my new hearing devices I'm hearing effortlessly without even thinking about the fact that I am wearing them. Hearing is more natural and the sound is more natural. I don't have an echo or a nasal-sounding quality. What I'm hearing is what I really sound like. I'm hearing other people the way they sound naturally too. I wish my father could have experienced this kind of freedom."

How does a man who appears weekly on a national television show feel about discussing his hearing loss? "I consider myself an elegant dresser," Ronnie says. "I like to wear beautiful ties and beautiful handmade suits and shirts and I am not at all embarrassed to wear hearing aids - especially ones as sleek and modern as my new Agils. In fact, I tell my friends if your vision is out of focus, get glasses; if you hearing is out of focus, get hearing aids. You need to focus your hearing the same way you do your eyes - and if you don't, you are missing out on half of life."
Bottom line from the man who has helped thousands of women say yes to the dress: "Just say yes to better hearing. Selecting the right hearing solutions for your hearing loss will transform your life for the better instantly!"