Building on The Values She Taught Me
Brett Hovis
On August 19, after a courageous 18-month battle with lung cancer, my mother passed away peacefully at home, in the arms of her husband of 50 years and surrounded by family. For 44 years of my life my mom rose before everyone else and tackled life with a work ethic that never wavered. She worked full time, raised four boys, took us to practice, never missed a game all the while my dad worked two jobs. She also did this while never complaining about it or having access to grocery delivery services or online ordering. Remarkably, during her illness she missed only two days of work, a testament to her strength and sense of responsibility to her career.
Growing up in Rock Hill, South Carolina, I didn’t know or understand anything about the dental laboratory world. I grew up just a few short miles from Sherer Dental lab and when the hiring manager at Dentsply Sirona noticed I’d listed my hometown and high school on my resume, he reached out to Jimmy Stegall and asked if he should interview me. My mom worked with Jimmy’s sister for years and that relationship helped open that first door to me in this industry. Her reputation alone helped me start a career in the dental lab industry and it has been a fun ride so far.
On recent co-travels I have had coworkers tell me, “You sure are comfortable just walking into a lab and cold calling them.” Well as a kid my mom would make my brothers, and I go to the “new kids” house and introduce ourselves and invite them to come play in the neighborhood. It’s funny how learning things like that as a kid makes you completely comfortable in a professional setting. It’s a reminder that welcoming a new neighbor is not that different from connecting with a new customer. Some of those friendships have been in place for over 30 years and I hope the same will be said for my customers 30 years from now.
My mom was also very good at having a personal connection with each of her 4 sons and 8 grandsons. Some families were close by, and some were further away, but it didn’t matter when you were with her she was present and always listening and engaged with you. Many of her co-workers expressed these same remarks about her at her service. These lessons have helped me in business to be more present, be a better listener with my customers and better listener with our sales team and colleagues. I think over the years it also taught me the value of consistency with your customer. Every customer is important, no matter how big or small they are, and you are only as good as your last interaction with them. Her passing is a reminder for me to be better at all of these things, not just for Nowak but for my sales team and customers the same.
Joining Nowak has been special because our company culture truly reflects the values my mom lived by: integrity, transparency, respect, dedication, and passion. She shaped not only who I am, but how I approach my work. Since starting in June 2024, I’ve often told her that, for the first time in my career, I get to work alongside a team that lives out these values every day. Recently, during a company-wide meeting where Shawn and Brandi rolled out our Mission, Core Values, and Vision, I found myself nodding along to every word. We’re not perfect, but we’re committed to making these principles the foundation of every decision we make for our customers and employees.
That commitment became deeply personal after her passing. My Nowak family stepped up, supporting me so I could focus on being with my dad and brothers. Many customers and vendors reached out as well, and every message, prayer, and gesture of kindness has been felt. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for standing with me and reminding me how special the dental lab community truly is.
—Brett