DISH’s #MondayMotivation Inspiration this week is a dear friend, doggy daddy, rose gardener, City of Houston Webmaster AND Candidate for Houston City Council District C. Bob Nowak is one of the most easy going people you will come across. He has a smile for everyone he meets and if you really listen to everything he says, you will discover DISH’s favorite part about him… his super dry and wicked sense of humor! DISHIES, we proudly introduce you to, Bob Nowak!

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1) NAME AND COMPANY NAME: Bob Nowak, Bob Nowak for City Council District C

2) DISH ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS: I am running for the open seat in City Council District C, which includes most of the western half of the Inner Loop, plus Garden Oaks and Oak Forest and Meyerland. The election is November 5 this year. Very honored that Alan Helfman, President of the Helfman Motors, is my Campaign Treasurer.

3) HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR INDUSTRY: I was hired by Mayor Lanier’s Co-Chief of Staff on June 14, 1994. He was also Director of the Department of Public Works and Engineering (PWE). I wrote speeches and acted as a Communications Liaison in the pre-Internet and pre-311 days. I taught myself .html using a WordPerfect 7 textbook, in 1997, and PWE was the first City Department to administer its own web content. Then I started as City Webmaster in late October 1998, after the City’s first Webmaster moved on to the private sector.

4) WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO CREATE YOUR OWN: I am a 25-year City employee, always working with and among the highest levels of City government and their staffs. I’ve created and maintained the websites of four mayors and all their Divisions, two Controllers, and 62 Council Members. I have served the people who serve the people, and now I want to move from behind the scenes to the front and serve my fellow residents of District C.

5) WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF YOUR EXPERIENCE SO FAR: Block-walking in the Houston weather is occasionally a challenge, but it’s the most effective method of campaigning. As of June 1, 2019 I have visited 1,500 homes, walked more than 90 miles, and taken more than 200,000 steps. I have even been on the losing end of a Pit Bull bite while campaigning. As the dog’s owners were treating my puncture wounds, across the street at their grandparents’ house, all I wanted to talked about was my run for City Council. I comforted them by telling them I would visit the medical clinic the following morning as I had to be bandaged up and in a tuxedo within two hours for an gala that evening. They could not have been more kind and I think I got some votes out of it!

6) WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR EXPERIENCE SO FAR: The support of friends, the front porch conversations with residents, plus the four votes of the Pit Bull owners and the grandparents… And the dog’s owners putting a Bob Nowak for City Council sign in their yard!

7) WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELF OVER THIS JOURNEY: If you wake up happy and go to sleep happy, everything in between usually works out.

8) HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO GIVE UP: Yes. Though I know if seventy percent of the people vote for someone else, I make the runoff. And what do you call a baseball player who fails seventy percent of the time? A Hall of Famer.

9) WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO POWER THROUGH: Knowing there is a definite destination, a definite yes or no, in this journey, it’s election day, plus the date of the runoff in December.

10) WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF WHAT YOU DO: I was recently invited to meet with some residents who opposed something I publicly supported. We exchanged emails and scheduled a meeting within 24 hours of first contact. Great responsiveness. We had a roomful of respect and listened to and offered different ideas and opinions. We also concluded our meeting with a roomful of respect. Know to respect other opinions, and also know to respect the process.

11) HOW DO YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR FREE TIME: Tending to my rose garden and playing with my dog, a ten year old rescue Sheltie named Polo.

12) WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT HOUSTON: The rich history of blues and zydeco music in Houston. And those frequent “winter” days when we can wear shorts.

13) WHAT IS SOMETHING REALLY NEAT, FUN, OF QUIRKY ABOUT YOU THAT NO ONE WOULD EVER KNOW WITHOUT YOU TELLING THEM: I’ve done amateur stand-up comedy (NSFW!!)

14) IF YOU WERE TO GIVE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO SOMEONE STARTING OUT OR NEEDING THAT INSPIRATION TO KEEP GOING IN YOUR INDUSTRY, WHAT WOULD IT BE: Remember that every yellow light you’ve run, or every yellow light at which you’ve stopped, has changed the rest of your life forever.

15) WHAT IS YOUR WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA SO PEOPLE CAN FOLLOW YOU: Everyone is welcome to visit my website to read all about the latest and greatest with my campaign. I also invite everyone to connect with me on Facebook Instagram and Twitter.