Novak has brought energy and innovation to every industry she has worked in, including architectural ceramic tile, journalism, academics, and the performing arts. She developed a paint formula licensed to Crayola, worked as a radio news reporter, hosted a cable television show, and raised two daughters and a son in Des Moines, Iowa and Boston’s North Shore. Now a grandmother, she is still hands-on as she oversees two manufacturing facilities and directs national and international sales for her children’s products (HowdaHugs®) and her original bestseller, The HowdaSeat® for adults, in the world of e-commerce.