Dawn Blue Brown

I attribute my success to my 21 years of clinical experience as a dental hygienist, which gives me real credibility when I'm working with dental offices. It makes a huge difference that I've actually been in the trenches and done the job myself, so I'm not just a salesperson. I can actually have better conversations with these accounts because I can relate to them. My education from the University of Texas dental school gave me the foundation, and being able to get past the front desk and make relationships with the office staff has been key. You have to be able to relate with those people, or you're toast. I've also been fortunate to hit 100% quota every single year for six years and received President's Club honors. What really makes me proud, though, is being a field sales trainer and helping other women and team members learn the job and be successful. I always tell them there's always room for all of us at the top. It doesn't have to be me or you, we all can do really great things and be successful. I also started a Women in Align group with virtual happy hours and a book club because I think it's special having women meet with other women in the company to support each other. And now, after 12 years of fertility treatments and never giving up, I finally have my son Grayson at age 48, and I'm navigating being a working mom while still maintaining my high goals for myself.

The best career advice I’ve ever received is that it is possible to build a successful career while also having a fulfilling family life. I am especially proud of my 14-week-old son, Grayson, and my personal journey, including fertility treatments, has given me a deeper understanding of how challenging the path to motherhood can be for many women. That experience has strengthened my appreciation for resilience, balance, and compassion in both my personal and professional life.

I would tell young women that you don't have to stay in your original profession. You can do way more than you think. I want to showcase to other women like me that you can do this. I feel like I've done it all, and I want to do more. I don't want to be limited to just one little thing. You can have a successful career and also be a mom. I went through 12 years of fertility treatments alongside work, going to appointments, getting injections, having surgeries, and I never gave up. I kept that separate from work because I had so many work goals, and no one on my team really knew about it. I was one of the most successful ones on the team while going through this personal struggle. We all go through struggles, but it doesn't mean you can't be successful and help other people. Women have a lot going on at home, and we must make time for self-care. I'm now navigating the work-life balance of being a mom to my 14-week-old son, and my time management has actually improved since having a baby. I can get things done way faster now.

One of the biggest challenges I am navigating right now is balancing my responsibilities in a demanding professional role while also adjusting to life as a new working mother to my 14-week-old son. It requires constant prioritization, flexibility, and learning how to manage time and energy effectively in both areas. At the same time, this stage presents a meaningful opportunity to grow in resilience, deepen my leadership skills, and contribute to evolving conversations around workplace support for working parents.

The most important values to me are supporting and empowering other women. I love being a mentor to others and helping them achieve greatness. I think it's special having women come together with other women, because even though men are great, there's just something special about that connection. Women can get caught up in wanting to be better than the other person, but I believe we should come together and support each other. I always tell my team there's always room for all of us at the top. I also believe in checking in on people because we don't know what other people are going through. Someone's always going through something, and that extra little support helps them know they're seen and heard and not alone. I feel like women are more in tune with wondering how someone is feeling and what they need, whereas men can be a little more self-focused. As a working mom now, I have way more respect for other moms who are working, and I can relate better. I also value self-care, which is why I'm a certified yoga instructor. Women are so busy and multitask all the time, and we don't realize our nervous system gets so dysregulated. We need time to pause and reset. In my spare time, I love photography, butterfly gardening, hiking, and snow skiing in the mountains.