We’ve made a few changes: we included our Member Spotlight (featuring Chris Resti this time around) and Ask the Experts in this special issue and included the NTCA and CTEF Training schedule information in the magazine itself and not in a separate foldout piece.

And we have some new players onboard: Kate Koerber and Ryan Hysell join the training team while Melissa Swan and T.J. Estes make a graceful exit after serving the industry with their knowledge, skill and passion. And you’ll notice a Publisher Letter in this issue, too – Elena Grant has joined our NTCA team as Assistant Executive Director of Marketing Communications and Public Relations, and has taken on the mantle of Tileletter Publisher. Read her letter and be sure to welcome her at industry events throughout the year!

We’ve added an interview with John Bridge, on the occasion of a special award by NTCA presented at TISE in Las Vegas. Bridge is a great pioneer in the world of getting tile professionals from distant locations talking to each other – learn more about how his John Bridge Forum evolved and its impact on the industry. And check out the story about the new ANSI standards for pre-mixed grout penned by Will White of CUSTOM.

There is a veritable smorgasbord of training opportunities on the pages of this magazine. If you just select ONE – an NTCA Workshop or Regional program; a class from an industry supporter or supplier; an NTCA webinar or class at NTCA University, or choose to avail yourself of the wisdom in the NTCA Reference Manual, TileTV or our Trowel & Error video, you will have upped your game. Growth is inevitable – but you decide if your business will experience positive or negative growth depending on how you invest in yourself and your operations.

A side note – last month I told you all about an experience I had with a very informative plumber who visited our home to give an estimate for a new water heater. Let me just say – consumer education is part of the process; follow-up and consistency are also essential. He excelled at the former, but the information I received in the following days was contradictory and he dropped the ball when it came to clarifying the actual unit that would be going in our home; i.e. – he ghosted us. So, we decided to go with the terse, initial plumbing company who ultimately spent four dedicated hours changing out our water heater and bringing it up to code, then scheduling inspection from the city. We were really pleased with the technicians and their work. So from a “consumer” perspective – clear explanation, consistent information, good communication, and follow-through paired with professional execution of the job are all vital parts of the project. Aim to incorporate them all in your work.

God bless,