Rachel Overby, owner of R&R Tile and Renovations in Anchorage, Alaska, has been in the industry since 2015, when she was hired by a Denver-based construction company called Sister Fix It. She brought a background in carpentry to the company.
When it came to tile, she “learned the trade from an amazing woman named Karen Rush,” Overby said.
“Karen had been setting tiles for nearly 40 years. She is a total badass—a tiny woman who is tough as nails. She taught me with a level of patience I’m grateful for every day. Because of her, I learned everything from traditional substrates to modern systems like Schluter.” Overby learned “the ‘old school’ foundations and an intro to the innovative products flooding the market today,” she said. “Our trade is always evolving, and Karen taught me that you can’t stay rigid, you have to stay open-minded because there are a million ways to ‘skin a cat’ in this industry.”
Overby said the “trust factor” truly sets her company apart from the competition. “When clients hear there is a female-led tile company, there is an immediate sense of safety and comfort,” she said. “They trust us in their homes, and they trust our attention to detail.”
Part of that detail is tackling a lot of large-format tile installs—2’x4’s and 4’x8’s—and a growing number of referrals for those complex installs.
Learning new skills—and testing them
Since it’s rare to get hands-on training in Alaska, when manufacturers or suppliers travel to Alaska to offer courses, Overby jumps on the opportunity. The internet has also become an invaluable resource of videos and forums. It takes a little sifting through the “noise and the ‘ego dinosaurs’ of the industry, yet if you know what to look for, the information is there,” she said. “I’m always pursuing ways to sharpen my skills.”
Overby put her skills to the test in March 2025 with the All-Women CTI Test, offered on International Women’s Day. “The CTI test was incredibly grueling, but it is essential if you want to be taken seriously as a professional tile setter,” she said. “Being in Alaska, we are geographically removed from most testing and certification sites. Most people here didn’t even know a certification existed until I mentioned I’m one of only four CTIs in the entire state of Alaska.”
The test was life-changing for Overby. “It solidified my commitment to the trade I’ve been in for a decade,” she said. “Beyond the technical standards, it connected me with a beautiful support group of women. In a male-dominated field, there is often a feeling that you can’t just be the ‘muscle’—you have to be the brains, the precision, and the execution. There is no room for error because, unfortunately, some expect you to fail. Meeting other women who ran their own businesses and were extremely talented was inspiring. There was no air of competition, only support, which made a stressful test much more comfortable.”
Lighting the way for women in the industry
Overby never misses an opportunity to advocate for what NTCA’s Women in Tile group does for women in the trades. “It is so important to show that there are organizations out there that have our backs and support our growth,” she said. “Women make up only about 4% of the trades workforce, which feels staggeringly low. I want to help highlight moments where women can get involved, especially in areas of the industry where they might otherwise be overlooked or excluded.
“I meet women all the time who are interested in tile but feel like starting a business in a male-dominated field feels inaccessible unless you have years and years of training,” she added. “Joining a crew where you are the only woman can also be intimidating. I believe visibility is the key to breaking that stigma.”
As a business owner, Overby makes it a point to hire women first when she needs a helper. “It’s been incredibly rewarding to train other women in the ins and outs of the craft,” she said. “I encourage everyone to hire interested women. Our trade requires intense attention to detail and thoroughness, and those are traits I see women excel at constantly.”
Overby joined the NTCA immediately after receiving her CTI certification in March 2025. “It has been an incredible resource for connecting with other members and accessing technical product information,” she said. “The vouchers alone have been a great benefit—they’ve encouraged us to branch out and try different high-quality products we might not have otherwise sought out, and with that we’ve discovered some new favorites.”
Tackling “big art projects”
The tile industry was not immune from the tariffs that hit suddenly last year. “I recently had a project where the actual material costs ended up being double my initial estimate. Both the homeowner and I were shocked by the jump,” Overby said. “Since then, I’ve had to completely readjust my bidding process. I now include a much larger buffer for material costs and try to stay in communication with my suppliers to ensure my quotes reflect the most current pricing. It’s about being transparent with the client while protecting the business from market volatility.”
For Overby, the joys of the trade include “the freedom, the creativity, and the fact that I’m always learning. Whether I’m working alone or with a partner, I view every project as a ‘big art project.’ You start with the mess of demolition and then rebuild that space into something beautiful.
“The greatest joy is the moment the finishing touches are done, and you see the vision come to fruition. It’s not just construction, it’s a puzzle and a craft,” she concluded.
Lesley Goddin has been writing and journaling since her first diary at age 11. Her journey has taken her through a career in publishing and publicity, landing her the editor position of TileLetter and its special publications in 2006. Her goal is to educate, inspire, recognize and encourage those in the tile industry -- especially the tile and stone contractor.
