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People who work together, win together

“People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.”  
– Vince Lombardi 

It is December 5, and I am sitting at my desk in New Mexico finalizing the content for our February issue.

I don’t generally discuss the inner workings of TileLetter, but I thought it might be useful for readers to know a little about how we get things done around here. 

Currently, we are working a couple of months ahead, to make sure we can get TileLetter to you in a timely fashion. That’s especially tricky around now, since we have two extra issues – TRENDS and COVERINGS – thrown into the mix in the late winter/early spring; and to get those completed on time we need to be early (not to mention some major holidays!). Rest assured that staff writers and industry contributors are working to provide relevant content to illuminate, educate and inspire you. Our ad reps are also busy getting commitments from advertisers to fund our issue and provide you with information about goods and services provided by industry members.

One of the reasons I wanted to share that information with you is because some of you have been contacting me about contributing stories – and we are always very happy when you are! We love sharing voices from the industry and from the field. So, I wanted to give you an idea of how far ahead we work. For instance, by February 12, all the content for our Coverings issue will be delivered to Michelle Chapman for the magazine design, and then we proof it several times to hopefully eliminate any errors in content, spelling, punctuation and the like. If you have a hankering to submit a story for TileLetter, feel free to email me at [email protected] to run your idea by me and give me an idea of when I can expect it so I can fit it into our schedule. 

Since I mentioned our staff, I want to take a quick minute to thank all of them for their support recently. This is the first editor letter I’ve written since I’ve gotten back into the swing of things after 3.5 months in New Jersey, taking care of clearing and selling my mother’s home (she recently entered an assisted living community where she is extremely happy and thriving). Since I don’t have siblings, it was pretty much up to me to get this task completed. I combined  a month and a half of working full time, sorting through papers and belongings at night, with some paid time off and then had to shift to unpaid time off to complete the job and drive cross country back to Albuquerque (which is why I missed seeing you all at TSP in Nashville last October). It was a monumental task, but it would have been an IMPOSSIBLE task without the understanding of Bart Bettiga, and the support and help of the Marketing and Communications Team and then some. Avia Haynes, Michelle Chapman, contributing editor Lou Iannoco and other contributors jumped in and kept everything percolating and running on time to seamlessly get TileLetter into your hands. 

We talk a lot about work-life balance in business circles, but sometimes when the chips are down and the work-life ratio is ANYTHING but balanced, it is priceless to have a work family that has your back. Words are inadequate to express the gratitude I feel towards the entire crew. I share this with you to thank them all, and to let you know – if you don’t realize it already – what fine caliber people you have working for you and with you in the association. Truly, it’s a blessing. 

Enjoy this issue, and the stories we’ve assembled for you, including some stunning projects that celebrate National Tile Day on February 23. Are you planning to commemorate the day with a promotion or a special event? Drop me a line at [email protected] and let me know!

God bless,
Lesley
[email protected]

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Editorial Director and Senior Writer for TileLetter and TileLetter ARTISAN

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.

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