“It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.”
– GERMANY KENT
It’s a chilly November morning a week before Thanksgiving. I’m sitting in my office, looking out at an aspen tree glowing gold in a last blaze of glory before the winter hits. But—because magazines work so far ahead to get you content in a timely manner—here I am writing about January.
I know I talked about gratitude in my November letter, but it seems to me that it’s also a good springboard to a brand-new year. And here’s why: I am grateful for this industry and the passion, dedication, and artistry that is constantly on display.
I’m grateful for the technical expertise that is shared—and that you can read about in our Ask the Experts and Technical stories.
I’m grateful for the stellar craftsmanship displayed by our tile setters—and I’m happy to bring you a story about recipients of the 2025 NTCA Tile Setter Craftspersons of the Year in this issue.
I’m thankful for the indispensable tools and materials our cover sponsor RTC Products offers the industry, and the opportunity to learn more about the evolution of that company in Bart Bettiga’s One-to-One story this month.
I’m grateful for TSP speaker Bruce Zwicker’s expert analysis of our economy and how it’s shaping up in 2026, and for the zeal and creativity exhibited by Anna McCortney and Sam Robinson of Ultimate Floors and how they have embraced this industry. They are presenters at TISE this month, so don’t miss their exploration of mentorship as the new marketing while you are there.
I’m also grateful to those who are contributing in new ways. In this issue, NTCA Member and Ambassador Lucas Hendrickson of Northwest Artisan Tile Company is creating cartoons for us that relate to the monthly theme, bringing some lightheartedness into the issue. And look for Mindset Matters monthly installments too. A group of caring industry professionals developed a Mindset Matters Facebook group last year to support mental wellness and fitness. The monthly installments will share illumination and grounding from the group, starting with this issue.
I’m also deeply grateful to all our sponsors and advertisers who enable us to bring you “training in print” through TileLetter and TileLetter.com, and to the stellar TileLetter and NTCA teams who work tirelessly to support our members and with whom I’ve collaborated over my 20 years as editor.
In our working content calendar, our theme this month is “laying the foundation/substrate prep.” What better foundation could there be but a solid layer of gratitude for all the industry offers? That is reflected on the pages of this magazine and in what NTCA offers tile contractors, installers, and artisans. So, welcome to 2026. May it give you many opportunities to count your own blessings in this industry and in your life as the year unfolds.
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.
