Carrizosa said she’d like to see more women in the field and encour- ages those who might be reticent to jump in, to focus on the support and not perceived obstacles. She advises building up as much knowledge as possible. “If you have the knowledge and stand up for yourself if needed, [others] would totally respect you and see you know what you are doing and you belong here and can do this,” she said. “Women can do what men can do in the tile world as well or even better sometimes. This can be a growing community for women.” She also wouldn’t mind seeing a line of tools that are fun for women. “Pink ear protection, ran- dom stuff in the tool world….pink tools,” she mused. For Halford, “The novelty of being a woman installer wears off after a while,” she said. “When all the compliments, jokes, comments are spoken, when all the grout dust set- tles, one of the most important things that matters is if you are good at your job and can do the work. Constantly learn and stay up to date with new techniques, tools, and education in the field. Figure out what works and what doesn’t. Live life and make room for non-tile related activities!” One of the things Halford has valued is working on fantastic projects with those she admires: Rod Katwyk in Utah; partnering with J&R Tile in San Antonio for a 5,500-sq.-ft. mural for that city’s Riverwalk, and historic houses and the Capitol Building in Austin. “I am thankful to God, and for all the events, the struggles, the edu- cation, my parents, my family and friends – and the little felt circles my Maw-Maw let me play with when I was a child,” she said. “All of it matters, and I am humbled to be in this industry among such amazing people, and learning every day.” WOMEN IN TILE ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Certified TileInstaller WANTTOBETHEBEST? TheCertifiedTileInstaller (CTI)programistheonly third-partyassessmentofa tileinstallationprofessional’s skillandknowledgethatis recognizedbythetileindustry. Visitourwebsiteandputyourself abovethecompetition. GETCERTIFIED! 864-222-2131 info@ceramictilefoundation.org www.ceramictilefoundation.org Nothing wrong with some girl power on a project – pink tools make Chanel smile. 100 TileLetter | October 2017