b'NTCA MEMBER SPOTLIGHTMaryland tile setter pursues a path of excellence; starts social media group for womenBy Lesley Goddin, EditorMichelle Blomquist Hamilton is aIll do it until I pass I may have relative newcomer to the tile busi- convincedmyhusbandtotakeit ness. She runs Tile Maryland, LLCas well! (soon to be Creative Tile & Stone,The CTI is important to me and LLC) in Conowingo, Md.,with herto the industry, she added. There husbandJohn,andheryoungestneedstobeguidelinessetand son Josh, who is learning the tradestandards for tile installation, and as a helper.the CTI is a good start.Though her time in the industryHamiltonmakesitapointto may be short, her passion for the industry, and tile installation excel-lence is strong.I actually got into the businessve years ago when I started dating fimy husband, Hamilton said. He asked me to take over the business and wanted me to run the offi ce. I could not effectively run the busi-nesswithouthavingfullknowl-edge of it.So,Hamiltonquitherjobin fi nance and set out to learn every-thing she could. I am still learning new things and have become real-lypassionateaboutit,shesaid. ItookmyCertifi ed TileInstaller (CTI) test twice and did not pass, and am taking it the end of June. IIm so passionate about the industry as took it right after my mother passeda whole, and always want to be a part of it, Michelle Blomquist Hamilton of Tile away and I should have waited butMaryland/Creative Tile & Stone said.62 TileLetter | May 2020'