The sales and design specialist at Ceramic Tile Sales in western Pennsylvania is among a handful of NKBA members to earn all eight NKBA Specialty Badges.
By Dianne M. Pogoda
Mady Condie merged her interest in health with a passion for interior design and has carved out a career as a sales and design pro at Ceramic Tile Sales in Bethel Park, PA. She’s also one of just six NKBA members to have earned all eight Specialty Badges, and she did it all within six months.
To learn more about NKBA | KBIS Specialty Badges, click here.
While she did not go to school for a career in design or sales, she said her training and certifications in nutrition and health coaching have been of great value in her current role.
“These have helped with knowing that every single person has unique tastes, wants and needs and that it is your job to execute a balance of those so that the client is satisfied with the overall outcome of the project,” she said.
Condie, a member of NKBA’s Pittsburgh Tri-State Chapter, has been with CTS for about a year-and-a-half. “I’ve always had an interest and a passion for interior design,” she noted. “I knew some people in the industry and was offered a position in sales and design, with the opportunity to learn and grow. I have immensely enjoyed working in this industry and I am excited to gain more experience in the future.
In her downtime, Condie loves reading, hiking and cooking — which no doubt helps when she’s designing kitchen spaces.
She spoke with NKBA about her career and her motivation in earning all eight badges.
What is your area of expertise and your specific role at CTS?
My area of expertise is in both sales and design, and I am one of two designers here at CTS. We deal directly with many contractors, as well as homeowners, and other designers. A lot of my past work experience has been in customer service, which still plays a large part of my day-to-day role at CTS.
What drove you to earn all eight badges, which ones were easiest and toughest to earn, and which is most useful?
I wanted my knowledge around design to be as comprehensive as possible and I felt the badges were the best way to accomplish that.
The easiest badge for me to earn was Sales & Marketing. As someone who has worked in many customer-service/front-of-house positions, I feel like much of the information — while helpful — is common sense.
The toughest one to earn was Cabinetry, because there was so much information and vocabulary. Although it was the toughest, I have implemented so much of this knowledge into my job, which has been extremely helpful.
It’s very difficult to choose which is most useful, because they are all extremely helpful, but I use the information in Floor Plans & Specifications the most.
What advice do you have for anyone else thinking about earning all the badges?
Do it! I feel like I was able to learn so much beneficial information in a straightforward and accessible way. I also highly, highly recommend taking notes. There have been multiple instances where I have gone back to reference some of the information that I’ve learned throughout the Badge program.
What do you like most about your job?
I love being able to creatively problem solve! I also enjoy making the remodeling experience as fun and as easy as possible for our clients. It can be such an overwhelming task for some people to have to make so many decisions and it feels very rewarding to be able to direct people and mitigate the stress of having so many options. I also adore the people that I am surrounded by at work, which makes any job feel less like work!
Where do you draw inspiration from regarding designing with tile?
I think one of the best elements of designing is that you can draw inspiration from anywhere or anything. I get inspiration for each project from something new every time — whether it’s a specific color or just how the client wants to feel when they walk into their space.
Just 34 NKBA | KBIS members have earned six or more Specialty Badges, with an elite six members earning all eight. Current badges include Floor Plans & Specifications, Lighting, Cabinetry, Sales & Marketing, Sustainability, Remodeling, Universal Design and Color. Badges cost $199 apiece for the study materials and testing, and NKBA periodically offers special promotions that give members discounts. For more information about the badges, visit NKBA.org.
