One year later: what one video shoot at The Tile Shop turned into

One year ago, I thought we were just making a cool video about tile. I had no idea what that one shoot would lead to.

The video above is our look back at that year. It's a little over two minutes, so if you'd rather watch than read, go ahead. I'll wait. Otherwise, here's the longer version, plus a few things I've learned about what a referral really asks of a contractor.

It started as a video about tile

In 2025, Aesthetic Tile had the chance to work with The Tile Shop on our Myth Breakers series. I flew a friend of mine, video editor Tony Mena, from Missouri down to Florida, and we filmed right there in the Orlando store. The first episode took on a question homeowners ask us all the time: are tile remodels too expensive? You can still watch Episode 1 on YouTube.

I've spent most of my life setting tile, not making videos. It showed. At one point I introduced the series as "Myth understandings," stopped, and asked out loud what I was doing. Another time I told Tony we'd have to reshoot a take. Both moments got caught on camera, and both made it into the new video.

At the time, I wasn't thinking about where any of this might take us. I was just excited to be part of it.

What happened after the cameras left

What happened after that went way beyond anything I expected.

The shoot led to relationships with Tile Shop teams in Kentucky and Florida. Those relationships grew into friendships, then referrals, then new clients and new projects. Along the way, The Tile Shop recognized us as a Featured Contractor. I wrote about what that interview was like last December, and before that, about the phone call that started it.

Today, multiple Tile Shop locations recommend Aesthetic Tile to their customers because of the quality of our work and the reputation we've built. (You can judge the work for yourself in our project gallery.) That's something I'm really proud of.

What a referral asks of us

When someone recommends your business, they're putting their trust in you. I don't take that lightly.

A store has something to lose when it sends a customer our way. The Tile Shop says it recommends trusted pros that it personally knows, and its stores keep a vetted list for customers to choose from. If we do a bad job, the homeowner will remember who sent us. So every referral puts the store's name on our work, right next to ours.

Homeowners lean on recommendations for good reason. Nielsen's 2021 Trust in Advertising study found that 88% of respondents worldwide trust recommendations from people they know more than any other channel. A store associate who has seen our work isn't a lifelong friend, but the idea is the same. Somebody vouched for us.

Holding up our end mostly means doing the unglamorous parts the same way every time. Every shower we build is leak-tested before tile goes on. Clients get photos and documentation while the work is happening. And if a problem comes from improper installation, we'll repair it for five years after the job is done.

If a showroom recommends an installer, do this next

A referral is a good place to start, but it shouldn't be the end of your homework. That goes for us too. The FTC's guide on how to avoid a home improvement scam is worth ten minutes before you hire anyone. It suggests getting contractor recommendations from people you know and trust, and getting a written contract before work starts.

A few questions I'd ask any installer a store sends you:

• Can I see photos of recent work that looks like my project?
• What goes under the tile, especially in a shower? Our guide to shower waterproofing and water testing explains why that matters.
• Will I get a written scope and timeline? Here's how to compare tile estimates side by side.
• Who will actually be working in my home?

Where this started: 17 years old, learning with family

Probably the coolest part of this whole year is thinking back to where it started. I was 17, learning how to set tile with family. Aesthetic Tile is built on three generations of tile setting, and most of what I know, I learned on the floor: watching first, then doing.

Back then, I never imagined I'd be running a tile company in two states, working with a company like The Tile Shop, or standing in front of a camera to share what I've learned. But here we are.

That family history is also where the name of our Signature Showers package comes from. My great-grandmother was a fine artist, and she signed the pieces she was proudest of. We try to build showers worth signing.

Still a small family business

We're still a small family business, working out of Groveland and serving homeowners across Central Florida. We still have a lot we want to accomplish. Honestly, it feels like we're just getting started.

Putting real time and money into video was a leap for a tile company. We wrote about why we decided to make that investment back in September 2025, before any of this had happened. I'm glad we did.

Thank you

To everyone at The Tile Shop who has supported us, trusted our work, referred customers our way, and helped open those doors: thank you.

And to the clients, friends, and people throughout this industry who have been part of our growth: thank you, too.

A year ago, we said yes to making a video. Looking back now, it turned into a whole lot more than that.

Here's to year two.

Brad

Planning a bathroom, floor, or backsplash? Send us a few photos and rough measurements and we'll talk through the options with you. If someone at The Tile Shop sent you our way, mention it when you reach out.

Further reading

• Ceramic Tile Education Foundation: find certified tile installers near you
• Tile Council of North America: tile installation standards and resources
• The Tile Shop: how its Pro Network works for trade professionals