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The NKBA past president shares her favorite NKBA memory, where she sees the K&B industry going, career advice and more.

by Elisa Fernández-Arias

Sara Busby, CKD, Owner, Sara Busby Design, has been in the kitchen and bath industry for over 30 years. With a background in architecture, Busby has been designing kitchens, baths and other areas of the home for a great variety of clients since starting her design company. In 2008, she served as NKBA President.

NKBA recently spoke with Busby about her experience as NKBA President, what challenges she has faced since completing her term and what she sees for the future of K&B.

Favorite NKBA Memory

Busby had many favorite memories from her time at NKBA, nearly too many to choose from. Overall, she said, she enjoyed her time both on a personal level, working with chapter members, and on a professional level, working with the executive team.

“This isn’t exactly a memory, but I do think about my time at NKBA often because of some souvenirs I accumulated during my time with the association,” said Busby. “It started as a joke. Anytime I traveled, I was given a set of salt and pepper shakers with the theme of the area I was visiting. Word got out…and I now have an amazing collection representing many areas of the country!”

The Future of the K&B Industry

When asked about where the K&B industry is headed, Busby was optimistic about its growth and talked a bit about what changes to expect. “Depending on what segment and market, the industry will continue to grow,” she explained. “The pandemic brought out an interesting design change, which means all the open plan projects we have done for 29 years need a new look. Technology, of course, will drive the demand for newer and better spaces and be boosted by competition.”

Life Post-Presidency

Since serving as President of NKBA, Busby has continued with her design work and has carried out projects throughout the Midwest. “I don’t order any products, so I don’t have that stress,” said Busby. “I spend my summers on Beaver Island and have three nice projects there. I work in the morning until 1 pm, then I’m on the beach with my puppy.”

“Clients spend a terrific amount of time researching and often not getting complete, correct or total info needed.”

Biggest Challenges

As a designer/dealer, Busby says that her biggest challenge is “how to maintain margins and have control over material selections, delivery, and warranties.” She also said that she spends a lot of time educating her customers, and that “clients spend a terrific amount of time researching and often not getting complete, correct or total info needed — and then want to make the purchase online.”

Career Advice

Finally, Busby closed the conversation by providing fellow K&B professionals with simple, but powerful, advice: “Love what you do — and remember that your word and honesty are crucial, and that it’s okay to say no.”