Member Spotlight: Sacrifices for Success

Accomplishing goals requires discipline and dedication—especially in the B2B credit industry. NACM's Professional Certification Program gives credit professionals the opportunity to accomplish their professional goals through education tailored to their interests. With six levels of certifications, credit professionals can create their own path to earning a professional certification.

The Credit Business Associate (CBA) is an academic-based designation which signals mastery of three business credit related disciplines: basic financial accounting, business credit principles and introductory financial statement analysis. Tim Cain, CBA, is the director of global credit and collections at Keen, Inc. (Portland, OR). He said his journey required balance. "It was important for me to balance family time and study time as well as creating a dedicated time to study outside of the normal workday," said Cain. "Sometimes a bit of leisure time had to be sacrificed but I truly enjoyed learning complex concepts and applying those exact learnings to real-life scenarios. NACM's support was fantastic."

Knowledge from continued education is golden when it comes to professional progression, and earning certifications give credit professionals a better understanding of the credit profession. "Earning the CBA is such a great sense of accomplishment and a milestone in my career and additional designations are definitely in my future," Cain said. "For anyone interested in starting their journey, I would say to commit to the process and connect with others who are at the same point of your journey."

💡Study tip from Cain: "Try to study in 20-to-30-minute bursts at a time up to the final exam for at least 30 days to retain the information best."

For more information about each designation within NACM's Professional Certification Program, visit our website.