S3 E11 : Never Too Late for Change with Uli Sommers, Building Inspector
Episode Overview:
We all carry biases. Just because on this show, we are women that have open conversations about being in male-dominated fields, doesn’t mean that we are completely free of these biases. I never really thought of building inspectors being a male dominated field, and it wasn’t until I met Uli Sommers that I realised this was the case.
Admittedly when I met her I had no idea she was supposed to be my building inspector! She was suited up and ready to crawl under my house for a look at the crawlspace. As a surgeon that deals with blood and bone, I never thought her reporting about dead caterpillars under there would make my skin crawl!
Uli is an entrepreneur in the field of building inspections and construction. Previously a nurse in Germany, she is now a graduate of the ASHI School in Southern California and currently a member of the Oregon Association of Home Inspectors; serving as treasurer and secretary from 2014 to 2018.
We talk about her childhood and life in Germany, just before her migration to the United States. She explains her struggles breaking into the industry, finding a mentor, and starting her own business.
Episode Highlights
- How her childhood in Germany was, being very handy from a younger age
- Judgment she received as a woman in this male-dominated construction field
- Her career as a nurse in Germany and making that change to become a certified building inspector in the United States
- Working with a mentor to ride along and learn the practical application of the job
- Her journey migrating to the United States
- Starting a business and being her own boss
- Changing her perspective to deal with imposter syndrome
- Advice and encouragement for women
About the Guest:
Uli Sommers is an entrepreneur with a license in building inspection, a graduate from the ASHI School in Southern California.
She is a member of the OAHI chapter, the Oregon Association of Home Inspectors, serving as treasurer and secretary from 2014 to 2018.
In addition, she was on the national ASHI Education Committee for three years before joining the Board of Directors for the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors (EBPHI).
Connect with Uli:
- Website: www.sommershomeinspections.com
- Instagram: @UliSommers
- Email: ulisommers@gmail.com
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