We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andrea Hembroff a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Andrea, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about the best advice you’ve ever given to a client? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

I work with a lot of individuals who suffer from environmental illnesses. Navigating environmental illnesses can be financially exhaustive. One must diagnose an environmental issue, remediate (heal) their environment, test their body, and heal their body. Oftentimes this is all out-of-pocket. It is imperative to be cognizant of where you are allocating your resources when navigating this multi-step process. The biggest mistake I see folks make is spending money testing their home without obtaining a proper environmental diagnosis. Any resources that a person allocates to testing/inspecting their home for mold should aim to meet  two objectives; 1. Identify source(s) of moisture, 2. Determine exactly what building material is affected by mold. It is important to meet these two objectives because these are the details you need to identify to move forward, to remediate. Oftentimes folks start with something called an ERMI test which carries a great number of limitations and at the end of the day, the data points this test provides do not work towards identifying the issue in the home or meeting the objectives listed above.

The best advice I can give to anyone who is considering mold remediation is to acquire a proper diagnosis of the issue prior to committing to remediation. Again, a proper mold issue diagnosis involves identifying source(s) of moisture and determining exactly what material is affected by mold. A good diagnosis should also involve taking a holistic view of the home. A home is a living and breathing entity with various pathways and pressure differentials. If you have an unhealthy fungal ecology in one part of your home, there is always a possibility that those spores have carried to other areas of your home, so it is advantageous to look at the home as a whole.

A good mold inspector should be a well-rounded professional. It is very important that your inspector be accredited and have a good working knowledge of mold and mold testing methodologies. Each and every mold testing methodology carries its own limitations and strengths, therefore, it is important that you hire a professional that understands how to interpret the data points that these tests render. Secondly, and just as important, is finding an inspector who is proficient in the building sciences with a firm understanding of how the building envelope is constructed. I like to say that this is analogous to expecting a medical doctor to know the human anatomy and physiology when diagnosing a patient. A good mold inspector should use a variety of tools when evaluating a home. Mold testing is simply one tool that should be used alongside other tools.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I had never intended on being an indoor environmentalist. My education is in the sciences and my professional goal was to be a physician assistant. I excelled in the sciences and I knew that I wanted to help people heal, so going into medicine made sense for me. In 2017, I purchased my first home after my daughter contracted lead-poisoning from our rental home. Upon moving into our new home, my health began to decline rapidly. What we later discovered is that we were living in substantial amounts of hidden toxic mold. By the time we realized this, we had already spent every penny we had trying to treat my mysterious illnesses that kept me from functioning enough to work. We spent about 3 months living in a tent in our backyard and it is there that I read every book I could get my hands on. I read everything I could on mold toxicity, indoor air quality, mold remediation, and environmental testing. I was literally reading to save my life. We had no more money and we could no longer afford professionals, so I became the professional that we so desperately needed.

We moved back into our home after remediating in September of 2021. In November of 2021, I sat down with the owner of Green Home Solutions, a local mold remediation and indoor air quality company who offer holistic and non-toxic remedial protocols. After two months of chasing him down and demanding he hire me, the owner Charles Clark offered me a job. We didn’t know exactly what I would be doing in his organization, but he took a chance on me nonetheless. Over the past 2 years I have created my own role in his organization. I currently work as a client advocate and director of education. For me, navigating mold remediation is incredibly personal. I am grateful for the ability to reach folks at the beginning of their mold journey and help them to not make the mistakes I made. I hope to change the industry. Mold remediation is a highly technical service that needs to be done following the principles of a standard of care. Failure to do so can result in health repercussions and additional costs. It is sort of the wild west and folks need to be educated consumers when choosing who to hire. I am very proud of the team that I work with and I continue to learn every day. This job has created a vehicle for me to help advocate for myself and others.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

This industry I work in and the work I do is very personal to me. Navigating mold illnesses and fighting back from that was the toughest thing I’ve ever done in my life and it ultimately changed the trajectory of my life. It is sometimes both a blessing and a curse that I’m so passionate about the work I do. It’s hard for me to separate my emotions from the work I do and the people I work with. However, it is because of this passion that has led me to be successful and make a name for myself in this field. I am always poised to learn; I am always reading, and I continue to grow my network meeting more and more people affected by these misunderstood and difficult issues.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

For those who have navigated mold toxicity and experienced the myriad of debilitating symptoms know how life-altering these illnesses can be. To add injury to insult, these illnesses are often overlooked by traditional western medicine providers. Sufferers are often gaslit and passed off as “crazy” or dramatic. Many folks who suffer from these illnesses succumb to suicide. These are very isolating illnesses and expensive to navigate. I could never expect someone to truly understand just how difficult it is to be in these situations unless they’ve been through it themselves. I said earlier that mold remediation is a very personal service and I know this firsthand. Our clients aren’t just returning home after a kitchen remodel or a new bathroom; they are returning to their home in hopes that the home is now safe for themselves and their families. There is nothing more personal than the health of our home where we grow our families, make memories, share meals, and raise our children. The folks I work with know that I “see them.” They know that I believe them. They know that I have been in their shoes and I try to instill just a little hope for better days. I try to be what I so desperately needed when I was in their shoes; I work really hard to give them hope and help them avoid the mistakes I made.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Other: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c6962e09-8dbf-49a5-8b20-c6a625855780/episodes/f62c4cb1-5958-4330-8bbd-6940ca5a3b2e/integrative-lyme-solutions-with-dr-karlfeldt-episode-101-andie’s-story