A personal journey exploring how deep listening skills evolved from corporate HR into menopause coaching and wellness entrepreneurship, revealing the transformative power of truly hearing others.
Influential Woman · Health Wellness
Teri Mcelrath
SPA Owner & Certified Menopause Coach, The Sculpt Spot
Chicago , IL
1Article published
3Awards received
Her Story
About Teri
Teri McElrath is the Owner and Principal of The Sculpt Spot, a Health and Wellness Spa delivering results-driven, holistic services that support women’s health and longevity. Under her leadership, The Sculpt Spot offers advanced body sculpting, restorative wellness therapies, and lifestyle-focused services designed to enhance physical well-being and confidence.
In addition to spa services, Teri leads menopause-focused group sessions and corporate workshops, partnering with organizations to address women’s health through education, practical tools, and proactive wellness strategies. Her work supports employee well-being, engagement, and retention by bringing visibility and structure to the menopausal transition—an often underrepresented aspect of workplace health.
With a background spanning multiple industries and community engagement leadership, Teri brings a strategic, people-centered approach to wellness, aligning individual care with organizational impact.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Teri
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to maintaining my "curiosity". The person that I attribute my success to is my grandmother, who told me that I could do anything.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice that Teri received was "Don't wait for someone to tell you when you are ready".
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The best advice that I would give to young women is to not be afraid to take risks. Learn something new everyday.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge right now is providing access to health and wellness programs, preventative care.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are the most important to me are: Integrity, Excellence, and Innovation.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Teri
How Listening Became My Most Valuable Leadership Tool
From HR rooms to spa consultations: how listening became my compass through career reinvention.
My transition from corporate HR to entrepreneurship may appear to be a departure, but in reality, it was an extension of the same listening mindset.
As the owner of a health spa, my role shifted from internal employee advocacy to deep, one-on-one listening with clients. Guests didn’t come only for services—they arrived carrying stress, exhaustion, hormonal changes, and questions they didn’t feel comfortable asking elsewhere. Many were women navigating midlife transitions, including perimenopause and menopause, while simultaneously balancing demanding careers and caregiving responsibilities.
Recognizing a gap in support and education, I pursued certification as a Menopause Coach. This training provided language, science, and structure to what I had already been hearing for years. It also clarified something powerful: the same listening skills I honed in HR—empathy, pattern recognition, trust-building, and translating lived experience into actionable insight—were equally essential in wellness and coaching.
This evolution brought my career full circle. What began as listening to employees within organizations expanded into listening to individuals within their lives and bodies. The context changed, but the core skill remained the same.
Listening as a Leadership—and Life—Skill
Today, my work sits at the intersection of employee experience, wellbeing, and voice. Whether supporting organizations seeking more engaged workforces or individuals navigating personal and professional transitions, my approach is grounded in a simple belief: sustainable engagement—at work or in life—starts with being truly heard.
Looking back, the through line is clear. From HR conference rooms in Chicago to spa consultations and coaching conversations, listening has been the constant. It is both a professional competency and a human skill.
In an era where organizations are rethinking engagement, retention, and wellbeing, the lesson is simple but profound: when people feel heard, they show up differently. My career journey is a testament to that truth—and to the power of allowing your skills to evolve while remaining rooted in purpose..
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