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By Mandy Haggerson
For the Clemmons Courier

Kim Erlacher spent her childhood in the small town of Bryson City in the mountains of North Carolina. “My earliest memories are of walking from my grandmother’s home to Deep Creek Tubing. I would go up and down all day with my tube and it only cost $2. I was the oldest of three girls, so when my younger sister was old enough she would join me. It was about two miles from my grandmother’s house so we could walk through town to a small store that sold things that kids love, like popsicles. We also would pass the RC Cola bottling plant, and the people who worked there would give us a free bottled drink,” remembers Erlacher.

Erlacher enjoyed other activities as a young kid such as track. “I preferred short distance, relays and the high jump,” reflects Erlacher. She had determined after high school she wanted to start working before going to college. “I married my high school sweetheart, and we had sons, Tanner (now 28) and Trent (now 25),” says Erlacher. She began working too as the secretary for the general manager of the Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel and Casino. Because of her hard work ethic and visionary ideas, she was promoted quickly to the community relations manager. Erlacher started a community outreach program H.E.R.O. (Harrah’s Employee’s Reaching Out). H.E.R.O. encourages and allows employees to volunteer with nonprofit organizations through their work. “It’s still up and running to this day and it’s something that I am very proud of the outreach it provides to the community,” says Erlacher.

During Erlacher’s time at Harrah’s, she also utilized the program that allowed her to obtain her associate’s degree in science at Montreat College. “I was able to participate in the program through work, and it was tough with young kids and a job, but it was important to me,” notes Erlacher. Raising her children was very meaningful to Erlacher. When Erlacher and her husband decided to split after 11 years of marriage, they made sure that the children came first. “It was very amicable, and peaceful. We wanted what was best for the boys and made sure to make it as easy for them as possible.”

Erlacher continued building on her professional skillsets as she traversed new opportunities, one of them included helping her father open several gas stations and convenience stores. Erlacher also worked for the government for a bit in finance before ultimately going back to the hospitality industry. “I had chosen to live in Charleston, South Carolina, and right before I left I had met my soul mate, and future husband, Gray,” says Erlacher. “He was from the Winston-Salem area, and after a year I moved here to be with him.” Erlacher had the added benefit of expanding her family with step children, Trevor (now 34) and Claine (now 31).

Kim and Gray became partners in business too. “We’ve recently opened up Clinic 180 in the Bermuda Run area,” says Erlacher. Kim is the practice manager and Gray, the medical director and physician are focusing on health and self confidence. “It’s the complete approach to health and wellness,” explains Erlacher. “Our prices our very competitive for services in aesthetic medicine (chemical peels, Botox, and fillers, and many others), weight loss, nutritional therapy, and biomedical hormone replacement therapy. It’s an integrated science-based approach to treatment. You can’t just take a pill to lose weight, it’s a much more complex mindset that is required.” Erlacher is enjoying working with her husband and helping others get their healthiest version of themselves. “Self confidence and health are very important. We like helping patients have that,” says Erlacher.

When Kim and Gray aren’t working or visiting with their grown adult children, they enjoy painting. “It’s something I’ve embraced lately and it’s very relaxing,” says Erlacher who has even painted a mural at Clinic 180. “I love acrylics. I’ll paint flower prints, patterns, and block style.”

Our neighbor has discovered that in life, focusing on the things and people who make you most happy is where the greatest rewards are found.