Meet Shawn Chavez | Health and Wellness Coach and Course Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shawn Chavez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shawn, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
We all like to lead with our strengths. But, how we arrive at those strengths is where the real story begins. My strengthening journey began in 2013. While trekking through Argentina, which was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime, I suddenly began to experience debilitating fatigue, brain fog, and GI distress. I pushed through my discomfort for the duration of the trip but immediately met with my doctor upon returning home to New York City. Inconclusive results led to weeks, and then months of testing and specialists visits only to result in more questions than answers. No matter where I went doctors couldn’t understand how I went from being a healthy 34-year-old to someone who needed help walking up a flight of stairs in a matter of months.

In 2014, a breakthrough came from a functional medicine doctor who explained that I was suffering from a late-stage infection of Lyme Disease. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transferred from a tick bite that, when gone undiagnosed, can wreak havoc on your GI, Immune, and Nervous systems. More than a simple turning point, that discovery was an introduction to what would become a 10-year journey of healing and self-discovery.

With very little guidance and support but a tremendous amount of determination, I began to work toward restoring my health. With my limited energy and physical capacity, I threw myself into studying, researching, and investigating every possible protocol and treatment option that I hoped could help me recover and get my life back. As the months turned to years, I had times of tremendous success followed by times of frustrating setbacks. It felt like I was on a perpetual rollercoaster that would never end. Finally, after a very low point, I slowed down and took time to develop a long-term, holistic strategy I could build on and track in a clear way. I started to see and feel gradual and sustained changes. The phrase, “it’s a marathon, not a sprint”, became my daily mantra. In those darker times, I also discovered a deeper purpose in my journey, a desire to help others avoid the challenges, pitfalls, and setbacks I encountered along the way. I was ultimately drawn to health coaching because it gave me the tools and skills to be a catalyst for change and growth in other people’s lives.

I know what it’s like to live in that vulnerable place where your only connection to your body is through pain, discomfort, or illness. I also know how it feels to work through that and come back from it to reclaim your health. My coaching and my on-line courses are informed by my training as a Certified Health Coach (ADAPT), my Bachelor degrees Chemistry and Kinesiology, and most importantly by my lived experience. All this to say I have a more extensive tool kit to help my clients and students achieve their health lasting goals. I help support, motivate, and ultimately guide others through their own healing process, no matter how big or small. The foundational step to my approach is improving Gut Health and Gut Function first and foremost.

If there is one thing I have learned along the way, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to “optimal” health. As a coach and wellness teacher, my goals is to help people tap into their own strengths, skills, and fortitude to move forward, implement positive change and make sustained improvements in their health. Always focused on the values, strengths, and motivations we each bring to our personal journey.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career has been a dynamic and evolving journey, one that has taken me across multiple industries and disciplines. While my path has not been linear, each experience has built upon the last, equipping me with a unique set of skills that now sets me apart in the health and wellness industry.

I started in emergency medicine as a paramedic, working in high-pressure hospital environments where I developed a deep understanding of physiology, patient care, and medical protocols. While I found the work rewarding, I was drawn to the bigger picture of health—not just crisis management, but prevention and long-term wellness. This curiosity led me to explore new avenues where I could blend my scientific background with an entrepreneurial aspirations.

From there, I transitioned into medical technology and bio-tech space with Heamonetics Global, where I managing large territories and training medical professionals on highly technical and regulated life saving surgical and blood collection technology which impacted millions of lives around the world. This role required me to develop skills in education, communication, and leadership—all of which are invaluable in coaching today.

I then spent over a decade in an industry on the opposite spectrum of health care, in the fashion industry. Initially it was meant to be a fun, short term, opportunity to learn something new but ended up being of the high lights of my career. I had a love for design and the creative process I did not know I had. During this time, I sharpened my ability to identify trends, drive behavior change, and implement strategic growth initiatives—skills that now allow me to guide my clients through transformation in a structured and results-driven way.

Eventually, after a major personal illness and health challenge I merged my passion for wellness with entrepreneurship built Koios Health, I stated developing my practice, writing books and now launching my first, of what will be many, action oriented wellness courses. Through this venture, I was able to explore the intersection of lifestyle, nutrition, behavior change and staying healthy in our modern world, further reinforcing my belief that health is not just about diet and exercise—it’s about environment, habits, mindset, and daily rituals.

Challenges & Lessons Learned

This journey was not without its challenges. Transitioning between industries meant constantly having to relearn, adapt, and prove myself in new spaces. But through every shift, I leaned on my ability to strategize, communicate effectively, and implement change—the same principles I now teach in my new 21-Day Gut Reset Course.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that sustainable change happens in small, intentional steps. Whether it’s building a business, scaling a sales team, or improving personal health, success comes from consistency, structure, and a mindset shift, not just quick fixes.

My Full-Circle Moment: Why I’m Unique in Health & Wellness

Returning to health and wellness coaching is a full-circle moment for me. I’ve come back to what I’ve always been passionate about—helping people optimize their health. But now, I do so with a whole new perspective and skill set. My background in health science, behavior change, design, art and business development allows me to approach coaching differently than most in the field.

I combine:
✔ A scientific, evidence-based approach from my medical and clinical background.
✔ Behavioral and habit-change strategies from years in sales, marketing, and psychology-driven leadership.
✔ Business and strategic thinking to help clients implement and sustain real, measurable change.

What I want the world to know is that true health transformation is about more than just food—it’s about mindset, consistency, and having the right strategy to make lasting changes. Through my coaching and courses, I provide not just information, but a clear, structured path to success. That is what sets me apart, and that is why I am so passionate about helping others reclaim their health.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a fun one! I love welcoming friends and family to the cities I have lived in.

Day One – Get the lay of the land

To highlight the essence of the SoCal vibe we’d start with a trip up the PCH to Malibu. We’ll have a morning coffee and a lite snack at Great White in West Hollywood. We stop at Malibu Farms on the way to my favorite beach, El Matador, get a to go lunch and spend the afternoon exploring the beach, hunting in tide pools for star fist and get some sun until we get that beautiful golden hour beach light.

We head home, take a quick shower and then head to The Groves Farmer Market for dinner.

Day Two-
Morning Hike up the ridge side of the Hollywood sign, start early before it gets to hot at mid day.
Afternoon we’d explore the Arts District and DTLA. Hit all the museums, Broad, MOCA, Hauser & Wirth and Japanese Cultural Center. End with some shopping and Dinner at The Row DTLA.

Day Three-
Spend the day in Pasadena with a big chuck of that at the Huntington Botanical Gardens, I could spend an entire day here!
End the day with a Yin Yoga Class at Modo Yoga in West Hollywood

Day Four – Today will be another day at the beach but this time we’ll explore Santa Monica and Venice. Shop and eat on the 3rd street Promenade and then make our way to Venice and have a late lunch at Guista before we explore Abbott Kinney. End with a casual dinner at Cafe Gratitude in Venice.

Day Five – Today will be a day of fitness and wellness. Start with a workout at Equinox and then an afternoon of therapies at Remedy Place, (IR sauna, Cold plunge and wellness IV’s before a chill afternoon at the pool. Dinner and drinks at Ysabel’s in Weho.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Yes, there are so many people that have been a tremendous support as I have worked to launch and grow my coaching practice. First is my family who, in the most challenging times of my illness, where there for me every step of the way and provided the support I needed to focus on my health and start to navigate out of those dark times. Secondly I have had a amazing mentor, Jim McCauley, who has been a powerful influence is helping me find my voice as I was starting this new business endeavor and continues to be a supported and advocate of the mission of the work and the impact it has the potential to make in the health of peoples lives. I live in a place of perpetual gratitude for the support of the people around me as I forged a new path forward.

Website: https://www.koioshealth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnmchavez/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-chavez-78b687314/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Koioshealth

Image Credits
All phots by me