THE JOURNEY
About Courtney
Hi! I’m Courtney Contos. I am a Chef, National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, Journey Of Intrinsic Health Coach with Zach Bush, and Certified GAPS coach . I was raised and mentored in downtown Chicago under the expertise of my acclaimed restauranteur father, Bill Contos. He was the owner of Chez Paul - an ultra-elegant French restaurant and known in popular culture as the fancy restaurant from the iconic classic films Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Blue Brothers. Chez Paul is where my love of food and appreciation for quality was born.
I carried on my father’s vision by working in restaurants and cooking schools until ultimately attaining my degree in culinary arts from Kendall Culinary School in Chicago. I opened my charming cooking school Chef Contos Kitchen & Store in 2013 up in the village of Shelburne Vermont. After one year of being open I was featured by Food & Wine Magazine as one of the best cooking schools in the world - focused on culinary education and chef-curated retail. For 8 years I taught 100 cooking classes a year and never repeated a class. Cooking classes sold out overnight, we built a community around real cooking and had a blast doing it!
Amidst my successes, I struggled and suffered for years with chronic pain due to a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. My rheumatologist declared on numerous occasions that my condition would never change and that I would be wheelchair-bound for the rest of my life. Unwilling to accept this fate, I persevered to find a solution, and in 2018 - along with my Functional Medicine doctor, I set out to overcome my autoimmune disease. After decades of systemic inflammation, multiple health issues, and over six years of severe foot pain, I now take pain-free steps with immense gratitude!
Having been so positively impacted by my healing journey - I merged my rich experience as a culinary leader and educator with overcoming my autoimmune and lyme disease by becoming a Wellness Coach. My mission is to help others transform their health by guiding people in the right direction when they find themselves stuck without wellness support. Currently supporting private clients.
My heart is in the kitchen! In my cooking classes, I'm passionate about empowering home cooks like you to elevate your culinary skills and enthusiasm by using quality kitchen tools. I believe that having the right tools can make a significant difference in your cooking experience, allowing you to unleash your creativity and confidence in the kitchen.
