Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Ahoni-Woodburn
Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m originally from Marion, Indiana and attending Indiana University Bloomington. While in college I went through a wellness transformation (physical and emotional) in which I lost 45 pounds and started on what would be 10+ years of therapy to address deep rooted issues from my childhood. In this transformation I became extremely passionate about fitness and developed a desire to be a training. However, I had completed an undergrad in Accounting and gotten an MBA, so I felt I couldn’t really do fitness as my full-time job. Instead, I started my career in Chicago, working as a strategy consultant. I moved to LA in 2014, got certified as a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) personal trainer, and began working part-time at a gym called Speedplay LA, while taking on my few personal training clients (friends and family). I then moved to San Francisco to work at Google full-time and that is where my I simultaneously launched my fitness “side hustle” Body by J.A. the mission of Body by J.A. is to help individuals create a fit and healthly lifestyle despite having demanding careers. The mission was driven by how I shaped my own life early in my career. During my time in SF I pursued of range of endeavors in the fitness space. I was an group fitness instructor the the Google gym, I co-founded an workout group called Bounce, I became an instructor at Barry’s and was a Brand Ambassador for Athleta. In the pandemic, many life changes came about — got engaged & married, switched full time jobs from Google to Meta, and moved from SF to LA (Hermosa Beach). I continued my passion for fitness by leading group workouts on the beach. After taking almost a year off to have my first child, I am now rebranding Body by J.A. into a new fitness brand (stay tuned) and hope to grow the brand, primarily with a digital presence. Today, I enjoy quality family time with my 1 year old daughter and husband. I work full-time as a mom and as a Strategy & Ops Senior Manager at Meta (FB). I’m the Director of Wellness for Hermosa Circle and am part of On (running shoe brand) Movement Collective. Finally, I still have my side side hustle and hope to grow my fitness brand to have a positive impact on other professionals and parents in the South Bay.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No. Primarily, I had to work extremely hard to establish the life I have today. I struggled with mental health issues in my early 20s and that was truly how fitness became my passion because it served as an outlet for me. I moved to California with no family and few friends and had to work to build new community and connections here. Having a side hustle has come with so many tradeoffs over the years, giving up time with friends and family to create space for something that I am passionate about and that I feel has a positive impact on others. I’ve gone through ebs and flows with depression at multiple points along the way. I’ve also struggled with finding balance and not overworking myself or getting burnt out.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I was as an operations manager at Meta and was previously a Program Manager at Google. The bulk of my career in tech has been focused on leading operation for innovation incubators within these large companies. I understand what is needed to fuel zero to one innovation and then work with many stakeholders (legal, product, engineering, etc.) to help new products launch. I’m most proud of how I’ve been able to establish a successful career trajectory in big tech while also being able to be an Ambassador for top fitness brands and teach at a leading group fitness gym.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I love building community and connection and would love to continue to connect with others in the beach cities. Specifically as a new mom, I want to support other mothers along their prenatal and postpartum journeys from both a physically and mental aspect.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @body.by.ja
Image Credits
Alisha Jucevic
