Jodi Echakowitz, 54: Sometimes You Change Everything

Some reinventions are subtle. Jodi Echakowitz’s is not. At 54, the Toronto-based founder and longtime tech leader has undergone a transformation that’s as internal as it is visible, shedding 55 pounds, building real athletic strength, stepping onto a physique competition stage, and adopting an identity she never expected: athlete. But the real story starts earlier, with a moment of frightening perimenopausal brain fog and an equally powerful decision to stop treating exhaustion and self-neglect as “normal.”

What followed wasn’t a quick fix but a complete reorientation of her life guided by daily promises to herself, a coach who pushed her into radical accountability, and a mindset shift that turned consistency into identity. Today, she’s open about every part of her evolution, including her loose-skin surgery, because she believes that real transformation is messy, human, and worth talking about. And just before she turns 55, she’ll test her new identity again on Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Jodi’s story is a masterclass in what becomes possible when you stop negotiating with your excuses and start building the future version of yourself one decision at a time.

How old are you?

I’m 54. I turn 55 on March 9th.

Where are you from and where are you currently based?

I was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. I emigrated to Toronto, Canada in August 1994 at 23 years old – together with my husband (we got married almost a year before moving) – and have been living here ever since.

You’ve built a successful career in tech PR, but you’ve also completely reinvented yourself in the last few years. When you look back, what moment feels like the true start of your transformation?

There were two pivotal moments in the first year of my journey that come to mind. 

The first one was the day I started working with a coach at The Wonder Women (TWW) on January 3, 2022. I made a promise to show up for myself every day, to stop the self-sabotaging negotiations, and to finally commit to long-term health, not short-term outcomes. That decision was transformative in and of itself, as was my decision to start prioritizing myself (like most women, I always used to come last on my priority list). Everything that has happened since then stems from holding true to those promises and following through no matter what. 

Unlike my past efforts to just “lose weight,” something in me shifted when I got accepted into the TWW program. I felt like I had won the lottery, and this was not a win I was willing to give up on. Personally, I remember thinking that I don’t want to feel this way anymore and I don’t want to keep doing this to my future self. I wanted to be around for my family in the long term. 

The second moment was in April 2022 at a workshop during a TWW retreat in Tulum. The discussion was centred around the athlete mindset and what that looks like. This was the first time I realized that this journey I was on wasn’t just about weight loss or getting healthy – it was a complete inside out transformation and shift in identity to that of an athlete. While most people can physically see the changes I’ve gone through, it’s this shift where I’ve experienced the biggest transformation.

“I remember thinking that I don’t want to feel this way anymore and I don’t want to keep doing this to my future self. I wanted to be around for my family in the long term.”

Many people want to make a major life change at midlife but don’t know how to begin. What helped you take that first step in 2022?

While it was a slow accumulation of physical, emotional, and cognitive signals, the perimenopausal brain fog in early 2020 was really my wake up call. I had so many situations where I couldn’t remember my best friend’s name, or the names of my colleagues and clients I had worked with for years. And I couldn’t remember what a fridge was called. I was genuinely scared and concerned for what this might mean. 

So I called my doctor and told her what I was dealing with. A few tests revealed  that my cognition was fine, but she was very concerned about my recall.

While I was already significantly overweight at that time, she didn’t say anything about that. Instead, she asked if I could do something to get my nutrition in check. That’s when I realized this was serious. But it still wasn’t until 18 months later that I actually committed to doing something and not believing the BS I had always told myself when “trying” other diet programs.

What helped me take the first step in 2022 was accepting that I needed to choose a sustainable way forward, not a quick fix. I needed a plan rooted in taking care of the woman I was always meant to be. I didn’t know what exactly the program entailed. I just knew that in order to change my life, I needed the structure and accountability that TWW offered. Looking back, my future self depended on that one decision to stop accepting exhaustion and severe brain fog as “normal.” Everything that followed grew from that one moment of acknowledging that now was the time for change.

Photo: @jodi.echakowitz instagram

You’ve lost 55 pounds, built real athletic strength, and even stepped on a physique competition stage. What surprised you most about the mindset shift that came with all of this?

What surprised me most was that there was a mindset shift at all. I didn’t go into this expecting one. I thought I was simply starting this journey to lose the excess weight, clear the brain fog, and deal with the physical and mental exhaustion I’d been living with for years.

For most of my adult life I lived with low self esteem and in a constant state of self-loathing. But when I stopped operating from a place of punishment and started operating from a place of love, it changed the way I trained, the way I ate, and the way I spoke to myself. The more consistent I became, the inner critic that used to run the show got quieter, and the promises I made to myself started to matter.

“While most people can physically see the changes I’ve gone through, it’s this shift in identity and mindset where I’ve experienced the biggest transformation.”

You’ve talked openly about identity — going from tech founder and CEO to also seeing yourself as an athlete. How did that new identity take shape, and how has it influenced other parts of your life?

The shift in identity happened gradually and until that retreat, I would not have necessarily even given that identity a name. That’s probably because I never set out to become an athlete. I just wanted to feel better physically and mentally. But as I kept showing up, keeping my promises, and pushing myself in ways I never had before, I realized that I was doing the things that athletes do.Somewhere along the way, I stopped seeing training as something I did and started seeing it as part of who I am. 

What’s amazed me is how this identity has shaped everything else in my life. I make decisions differently, set boundaries more clearly, and no longer abandon myself or negotiate with my excuses. I approach challenges in business and in life the same way I approach training: create a plan, do the work, stay consistent, and aim to be 1% better every day.

Photo: Kai York

Sharing your plastic surgery journey to remove loose skin is something most people might shy away from. What made you decide to be so transparent, and what kind of conversations has that openness sparked?

I chose to be transparent with my plastic surgery because loose skin is a reality for so many people who go through a major transformation, and yet no one talks about it.

I’d worked incredibly hard to shed the weight and build muscle, and because I share my journey so openly, it felt like a natural thing to do the same thing with plastic surgery. I’m an open book and throughout my journey have shared the good, the bad, and the ugly. And I didn’t want to present a polished “after” without acknowledging the full picture. 

I always thought my loose skin would be my constant reminder of how far I’ve come. But there was a moment at the start of 2025 when I looked at myself in the mirror and I realized that the loose skin bothered me enough that I for sure wanted to do something about it. So I asked for the community’s input because I felt so conflicted about the decision to have plastic surgery. And boy did they deliver. The comments were all so positive and everyone reminded me how hard I’ve worked to build the body I have and that my loose skin didn’t have to be my reminder of how far I’ve come; instead the scars from surgery could do the same thing.

Ultimately, sharing details about my plastic surgery journey so openly was my way of removing the shame around something that’s completely normal. I wanted people to see that you can be proud of your progress and still choose surgery so that the way your body looks aligns with the way you feel. 

The conversations it’s sparked have been incredible. People have opened up about their own loose skin, their fears, their insecurities, and the fact that they hadn’t considered surgery as an option. Others have told me my openness helped them feel less alone or gave them permission to ask questions they were embarrassed to say out loud. 

You’ve inspired thousands by showing the real, unfiltered side of transformation. What do you hope people take away from your honesty?

That anyone can change their life for the better, regardless of their age or what we have been told about midlife, especially being a woman in midlife. 

Joan MacDonald started her transformation journey at 70, reinforcing that it’s never too late. If she could do it, so could I. 

But we need to be willing to get out of our own way, start being brutally honest with ourselves, and show up for ourselves no matter what.

Photo: Toby Harrison

You’re climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro just before your 55th birthday. What drew you to a challenge of that scale, and what does it represent for you personally?

I love the growth that happens when I step outside of my comfort zone. And this is a larger than life challenge that makes me more uncomfortable than anything else I’ve ever done in my life. 

Not only will I be climbing over 19,000 ft, I will be going a week without showering, I will be sleeping in a tent, and I will be venturing into the unknown. 

What’s one belief about aging, ambition, or reinvention that you wish more people would question?

I wish more people would think differently about reinvention or in my case, transformation. Most people think there is an expiry date on reinvention and that when we hit midlife, most of the big changes should already be behind you.

My transformation began just shy of my 51st birthday. At that point, I’d already been married for almost 30 years, moved to a new country, built a successful business, raised two kids, and checked so many other boxes. And yet the most meaningful reinvention of my life has happened at a time when I was going through the menopause transition. 

Age doesn’t limit reinvention; old beliefs do. The moment you decide you are done growing and that change is not possible, you are limiting yourself. We truly underestimate how much strength we have, how disciplined we can be, how ambitious we can become, and how our desire for a bigger life can open the door to possibility. Midlife doesn’t have to be a settling point; it can be the starting line for some of our most extraordinary chapters.

What are your 3 life non-negotiables?

I would say honesty, ethics, and integrity are the integral, core values that guide how I lead my life and everything I say or do.

Editor’s Note: Some answers may have been condensed and/or edited for clarity.

Connect with Jodi

Instagram: @jodi.echakowitz

LinkedIn

Cover photo courtesy of Glen Wallace