Episode #471 – Joshua Hulsebosch
Meet
Joshua Hulsebosch
Josh is a fitness and performance coach for sales leaders. He has worked with sales legends like Jeb Blount and even developed a full fitness and wellness course for Sales Gravy University designed specifically for sales executives.
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Renowned fitness and performance coach for sales leaders, Joshua Hulsebosch, has worked alongside industry giants like Jeb Blount and has designed wellness courses for Sales Gravy University.
In the first episode of our “Fit for Sale” series, Joshua explains the vital connection between physical fitness and sales success, sharing real-life stories and practical strategies that busy sales professionals can implement to boost their energy, resilience, and overall effectiveness.
From sleep routines to stress management and sustainable nutritional habits, Joshua discusses his daily practices that have helped sales leaders overcome challenges like burnout and really get fit for sale!
Outline of This Episode
- [00:00] The impact of sleep deprivation on sales.
- [04:28] Fitness habits that help you boost energy, focus, and resilience.
- [06:32] The role physical health plays in managing stress and maintaining motivation.
- [08:41] Overcoming the common fitness and lifestyle challenges that Joshua sees in sales professionals.
- [10:46] Recognizing sleep deprivation signs.
- [13:43] Your environment shapes healthy habits.
- [17:16] Empowering sales through wellness.
Why Physical Health Matters in Sales
Picture a top-performing salesperson—a true “A-player.” Now strip away their discipline, consistent energy, ability to manage stress, and problem-solving skills by depriving them of good sleep, nutrition, and exercise. Suddenly, that superstar slips to an “F,” struggling with follow-up, motivation, and closing deals. Now flip the script: add daily exercise, clean eating, stress management techniques, and better sleep.
Miraculously, performance rebounds—discipline returns, energy is steady, focus sharpens, and even efficiency improves by 20-30%. These gains come not from new sales tactics, but from foundational health habits. According to Joshua, the energy, discipline, and mental resilience cultivated through fitness can mean the difference between a struggling seller and a sales superstar.
Game-Changing Habits for Sales Performance
So, what routines set high-achievers apart? For Joshua, maintaining a consistent bedtime is top priority. “The body loves efficiency,” he says. Going to sleep at the same time every night helped him drastically reduce caffeine and sustain focus all day. This “hidden habit” is a simple yet powerful way to elevate performance.
Other keystone practices include:
- Movement for Motivation: Short bursts of exercise—like jumping rope, even in chilly Canadian weather—can clear mental fog and transform procrastination into productivity.
- Creating Focused Environments: Eliminate distractions with blackout blinds, noise-canceling headphones, and even earplugs to maximize concentration during deep work.
- Daily Exercise for Resilience: Nearly half the time, Joshua admits he doesn’t want to work out—but pushing through builds the mental toughness so crucial in high-pressure sales.
Physical Fitness: The Ultimate Stress Management Tool
Sales is stressful by nature—quarterly targets, rejection, and the rollercoaster of commission-based pay. Joshua argues that exercise isn’t just about looking or feeling good—it’s a proven method for regulating and recovering from stress. Regular movement improves posture and confidence (noticeable even to colleagues), and research supports that the same brain areas developed through exercise boost willpower and tenacity.
“With exercise, you’re not just building muscle, but the part of your brain responsible for willpower and perseverance,” Joshua explains. That toughness translates directly to overcoming difficult calls, bouncing back from setbacks, and sustaining motivation through inevitable ups and downs.
The Top Challenges Sales Pros Face—and How to Solve Them
Joshua sees three common health challenges among his sales clients:
Sleep Deprivation: Chronic lack of sleep can cut sales efficiency by up to 30%. Many underestimate the long-term career cost of pushing through fatigue.
Poor Nutrition (Especially Low Protein): Most salespeople don’t get enough protein for recovery and sustained energy. Adding more can have profound effects.
Overambitious Overhauls: Trying to change everything at once rarely sticks. Joshua advises clients to focus on one small, consistent change—build momentum and add more later.
Preventing Burnout
Burnout, Joshua says, isn’t simply the result of stress, but of insufficient recovery. Think of stressors (like tough quarters) and recovery (like quality sleep and downtime) as a balance. Recovery that matches or surpasses stress leads to growth and development—not collapse. Too little, and you hit rock-bottom burnout, forcing your body—and your career—to a halt.
One client lost over 50 pounds in six months, all through small, sustainable habits. The benefits extended far beyond the scale—energy soared, confidence returned, and he embraced opportunities (like public presentations) that once felt daunting. Health changes didn’t just transform his body, but also rippled through his sales performance and even inspired his team.
Sales isn’t just about the numbers—it’s about the person behind the numbers. Invest in your well-being, and watch your sales soar.
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Learn More About Joshua Hulsebosch
1. What was a pivotal moment in your life or career when you realized the impact that physical fitness can have on professional performance?
I remember the exact moment I realized there was a huge need for fitness and wellness in the sales world. It was one of my first days in sales.
My mentor picked me up in his car to go business-to-business cold calling. When I got in, my feet sank into a pile of empty energy drink cans. Over time, I learned this was normal — most sales professionals were burnt out, surviving on caffeine to get through the day and alcohol to wind down at night.
With my background in fitness, I knew there had to be a better way. A healthier way. I truly believe that we, as leaders in sales, can be both wealthy and healthy.
That belief was confirmed once I started coaching sales professionals from all walks of life. I saw firsthand how physical fitness radically improves both mental resilience and professional performance.
2. Can you share a specific fitness or wellbeing practice that has consistently helped you perform at a higher level?
The biggest habit that’s helped me improved my overall productivity by about 30%. I was sharper, objections felt easier to handle, and I had the energy to take that extra sales call.
That habit? Going to bed at the same time every night — including weekends.
It has been my single biggest edge in sales
3. What has been the most challenging period in balancing health and career performance, and what habits or strategies helped you turn it around?
The hardest period was when I first started in sales.
I was a starving personal trainer trying to survive in Toronto, a city I could barely afford. On top of that, my relationship at the time was falling apart. The stress was so intense I started losing my hair.
The one anchor that kept me grounded was daily exercise. It reduced my stress, improved my sleep, and gave me a sense of control when nothing else in life felt stable.
4. What are your top three must-have habits, tools, or resources that professionals should use to improve their fitness and overall performance at work?
I’ll give you three, but I’ve found my clients are most successful when we focus on one at a time — usually the area they struggle with most.
- For burnout: Focus on sleep efficiency.
- For stress management: Use breath techniques to regulate your body’s response to stress (Mark Divine’s Box Breathing is the gold standard).
- For weight loss: Track your nutrition. What we measure improves. Think about it like sales tracking.
5. With the workplace becoming increasingly demanding and technology playing a larger role in our lives, how do you see the relationship between fitness and professional performance evolving in the future? What should people do to stay ahead?
The future is bright. It has never been easier to take control of your fitness and wellness.
We now have wearables that track health metrics, coaching and courses that can be delivered anywhere, and portable equipment we can take on the road.
The best place to start is with a coach you respect — someone who has gone where you want to go and successfully helped others do the same. That’s often the true “shortcut” to success.
6. What are some simple but powerful fitness or wellbeing practices that most professionals overlook — but could make a big difference if adopted?
Here are the three “secrets” I share with every client:
a. Cheer yourself on during tough moments.
Science shows it works. When I push through a hard set or workout, saying “I’ve got this” helps me perform better than beating myself up for falling short.
b. Pre-track your nutrition.
Spending 30 minutes pre-tracking a week’s worth of breakfasts, snacks, and lunches exposes challenges (like client dinners) before they happen. It also creates a clear plan for success. I usually only leave dinners flexible since the rest of the day rarely changes. Tracking isn’t hard — it’s how we track that makes it hard.
c. Outsource your meal prep.
This is my personal secret weapon. I use a meal service for lunches and dinners and keep breakfast simple with a shake. It saves me 10 hours a week and removes endless decision fatigue. The extra focus and time makes me more money than the meals cost. If money’s tight, I scale back to just one meal per day — usually lunch
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