Episode #474 – Kristie Jones

Kristie Jones — sales consultant, B2B SaaS expert, and author of “Selling Your Way In”- discovered that her best workouts aren’t defined by the time of day, but by consistency. After long, sometimes challenging days at the sales office, Kristie prefers to “defrag” with evening exercise sessions, finding them the perfect way to unwind and recharge.

Rather than chasing morning routines, she focuses on fitting in activity at least five days a week, motivated by the endorphin boost each session brings. For Kristie, the most important part of fitness is enjoying the process and staying consistent, no matter when it happens.

Kristie shares why she believes that mental, physical, and spiritual well-being are essential for success in sales, and offers practical advice on building sustainable fitness habits, managing stress, and staying motivated through a disciplined routine.

Whether you’re a morning workout enthusiast or an evening exerciser, this conversation is packed with actionable tips to help you find your groove, maintain energy, and drive results in your sales career. 

Get ready to learn how taking care of your body can elevate your professional game!

Outline of This Episode

• [00:00] The link between fitness and sales performance.
• [06:01] Silent workout struggles.
• [09:00] It doesn’t matter WHEN you exercise, just that you do.
• [10:53] Holistic wellness through self-awareness.
• [15:38] Kristie’s fitness insights for salespeople.
• [16:43] Be open to trying new athletic adventures.

Translating Physical Wellness Into Greater Sales Results

For Kristie Jones, the relationship between physical fitness and professional performance is all-encompassing. Fitness, she explains, tangibly fuels confidence, provides mental clarity, and promotes better sleep—all factors that directly impact sales professionals who need sharp minds and high energy to navigate demanding workdays.

According to Kristie, cardio is the keystone. Having shifted from running to brisk walking (following several foot surgeries), she now relies on activities like four-mile-per-hour walks and hiking. This consistency in cardio, she says, keeps her mental and emotional health balanced, not just her physical stamina.

Building Powerful Fitness Habits: It’s All About Consistency

While many believe morning workouts yield the highest consistency, Kristie challenges this stereotype, demonstrating that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. “I really enjoy the evening workout because I need to kind of defrag after a long day,” she explains. The real differentiator isn’t the time of day, but consistency. Whether it’s before sunrise, at lunch, or after work, what matters most is creating a regular rhythm you look forward to, at least five days a week.

For Kristie, evening sessions allow her to unwind and release the day’s stress productively. Both approaches highlight the importance of knowing yourself and designing routines that suit your lifestyle and natural rhythms.

Fitness as Stress Management and Motivation Fuel

Sales roles are notoriously high-pressure—chasing targets, facing rejections, and constantly performing at a high level. Kristie emphasizes that, for her, cardio is just as much about mental health as it is about physical fitness. During especially stressful periods, she’ll even double up on walks to keep herself balanced.

Exercising in nature—what the Japanese call shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing—brings another layer of emotional resilience and mental clarity. Being outdoors fosters problem-solving and introspection, even sparking solutions to work challenges.

Prioritizing Fitness Amid Demanding Schedules

A recurring obstacle for sales professionals is carving out time for self-care. With startups and sales teams priding themselves on marathon work weeks, personal well-being often gets sidelined. Kristie’s solution is to be proactive and build fitness into your schedule by putting it in your calendar. Her commitment to scheduled fitness classes with penalties for no-shows creates the accountability needed to overcome excuses.

Whether it’s workouts in your calendar or fitting them in before the workday, systematizing self-care is critical. If you notice irritability, low motivation, or mounting stress, it’s time for a reset—starting with sleep, nutrition, and movement.

How Fitness Drives Sales Results

Kristie’s own journey—transitioning from team sports to competitive racquetball, and then running—showcases how cross-training and expanding physical competencies dramatically enhanced her competitive edge. Even now, integrating new fitness activities, like strength training or pickleball, keeps her engaged and discovering new strengths.

Her advice is to be open to new athletic adventures. You might surprise yourself and discover routines that not only boost your sales performance but also bring new joy and fulfillment to your life.

Sales success starts from within. Prioritizing fitness is not a luxury for sales professionals—it’s a foundational pillar for clarity, energy, resilience, and long-term success. Whether you find your stride on a morning walk, mid-day hike, or post-work workout, commit to movement. Your clients, your numbers, and most importantly, your well-being, will thank you.

Resources & People Mentioned

• RunKeeper app 
• OrangeTheory
• Selling Your Way IN: The Playbook for Setting Your Income and Owning Your Life 

Connect with Kristie Jones

Kristie Jones

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Learn More About Kristie Jones

1. What was a pivotal moment in your life or career when you realized the impact that physical fitness can have on professional performance? 

– Physical fitness has been a part of my life since I was 14, but I realized the impact right away on my professional performance when I graduated from college and began working as a manager in a department store. I was running around on my feet all day, and it was physically demanding. Had I not already been in great shape this job would have kicked my ass and I would have gone home and went straight to bed. 

2. Can you share a specific fitness or wellbeing practice that has consistently helped you perform at a higher level? Please provide an example where it made a noticeable difference.

– I began playing racquetball at 14 and was competing at the open level while still in high school. One of the things my coach and I worked on was visualization. He would occasionally blindfold me and ask me to hit a target using only how my mind saw it before I was blindfolded. It was incredible powerful to be able to hit a target that I wasn’t seeing with my eyes. That’s when I understood the power of my mind and how if I could “see” it in my head then I can manifest it.

3. What has been the most challenging period in balancing health and career performance, and what habits or strategies helped you turn it around?

– After having 3 foot surgeries I can no longer run. I believed that the only way to get a good workout and maintain my mental health and professional performance was to run and run and run. After the 3rd foot surgery didn’t end well the doctor told me that if I continued to run I would most likely end up with other physical issues as a result of my foot no longer being able to bend to 30 degrees. I thought the world had ended. I sulked around for a few weeks and then got out to walk. I thought walking was for people who weren’t in good enough shape to run. Not true. There are lots of benefits to walking and as a competitive person I set a goal to walk at a 4 MPH pace (15 min. miles) and I’m getting a good workout and feel good after a 3-4 mile walk. 

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?

1. Do weight training and cardio – not just one of the other. Both have different benefits and an achieve different psychological advantages. 
2. Start each day with affirmations/visualization/manifestations/positive self-talk/
3. Lace your tennis shoes! I’ve never sat down and unlaced my tennis shoes and taken them off after making the decision to work out. Half the battle for me to putting them on.

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?

– There are so many apps/experts online to help motivate you, track your performance, and keep your workouts fresh that it’s going to be hard to find an excuse to not workout and be healthy. Instead of using your phone to be constantly connected, use it to improve and extend your life. 

6. What are some simple but powerful fitness or wellbeing practices that most professionals overlook – but could make a big difference if adopted?

– I use a hypnotherapist as part of my professional success strategy. I meet with her quarterly and I consider her an important part of my business team. I share with her my current goals and the mental blocks that might be holding me back and she goes to work on helping me over-come self-doubts and fears and fills my head with positivity!