A conversation with Josh Kent, Account Executive at Kong and HYROX athlete representing Nike.

When Josh and I sat down to record this Q&A, we were both at the ExCeL — just not for the same reason. I was there for Agentforce World Tour; he was there for HYROX London. Two completely different worlds… or so you’d think.

The place was heaving. Thousands of tech folk on one side, thousands of athletes on the other — and a blurred line in the middle with the noise from HYROX competing with the keynote speakers. But standing there between the two crowds, it struck me: maybe they’re not so different after all.

We’ve already explored the link between financial wellbeing and sales performance. Now, we’re turning to physical wellbeing — and why your body might be one of the most overlooked tools in your sales career.

This conversation with Josh digs into that crossover: discipline, resilience, preparation, recovery, competitiveness, teamwork, and the ability to perform under pressure. You wouldn’t have thought everyone in the ExCeL that day had so much in common… but this interview explores why maybe they do. Here are the selected highlights from our Q&A:

First up Josh, tell everyone a bit about you.

I’ve always been someone who needs a challenge. I work in sales at Kong, and outside of work I compete in HYROX, IRONMAN, marathons and other endurance events — anything that pushes me physically and mentally. I love the process of getting better, and that mindset has shaped both my career and my sporting pursuits.

You operate in two high-pressure worlds then: sales and competitive endurance events. When did you realise the two were connected?

Most sports are numbers‑driven. You measure your success by the speed you run at, the weight you lift, the number of points you score — whatever that metric might be.

In sales, we're also judged by our numbers. Quota attainment, meetings booked — it creates a similar type of focus.

How do you balance sales with HYROX, IRONMAN, marathons and training for all these things?

It sounds intense, but it actually makes my life easier. Training forces me to plan my week, protect my time, and be intentional. When you’re juggling big targets and big races, you can’t wing it. You have to prioritise recovery, sleep, nutrition, and focus. That structure spills into my work. I’m sharper because my life has rhythm. I usually find that a day off training results in a less productive day of work.

A lot of sellers talk about motivation. You talk more about discipline?

Motivation talks about the end goal — the promotion you’re aiming for or the holiday you’re saving commission cheques to pay for.

Discipline is the process that helps you reach that motivation — that end goal.

I don’t think you’ll find any elite athlete who enjoys all of their training sessions. But they have the discipline to show up anyway and complete every session to a high standard, knowing that consistency is what achieves the long‑term goal.

That mindset translates directly into a sales process. Pipeline management, prospecting, and staying consistent when deals slip or targets reset — these might not always be our most enjoyable tasks, but completing them to a high standard (even when we don’t want to) takes us closer to our motivation.

What are the obvious links between sales and competing in sport?

Competitiveness, resilience, and consistency.

In sport, you’re constantly competing — with others, but mostly with yourself. Sales is the same. You need to bounce back quickly, stay focused on the long game, and keep showing up even when you’re tired or things aren’t going your way. Both worlds reward people who can stay steady under pressure.

And what about the less obvious stuff?

Two big ones. First, adaptability — races never go exactly to plan and neither do deals. You have to adjust your pace, your strategy, your expectations. And secondly, emotional regulation — sport teaches you to stay calm when your heart rate is through the roof. That skill is gold in high‑stakes sales conversations.

Give us an example of how training for a competition has helped you in sales.

Endurance training has taught me to break big goals into small, controllable actions. If you're running 100 miles, you don't think about the whole thing. You break it down mentally into manageable chunks. In sales, I apply the same logic: don’t obsess over the annual target. Focus on the next conversation, the next step, the next commitment. Any of those chunks feel achievable and stop you becoming overwhelmed.

How does physical training impact your mental clarity at work?

It’s huge. When you’re training for something, you’re constantly managing stress, pacing, and decision‑making under fatigue. That builds a level of mental sharpness that’s hard to replicate anywhere else.

In sales, that shows up as better focus, better emotional control, and the ability to stay composed in high‑stakes conversations. Fitness gives you clarity — and clarity gives you confidence.

You’ve represented Nike and competed at a high level. What’s one lesson from top-tier sport that every seller should adopt?

Recovery is as important as effort.

Many sellers burn out because they treat every day like a sprint. In sport, if you don’t recover properly, you don’t perform.

It’s the same in sales. Rest, sleep, nutrition — they’re not “nice‑to‑haves”, they’re performance drivers. When you take care of your body and mind, you make better decisions, you communicate better, and you handle pressure better.

There’s a big theme in both sport and sales around having people in your corner. How important is that?

Massive. In sport, you lean on training partners, coaches, and teammates. They push you, keep you accountable, and help you see blind spots.

Sales is no different. You need peers who get it, and mentors who’ve been there and done it. Someone who can help you reset, refocus, and stay grounded. No one performs at their best alone — in either world.

Competitiveness and teamwork often get framed as opposites. How do they show up in both disciplines?

The best competitors are great teammates.

Across sports, collective training helps you get better because the people around you raise your standard. I always aim to surround myself with people who are better than me.

Sales is the same. You might carry your own number, but you win more when you collaborate and learn from the people around you — marketing, product, CS, and other sellers. Competitiveness drives performance; teamwork sustains it.

Let’s talk resilience then. How does sport shape that muscle?

Sport normalises failure. You miss targets, you blow up in races, you have bad days. But you always reset, learn from mistakes, and come back better.

In sales, that’s everything. You can’t take rejection personally or let one bad call derail your day. Sport teaches you to shake off setbacks and continue improving — and that’s one of the most valuable skills a seller can have.

There’s a big difference between the proportion of time athletes spend training versus sales pros. What can sellers learn from that?

Athletes spend 95% of their time preparing and 5% performing. For every hour of competition, I’ve usually done hundreds of hours of preparation.

Sellers do the opposite — and sometimes it shows.

If more sellers treated preparation as part of the job — rehearsing calls, planning their week, reviewing deals, building mental resilience — I bet their performance would skyrocket. Time constraints may differ, but we should all be looking to hone our sales skills if we want to be top performers.

If you could give one piece of advice to a fellow sales rep who wants to improve their performance through fitness, what would it be?

You don’t need to train like an elite athlete. We’ve spoken about consistency and discipline, and that remains the key. You just need to build momentum, whether that’s a 20‑minute session or a walk before work — it’s about building a routine you can stick to, even when you’d rather do anything else.

Final question then — what’s the biggest misconception some sellers have about fitness?

That it takes time away from work. It’s the opposite — fitness makes you more productive, more focused, and more resilient. It’s not a distraction from performance — it’s a foundation for it.

Closing Thoughts

Physical fitness isn’t just about health. It’s about clarity, confidence, and the ability to perform at your best — the same principles that underpin Comple’s mission.

That’s why we’ve partnered with One FIIT: to bring structured, expert‑led fitness support to sellers who want to build careers and lives that are sustainable, energised, and high‑performing. Through this partnership, Comple members get exclusive discounted access to One FIIT — the all‑in‑one fitness solution trusted by communities including HYROX.

If this conversation with Josh has sparked something — the discipline, the resilience, or simply the desire to feel sharper in your role — you can take the next step inside Comple. Join the club and get the support and community to elevate both your performance and your wellbeing.