Terry Williams on The Mind-Body Connection, Performance, and Well-being
In this deeply energizing and insightful episode of The Present Professional, John and Tony sit down with Terry Williams—better known as Terry the Trainer—co-founder of The League gym and performance coach at Ember & Stoke. What starts as a conversation about fitness quickly becomes a masterclass in wholeness, presence, and purpose.
Terry shares how strengthening the mind-body connection can transform not only athletic performance but also mental clarity, resilience, and emotional well-being. He walks us through the SWEAT-U framework (Strength, Well-being, Emotion, Agency, and Thought life) and explains how high performers thrive when they integrate emotional awareness into physical practice. From gratitude as a “mental medicine” to redefining rest as a form of power, Terry reminds us that how we show up in the world begins with how we care for our inner world.
If you’re looking to align your habits with your values, reconnect with your purpose, or simply breathe easier in a high-performance culture, this episode is for you. It’s equal parts soulful and strategic.
Key Themes:
Gratitude as a performance tool
Rest, recharge, and re-engage: A new model for well-being
The difference between passion and purpose
Using physical movement to train the mind
Redefining grace as rest for your emotions
Leveraging the RAS (Reticular Activating System) for intentional focus
Why habits reveal what we truly value
This isn’t just an episode—it’s a full-body reminder of what it means to be a Present Professional.
What we discussed:
38:19 Grace and self-compassion
Other ways to connect:
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