In this powerful episode of Life Lab, Tom Emery sits down with performance coach Rob Tracz to explore the journey from hustle-fuelled burnout to founding Prime Performance Coaching. Rob opens up about the emotional and physical costs of overwork, the deeper motivations behind his relentless drive, and how reflection helped him reset. They unpack the pitfalls of hustle culture, the role of resilience, and how embracing discomfort can be a gateway to growth.

Rob now works with entrepreneurs and really driven individuals. His coaching methodology focuses on looking good, feeling good, and doing great things.

Expect practical insights, honest reflections, and a clear call to live and lead more intentionally.

Find out more via Rob's website: https://robtracz.com/

Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robtracz/

In this episode of Life Lab, Tom dives into a habit many high performers quietly battle: rumination. If you’ve ever found yourself replaying a meeting moment at 2 am or over-analysing a raised eyebrow in a boardroom, you’re not alone. But what if this pattern of thought wasn’t a flaw, but an untapped strength?

Tom shares a personal story of rumination in an executive setting and explores how the brain’s default mode network, often blamed for anxiety, can also be a powerful tool for creativity, empathy and insight. With a simple 3-step experiment (label it, timebox it, extract the insight), he shows how to harness the loop instead of being trapped in it.

Because the real superpower isn’t overthinking—it’s learning to think deeply without drowning.

We’re more digitally linked than ever—yet so many of us feel alone. With smart assistants, AI-generated replies, and curated feeds shaping our interactions, it’s easy to mistake constant contact for true connection. But is efficiency eroding our empathy?

In this episode, Tom invites us to reflect on what authentic connection looks and feels like, and why it matters. He challenges listeners to embrace the beautifully messy, inconvenient reality of real relationships by trying three practical micro-experiments:

1. Speaking instead of typing
2. Responding with curiosity and intention
3. Having at least one unfiltered conversation

Because in an age of artificial closeness, the most radical thing you can offer is your honest, human presence. Because the future may be digital, but connection is still analogue at heart.