#032: WHOOP - Kristen Holmes, VP Of Performance Science

The Jedburgh Podcast

WHOOP has changed the game in human performance and our ability to understand what our body is telling us so we can make actionable decisions about our physical, mental and emotional health.

In this episode WHOOP's VP of Performance Science, Kristen Holmes joins host Fran Racioppi to break down human performance, the evolution of data and how we use it to reach our peak levels, the importance of rest as the driver of workload, her four characteristics of elite performance, how to build successful teams and athletes for the long term, and what we have coined Kristen’s Pathways to Attention.

WHOOP just closed a $200m funding round and is the fastest growing wearable technology in the world. They are now valued at over $3.6 billion. Kristen spent 13 years as the Head Coach of Princeton University's Women's Field Hockey Team where she won 12 Ivy League Championships and the school's first National Championship. She is a 2021 Iowa Athletics Hall Fame Inductee, 3 x All American, 2 x Big 10 Athlete of the Year competing in both Field Hockey and Basketball and a 7-year member of the U.S. National Team.

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website.

Highlights:

-WHOOP’s rise to incredible valuation, the focus on data as a leading indicator of performance, and their positioning in the wearables market.

-Our choices affect our behavior, including our sleep patterns, nutritional choices and how we choose to recover mentally and physically.

-Kristen breaks down her decision to join WHOOP after winning 12 championships in 13 years as a Division 1 collegiate coach.

-Kristen provides insight into her coaching mindset, developing a culture of performance, and the principles she instilled in the organization to set a foundation for winning.

-Why tolerance, innovation, presence and internal fitness are Kristen’s core leadership values.

-Fran coins the term “Kristen’s Pathways to Attention” and she explains the importance of breathwork.

Quotes:

-”It’s not data for the sake of data, it’s data so we can coach you to a better future.”

-“We see incredible behavior modification...data really helps you face the truth.“

-”You can’t just talk yourself into a better future. You really have to get your physiology on track.”

-”We can’t perceive our own cognitive and physical declines.”

-”I’ve never been one to chase security and happiness…those are kind of illusions.”

-”I chase personal growth, professional growth and intellectual growth...I chase impact.”

-”Tolerance is just a reminder that I don’t necessarily have the answer to everything.”

-”I love the idea of being able to discover. I love the idea of being able to innovate.”

-”Being present is the path to peace.”

-”If I understand who it is I want to be, I can align my behaviors in the right way.”

-”If you come to training with capacity, and you then train with quality, it is very hard to lose.”

Kristen’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:

-Go to bed and wake up at the same time to set a repeatable pattern

-Find sunshine within 20 minutes of waking up

-Breathe through your nose to control your physiology

This episode is brought to you by 18A Fitness and Analytix Solutions.