Exploring The Connection Between Athletic Performance and Mental Health: A Conversation with Sean DiGioia
Life will come at you fast. In this hyper-connected age, the strain our bodies and minds are subjected to on a daily basis is unlike anything our ancestors could have ever imagined.
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This is especially true for elite athletes – who rely on their ability to summon copious amounts of physical and mental power at will and continuously push their bodies to the limit – often times enduring tremendous pain along the way.
World famous figures like Simone Biles have started drawing attention to the fact that ultra high athletic achievers are often forced to engage in trade offs between superior performance and the adequate recovery of their mental, as well as physical faculties.
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For Sean DiGioia, this very concept has been a source of inexhaustible inspiration as the young athlete – who is a former banker turned entrepreneur - set out to analyze and better understand the correlation between mental health, physical recovery, athletic performance and purpose-driven entrepreneurship at the very crossroads between regenerative agriculture and sustainable brand building.
“Recognizing that we only get one body and one planet, our passion has become preserving both.” –Sean affirms when discussing his company Loud Labs Hemp Supply and the road to becoming the best possible version of himself as an individual, athlete and a contributor to society as a whole.
As more companies make a shift towards business models driven by people, planet and purpose, trailblazers like Sean have become synonymous with progress and inspiration for a new generation. For DiGioia, his personal experiences as a multi-disciplinary athlete (he practiced snowboarding, basketball, baseball, football, wrestling, mixed martial arts and is a consummated triathlete) and the toll these practices have taken on his body, forcing him to undergo multiple procedures such as clavicle surgery and fibula surgery to name a few, have served as a springboard that propelled Sean to a new stage in his life.
He became consumed with the idea of exploring the connection between athletic performance, mental health and superior recovery methods. In that juncture his company was born under the premise of helping people feel and perform better.
In a recent interview, Sean DiGioia´s shares his vision with our readers and discusses the topics that matter such as regenerative agriculture and how Loud Labs has earned the trust and preference of consumers due to its consciously crafted, superior quality product selection and wholesome business philosophy.
Sean, why did you choose to leave your career as a banker and gravitate towards entrepreneurship?
While working in corporate banking, I found myself constantly looking for ways to become healthier and pain-free. Injuries and chronic pain were things I had become familiar with after years of sports and outdoor activities. After growing tired of being in constant pain, I began researching alternative solutions for pain management and discovered the benefits of hemp and CBD. After extensive research, these elements became an integral part of my recovery routine. I saw an opportunity to bring awareness to them by launching Loud Labs with a passion for recovery.
As an athlete and competitor, how would you say the mental and physical strain can best be alleviated?
Every athlete is different from the next, and so is the recovery process. I can speak from my own athletic experiences as well as those of our customers who are triathletes, snowboarders/skiers, surfers, golfers, weight-lifters, and more: our products work.
I’ve become dedicated to finding robust recovery solutions after experiencing multiple concussions, labrum tears, clavicle surgery, and two fibula surgeries this year. I truly believe in the ability of our products. I look forward to continued support and research from sports associations and research facilities so we can continue to push towards a healthier and happier lifestyle as a society.
Where do you see the recovery and wellness restoration market as a whole within the next five years?
I see it continuing to grow and expand over the next five years as consumers become more educated on the industry. Consumer confidence will be accelerated by continued education and clinical research. I believe many brands will continue to rush to a growing industry in hopes of a “gold rush,” but it will be the companies with passion and purpose behind them, like ours, that will survive and prosper.
What is the core mission behind your company Loud Labs?
Our goal is not just to sell superior quality products, but to facilitate health and happiness. By focusing on recovery, we enable our customers to live healthier and happier lifestyles through exercise. Exercise plays a vital role in longevity and mental health, and it reduces the risk of a multitude of diseases and medical conditions. All our products are grown on a truly organic and regenerative farm in Illinois. By purchasing products from Loud Labs, customers are also supporting the growth of regenerative agriculture.
Can you share with our readers the mindset behind the brand and how regenerative agriculture fits into the bigger picture?
Our mindset and approach towards physical and mental recovery is the same as that of regenerative agriculture: restore and preserve. Regenerative agriculture focuses on recovery of soil health to increase the amount of land suitable for food production. Recognizing that we only get one body and one planet, our passion has become preserving both. We’re on a mission towards restoration and longevity — both of our bodies and our land.
