9 Questions with Ed Brown, Patron CEO & ESM Driver

Patron President Ed Brown answers 9 questions about his performance lifestyle as a CEO and Extreme Speed Motorsports driver.

In 2000, Ed Brown, a University of Texas graduate, took over as President and Chief Executive Officer of Patron Spirits International. Since that time, the company’s sales have increased by nearly 2000%, while its Tequila has become a pop cultural phenomenon featuring one of the world’s most recognizable liquor bottles. Brown also went from sponsoring a NASCAR driver and putting the company logo on a car to becoming one of the founders of Extreme Speed Motorsports, an endurance auto racing team.

Last year Brown, who is also a driver, and the rest of the Patron ESM squad took first place at the Rolex 24 in Daytona, one of two world-renowned 24-hour races. They also finished 16th at the other, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France. And while Patron ESM doesn’t have a car in the 85th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend (June 17-18), Brown’s teammates Brendon Hartley, Bruno Senna and Pipo Derani will all be competing.

We recently asked Brown, who’s been on the system since January, our 9 Pillars of Performance questions on Strain, Sleep and Recovery.

1. Describe your workout regimen on high-Strain days.

EB: I lift weights for an hour-and-a-half, then either go for a hard run or bike ride.

1. What piece of advice do you find yourself giving most often?

EB: No matter what it is, if you work harder than anyone else you can be successful.

1. Who in your profession would you most like to compete against, all time?

EB: Ayrton Senna. I’ve gone up against many great drivers, but he was amazing (Senna, a Brazilian driver and three-time Formula One world-champion, was killed in a crash in 1994 at age 34).

1. How often do you nap?

EB: A few times a week.

1. What’s your routine the night before big events?

EB: I eat clean and try not to stress about sleep.

1. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

EB: I drink a large bottle of water and then plan my day.

1. How do you handle jet lag?

EB: I get a workout in and sleep whenever I’m tired, no matter what time it is. I also drink a ton of water.

1. When did you have your worst WHOOP Recovery?

EB: It came after a night filled with lots of Patron and very little sleep.

1. Finish this sentence: WHOOP has made me realize…

EB: …how important quality sleep is, and how much better I can perform when I’m on a high Recovery phase.

RELATED: WHOOP at Rolex 24 Race in Daytona

Photos via @PatronESM on Twitter.