MENTALITY
SOLUTIONS
improving athlete
outcomes through
performance psychology
From a young age, it's important to start working on the mental side of your sport. Working with Mentality Solutions, you can really benefit from that. Skill isn't just physical; it's mental.
Georgia Amoore
Washington Mystics
TRUSTED BY ATHLETES & COACHES FROM
WELCOME TO
MENTALITY SOLUTIONS
Built for Athletes. Designed for Performers. Grounded in Real Confidence.
You’ve got the talent.
You’ve put in the reps.
But when the lights are on and the pressure hits… something still feels off.
That’s where I come in.
I’m Vera Jo Bustos (aka Coach VJ), former college All-American, pro athlete, keynote speaker, and mental performance coach. I help athletes, student-leaders, and high performers close the gap between their potential and their results—not by changing who they are, but by giving them the tools to unlock what’s already inside.
The Mental Game Isn’t Magic. It’s Trainable.
Confidence, focus, and composure aren’t things you’re born with.
They’re skills—and just like any skill, they can be trained, practiced, and strengthened.
At Mentality Solutions, I teach practical, powerful mindset strategies used by elite athletes and performers—but made simple enough to use in the heat of the moment.
Through keynote speaking, team workshops, and 1:1 coaching, I help performers:
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Reframe nerves into performance fuel
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Turn doubt into mental curiosity
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Convert pressure into purpose
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Build confidence that doesn’t depend on outcomes
We Train The Full Mental Game.
From mindset and confidence to nervous system regulation and performance under pressure.
The mental game isn’t just about what’s in your head.
It’s also about what’s happening in your body—especially when the pressure hits.
That’s where somatics comes in.
Imagine your body has a secret control center.
It’s called your nervous system—like a superhero headquarters that helps you respond to the world around you.
Somatics is just a fancy word for how your brain and body work together to handle stress, pressure, and emotions.
Picture this: You’re in a big game. You want to stay focused, but suddenly your heart’s racing, your mind’s spinning, or you freeze up.
That’s not because you’re weak or unprepared. That’s your body’s control center kicking into protection mode—even when you don’t want it to.
Somatics helps you understand that system—and train it.
So when the pressure rises, your body doesn’t panic or shut down.
It learns to stay calm, focused, and ready to respond with control, not chaos.
Let's Build A Mental Game That Wins.
Whether you're a coach, AD, or athlete looking to elevate the mental side of your game, let’s talk. I’d love to help your team play with confidence, lead with purpose, and perform with clarity when it matters most.
You don’t rise to the occasion. You fall to your level of mental training.
Let’s raise that level—together.
MENTAL HEALTH VS MENTAL PERFORMANCE
At Mentality Solutions, we focus on Mental Performance—not Mental Health.
Think of it like this:
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Mental health is the training room—it helps you recover, stabilize, and heal. It addresses emotional struggles, clinical concerns, and personal well-being.
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Mental performance is the weight room—it helps you build strength, consistency, and competitive readiness. It trains your mind to perform under pressure, bounce back from mistakes, and lead with confidence.
Both are essential. Both matter. But they serve different roles.
Our work isn’t therapy—it’s training.
We help athletes build the mental habits, tools, and systems they need to unlock peak performance.
If you're looking to build confidence, sharpen focus, reset quickly, and compete with competitive fire—you're in the right place.
2025 EVENTS
Jan 2 - Homedale, Idaho
Jan 9 - Thornwood, New York
Jan 16-17 - Pocatello, Idaho
Jan 21 - Mountain Home, Idaho
Jan 24 - Spokane, Washington
Jan 27 - Kuna, Idaho
Jan 29 - Broken Bow, Nebraska
Feb 3 - Boise, Idaho
Feb 5 - Mountain Home, Idaho
Feb 6-9 - Albuquerque, New Mexico
Feb 14 - Mountain Home, Idaho
March 3 - Mountain Home, Idaho
Mar 5-6 - Pocatello, Idaho
Mar 14-16 - Albuquerque, New Mexico
April 1 - Boise, Idaho
April 6 - Middleton, Wisconsin
April 7-10 - Chicago, Illinois
April 17-18 - Pocatello, Idaho
April 21 - Albuquerque, New Mexico
June 3-4 - Crane, Oregon
June 17 - Flagstaff, Arizona
June 18-19 - Mountain Home, Idaho
July 5 - Orlando, Florida
August 20 - Santa Fe, New Mexico
August 29 - Thousand Oaks, California
September 3-4 - Orlando, Florida
September 25 - Las Vegas, New Mexico
October 15 - Pottsville, Pennsylvania
October 17 - Santa Fe, New Mexico
November 10-13 - Chicago, Illinois
November 26 - Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Mental Performance Signature Systems
The Confidence Blueprint
Build lasting confidence. Compete with clarity. Perform with purpose.
Whether you're competing in high school, college, or on the professional stage, this system is built to unlock what truly drives your performance.
You'll get hands-on tools, mindset shifts, and game-ready strategies that immediately elevate your performance—without fluff or theory overload. This is a deep-dive experience grounded in performance psychology, built to fuel your confidence when it matters most.
What's Inside the Playbook?
✔️ Master the 3 "Gears" that separate elite athletes from the rest.
✔️ Leverage 3 powerful outer sources of confidence that will boost your performance.
✔️ Train the 3 inner sources of confidence to fuel long-term belief.
✔️ Escape the mental traps of the "Dead Zone" and take control of your mental game.
✔️ Crack the Confidence Equation to drive sustainable peak performance.
✔️ Apply the Golden Rule of Performance Psychology that separates good from great.
✔️ Flip any disadvantage into an edge with mental strength strategies.
✔️ Overcome the fear of failure and transform it into your biggest asset.
This isn't just about confidence. It's about closing your performance gaps, elevating your mindset, and unlocking the version of you that's been waiting to rise.
Let's build your edge. Your next level starts here.
Limited spots available. This is a high-access, high-support coaching experience.
3-month commitment recommended for real growth.
The Pressure Playbook
When the heat is on, will you rise—or retreat?
The Pressure Playbook is your game-changing guide to mastering performance under pressure. Designed for athletes who want to own the moment when it matters most, this system is designed to take your mental game to the next level.
Built on the foundation of The Confidence Blueprint, this isn’t just about preparation—it’s about execution.
The Pressure Playbook provides hands-on, tactical strategies that you can use in the moment, helping you stay composed, focused, and ready—no matter the stakes.
What’s in the Playbook?
✔️ Harness the Power of Perception to see pressure as your ally, not your enemy.
✔️ Shift from Challenge to Threat States to take control of your mind.
✔️ Separate Emotion from the Event so you can respond with clarity.
✔️ Transform Nerves into Excitement and maintain a focused mind under stress.
✔️ Return your Body to Baseline to stay composed in chaotic moments.
✔️ Build your custom Mental Toughness Routine (MTR) for consistent performance.
✔️ Master your Mistake Response and turn setbacks into comebacks.
✔️ Develop a Resilience Response that keeps you steady under fire.
✔️ Approach adversity with the powerful mindset of Standard Over Feeling.
What’s more? You’ll learn how to thrive under pressure, turning high-stakes moments into opportunities for success. This isn’t just about managing stress—it’s about unlocking the true power within you to perform at your peak when it matters most.
Ready to thrive in the moments that matter most? Step into the pressure and let it bring out your best.
Limited spots available. This is a high-access, high-support coaching experience.
3-month commitment recommended for real growth.
