Vera Jo Bustos

Improving outcomes for athletes, leaders, and high achievers through performance psychology.

Travels from Boise ID, USA

Audience Feedback

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Attendees Find Valuable

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Would See Again

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Talks Given

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Speaks on:

Emotional Leadership

Leadership Development

Peak Performance

Performance Enhancement

Personal Growth

Self Awareness

Speaks to:

Corporate Teams & Enterprises

Associations & Membership Orgs

K-12 Education

Formats:

Keynote

Training

Breakout

Workshop

Audience members say

Vera Jo electrifies audiences with her insightful and heartfelt presentations on confidence building, drawing from her professional basketball career to connect deeply with listeners. She transforms how people view their "dead zone," providing practical tools that help attendees replace self-doubt with empowerment and "speak with power instead of poison." Her energetic style makes complex mental skills accessible through relatable stories that resonate particularly with young athletes and students, leaving them astonished and inspired. Audiences consistently describe Coach VJ's talks as "life-changing" and "valuable," appreciating how she addresses topics that truly matter in ways they understand. Her unique approach teaches participants to identify negative self-talk, reframe nervousness as excitement, and build confidence from within rather than waiting for external validation. Clients book her for her ability to deliver an "amazing speech on how to be confident that can change your way of thinking about it," creating joyful, entertaining experiences that stand apart from typical motivational presentations.

Key Audience Outcomes

Participants gained actionable strategies to build and maintain confidence in various aspects of life, including sports, school, and personal relationships.
Attendees learned to identify and challenge negative self-talk, replacing it with empowering and positive affirmations.
Individuals developed a new perspective on stress and nervousness, reframing these emotions as excitement and opportunities for growth.
Participants discovered the importance of self-validation and inner sources of confidence, leading to increased self-esteem and resilience.

Vera Jo's Bio

Vera Jo Bustos—commonly known as "Coach VJ"—is a keynote speaker, author, and mental performance coach trusted by over 3,000 athletes and high performers. A former pro athlete and Hall of Famer, she now helps athletes, leaders, and high-achievers build lasting confidence, navigate adversity, and rise in the moments that most people shrink. As the founder of Mentality Solutions, Coach VJ blends performance psychology with real-life application—delivering powerful keynotes filled with mindset tools, personal stories, and actionable takeaways you can apply immediately. Her sessions are more than inspirational—they're transformational. Whether in a locker room or on a big stage, she shifts mindsets, sparks belief, and helps people perform with purpose, not pressure.

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Vera Jo Offers the Following Talks

Personal GrowthSelf Awareness

The Confidence Blueprint

The three sources of confidence holding you back.
The three sources of confidence needed to propel you forward.
Develop an understanding of how to become a master of your thoughts.
Define specific ways to gain control of your emotions.
How to turn your confidence into action.

Student SuccessEmotional Leadership

The Leadership Blueprint

Understand how to elevate standards without crushing confidence: Learn how to create a culture of accountability and growth where high expectations and high belief work together.
Develop the skill of balancing challenge and support: Recognize when the team needs a push, when they need reassurance, and how to deliver both in ways that drive performance.
Master the art of feedback that builds belief: Apply the NITE and Magical Feedback frameworks to communicate with clarity, reduce defensiveness, and inspire improvement.
Learn the language of Care-Frontation: Discover how to navigate hard conversations with empathy and courage, strengthening trust instead of tension.
Recognize the moments that define leadership: Identify how tone, timing, and presence shape confidence in others, and how to make every interaction count.

45 minutes - half day

Stress ManagementPeak Performance

The Gift of Stress

Escape your "Dead Zone" - You know the dead zone as your comfort zone. Depart empowered and equipped with tranformative tools to take bold action.
Change your relationship with stress - Learn the same techniques & strategies taught to college and professional athletes to bring out your best performance in high-pressure, high-stress moments.
Narrow your focus - Learn how to use the physiological responses to stress to enter your natural flow state.
Mindset shift - Harness the energy stress gives instead of wasting it trying to "manage it."
Adopt a mindset of resilience - Learn to respond thoughtfullly in stressful moments instead of mindlessly reacting.

Performance EnhancementLeadership Development

Customized Mental Performance Training

Confidence - Gain the confidence, belief, and motivation needed to act in pursuit of your goals.
Leadership - How to improve your leadership performance, communication, impact, and influence.
Performing Under Pressure - Create your own mental armor to change your perception of pressure so you can perform your best when it matters most.

Vera Jo's Links and Media Mentions

@vera.jo.bustos

@VeraJoBustos

vera-jo-bustos

verajobustos.com

Book:

A Mindful Journey

Article:

The Mental Arena Newsletter