"The Planning Paradox" Don't worry it's not Sunday! I'm breaking my own rule tonight. Writing Sunday's reflection on Friday because this weekend, my social media, personal brand work, and Utopia Ops gets the back seat and my family gets 100% of me. We will be busy creating memories, watching Eli's football game, and spending moments to cherish. This week reminded me something important: true planning isn't about rigid schedules. It's about creating enough structure to allow for complete flexibility when it matters most. I spent 30 minutes last Sunday mapping out this week, and most importantly, I planned for this moment - knowing I'd be fully present with my family while still honoring my commitment to you and myself by staying consistent despite circumstances. Case in point: I blocked 30 minutes Monday morning to set up our coaches for success with lesson plans. This planning freed me up to spend an unplanned hour helping a struggling parent work through a personal issue. The structure created space for what mattered most in that moment. Here's what I've discovered: the best plans make room for life to happen. When you take time to plan forward and reflect back, you stop living reactively and start living intentionally. But intention without flexibility is just another prison. Real freedom comes when your planning creates space for spontaneity, for presence, for the unexpected moments that become your most treasured memories. The reflection piece is equally crucial, but it doesn't always happen on schedule. Sometimes it happens watching your son make a tackle, or in a quiet moment with your spouse, or when your daughter asks a question that stops you in your tracks. Those small improvements and insights compound into something undeniable over time - but only if you're present enough to catch them. Accomplished this week: - Completed 90-day Coach V3 roadmap for Q4 2025 - Optimized LinkedIn profile for character development positioning - Finished filming session with Perry - Advanced NLP anchoring techniques study for classroom application - Maintained daily operations excellence at Utopia - Most importantly: Created space for family time without guilt or distraction -

"What will they say?" This reflection comes from a sermon I heard at church this morning. "What will they say about you when you leave this earth?" I often think about this and how I approach the human experience, from both spectrums. I've hurt people on my journey and still think about the times I shoulda, coulda, woulda done better. What I think about most is how do I counteract some of my early mistakes with good? What would my wife, children, close associates say on the inevitable day when I am no longer there to defend my actions? In my wiser years this is my guiding compass. I can't change the past, but I can learn from it. Not only can I do better, I can coach those who I see are facing similar circumstances by offering them a choice. The choice to make the same mistakes or take the wisdom and do better than I did. This week, a teenage student athlete pulled me aside during class to share his struggles with following his own path versus doing what his father wants. In that moment, I got to offer him my perspective while respecting his father at the same time. It isn't just philosophical, it's practical. With each high five, each time I listen without distraction, each time I message someone close just to let them know I am thinking of them, builds what I hope fills churches one day. "Coach Vern, Vernon, My husband, My daddy, My mentor, My friend was patient, always striving to do better than yesterday. He was a man who wanted to heal hearts and grow minds. He was a man who was relentless in the pursuit of community. His convictions revolved around kindness through the help of others, sometimes to his own detriment. He is and always will be a light and an example of, no matter the circumstances you can become undeniable." Accomplished this week - STORM team met over the weekend - 10 members in our SKOOL Community! Thank You! - Published a LinkedIn article about how parental entitlement impacts our kids. Click here! - Reviewed 6 chapters of the Powerful Parenting Playbook - Trained over at Neutral Ground HQ with some awesome teammates - Represented Utopia Martial Arts at Grafton High School career day - gave teens permission to not have it figured out yet and honored their potential instead of lecturing about my path

What is your weekly win as well as your weekly goal! Lets work together to get some roadblocks out of the way!

“Ego reminds me what I’ve done. Humility reminds me how much more there is to learn.” Accomplished this week - Competed against high-level opponents at the quintet, had strong moments and tough lessons. Even after coming this far, I’m reminded there’s always more to learn. - Stepped into leadership by picking the lineup and being the spearhead in the second wave, while watching my team show up for each other despite losses, fatigue, and the grind of competition. - Felt the power of community with one of our largest fan turnouts! Families, parents, and teammates showing up just to cheer us on. - Hosted a Girl Scout self-defense seminar, blending fun with serious skills. One parent told me, “Thank you for putting this together. Girls shouldnt live in fear,, but need to be prepared.” That’s exactly why we do what we do. - Proud of the effort I poured into preparing for competition while staying safe and healthy. What I need to accomplish this week - Shift focus from competing to building: represent at Grafton High School, lead STORM team invites and our weekend meeting. - Host a birthday party that doubles as an opportunity to welcome potential future members into the Utopia family. - Document more of the day-to-day journey of Coach Vern — showing both the grind and the gratitude. Closing thought:Humility keeps us coachable, teamwork keeps us accountable, and community keeps us grounded. What’s one way you can practice humilitin your own life this week? Drop it below ⬇️

One of the habits I’ve leaned on for years is visualization — not just looking back, but also looking forward. This week I’ve been future pacing next Saturday’s Quintet, visualizing what it will feel like the Sunday after. I see myself sore but healthy, no injuries. I feel the pride of representing our academy not just in competition, but in character adapting when things don’t go to plan, fighting with resilience, and carrying humility whether the scoreboard favors me or not. That’s the version I’m training toward right now. Wins from the Week: - Laila back in school and settling into routine 🙌 - Knocked out a bunch of operational tasks behind the scenes for Coach V3 - Training ramped up and on track leading into competition week - Quality time with friends at Tosa Fest, good balance outside the grind Challenges: - Balancing heavy operations work with training load - Keeping mental focus tight with Quintet looming (not letting anxious energy scatter me) - Still refining the first lead magnet direction for Coach V3 To-Dos for the Week Ahead: - Finalize taper plan + recovery leading into Saturday - Stay consistent with Scorecard + EOS check-ins - Close remaining operational loops before Quintet (no loose ends) - Be fully present at home with family while energy is on the mats Random Thoughts/Ideas: - Humility was last's months word of the month at the academy, it ties perfectly into this next week. Competing with humility means telling my athletes, “Yes, Coach Vern gets scared too. And still steps forward.” - Visualization isn’t just a habit, it’s a weapon. Future pacing helps me control what I can and face what I can’t with resilience. - Sometimes the best training is outside the gym. Dinners, festivals, and moments where you’re simply human with your people. If you find these reflections valuable, stick around. This isn’t just about coaching or competing, it’s about showing up as the next version of yourself, week after week.