The Tipping Point: McKinney’s Last Chance to Lead

In 2021, after nearly a year of lockdown, I realized something: I had lost my edge. My boys were growing up fast, but the world outside had changed while we were stuck inside. I needed to shake things up. I needed something different.

That’s when I saw the sign.

Inacio Neto, a world-class athlete, had just opened Gracie Barra McKinney, a Jiu-Jitsu gym in McKinney, Texas. He found two young men, Israel Sustaitia and David Johnson, to help him build this vision. In the middle of a pandemic. Who starts a new business when the world is collapsing?

At first, I thought they were crazy. Then I realized: crazy is what creates champions.

So, we went. As a family, we stepped onto the mats, and our instructors—Inacio, Israe, and David—introduced my family to an entirely new way of thinking. The first real lesson came when I rolled with David Parsons, a brown belt, 15 years older than me, and 50 pounds lighter. I figured my size and strength would give me an advantage. It didn’t. He dismantled me, systematically, with precision and ease.

That was my wake-up call.

Since then, I’ve competed over a dozen times across the U.S. and Europe. My first match? I got my ass handed to me. But I adapted. Today, since losing my first two matches, my record stands at 27 wins and 2 losses. My children and wife, all have had similar experiences.

What changed?I learned that the difference between winning and losing often comes down to a single decision, a single point, a single moment of hesitation.

McKinney is in that moment right now.

McKinney vs. Frisco: How We Lost the Last Round

Cities, like fighters, compete. McKinney’s main competitor? Frisco.

And let’s be honest—Frisco has been dominating us for over two decades.

McKinney is Collin County’s county seat, yet somehow, we’ve been playing catch-up.

Why?

1. The Geography Excuse – Frisco had the advantage of being near Dallas North Tollway and 121, while McKinney was stuck with 75 and 121. But geography isn’t destiny. Vision is.

   
   

   

   Frisco Vision for 121 and Dallas Tollway

   

   McKinney's vision for 121 and 75

   
   

2. The Legacy Effect – Plano built Legacy, and that success spilled over into Frisco’s Legacy West. McKinney’s prime real estate, by contrast? Dominated by car dealerships. A failure of vision.

   
   

3. Historic Downtown vs. Business Hubs – We focused on our historic downtown. Frisco, meanwhile, built "Sports City, USA"—Cowboys HQ, FC Dallas, the PGA. One strategy was charming. The other was wildly profitable. A good visions can sometimes come at a great price.

   
   

So where does McKinney go from here?

When you’re losing, you don’t keep playing the same game. You change your game.

McKinney’s Next Move: America’s Smartest City

We missed the last great expansion. We will not miss the next one.

The 4th Industrial Revolution is already here—AI, automation, robotics, smart technology. This one isn’t slow. It won’t take decades. It’s happening now.

Cities that move first will thrive. Cities that wait will be left behind.

McKinney is going to change. The only question is who will lead that change?

The Playbook for McKinney’s Future

1. Transparency & Efficiency – Bureaucracy is outdated. Smart contracts and blockchain technology can eliminate waste, streamline services, and make government more accountable.

2. AI in Social Services – As our elderly population grows and more children need specialized care, we must use AI and smart tech to fill the gaps. This isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.

3. AI-Driven Manufacturing – The U.S. needs to bring back manufacturing. McKinney should be first in line. One example? The transformer shortage. America needs more transformers, and we should be the city that builds them.

4. Robotics Hub – Frisco has sports. McKinney should own robotics. This is where the world is heading—automation, AI, intelligent machinery. We should be a manufacturing and R&D hub for these technologies.

5. Airport Vision – Stop thinking of McKinney National Airport as only a commerical airport. That’s the wrong vision. Instead, it can be an logistics and distribution center—a launchpad for moving high-tech goods and autonomous cargo across the country. Now we have a competitive advantage!

The Tipping Point: McKinney’s Defining Moment

Difficult times are coming. Change is inevitable. The only question is whether we will adapt—or fall behind.

A few years ago, when the world was shutting down, Gracie Barra McKinney did the opposite. While businesses were closing their doors, Inacio, Israel, and David opened theirs. A Jiu-Jitsu gym—in the middle of a pandemic.

By every conventional measure, this was the wrong time, the wrong move, the wrong bet.

And yet, it worked.

Why? Because with vision and leadership, even the smallest community can be transformed—even in the worst of times.

McKinney is facing that moment now.

We have two choices:

1. Keep trying to be Frisco 2.0—chasing stadiums and corporate relocations 15 years too late.

2. Take a completely different path—and become the most intelligent, efficient, AI-driven city in America.

   
   

This is our tipping point.

The 4th Industrial Revolution isn’t something that’s coming. It’s here.

It will create winners and losers.

McKinney must choose: Are we leading this revolution, or are we getting left behind?

Because change is coming.

And this time, we will be the ones driving it.