The Secret To Success With Cj & Eric Thomas | Inspiration | Personal Development | Success

Most people spend their whole lives chasing a version of success that looks right on paper and still leaves them empty. That is the conversation at the center of Episode 539, and it is one of the most honest hours this table has produced. Candis Quinney is back and she brings the moment that started everything. She was in her closet, stressed, overwhelmed, burnt out, with everything she had worked hard for, and still broke down. The house was there. The marriage was there. The kids were there. The pool was there. And none of it was enough. That moment did not break her. It built a movement. Candis is done watching women settle for a version of life that looks good from the outside and feels hollow on the inside, and she is calling everyone to a higher standard. ET picks up where Episode 538 left off, going deeper into what it actually felt like to release the need for control and what changed in his life and his marriage when he finally did. He also brings one of the most tender moments in recent S2S histor

Most people who feel stuck, angry, or burned out are not dealing with what they think they are dealing with. That is the throughline of Episode 538, a conversation that starts with the aftermath of the 1% Conference in Chicago and goes somewhere much deeper. CJ's wife Candis Quinney walks in fresh off one of the most powerful 1% Conferences the S2S family has ever put together, and her presence immediately changes the energy in the room. Candis is not here as a plus one. She is building something, a movement for women who are done performing, done pretending, and done settling for a version of life that looks good on the outside and feels hollow on the inside. Her story, including a moment of sitting in a closet with everything she was supposed to want and still breaking down, is the kind of honesty that most people spend their whole lives avoiding. It is also exactly why we named this episode what we named it. Before the episode even gets rolling, Karl opens with a reframe that sets the tone for everything

This episode was never meant for the public. It was recorded exclusively for our Patreon community — the people who are already in the inner circle. But we're pulling the curtain back and letting you see what S2S really looks like when the pressure is off, the cameras are still rolling, and nobody is performing for anybody. This is the crew unfiltered. No script. No agenda. Just ET, Karl, CJ, and Jemal being exactly who they are. From 80s hip-hop debates to the first game they ever ran, to ET getting real about why he stopped giving his expertise away for free — this episode has everything the highlight reel never shows you. And then Pops pulls up and drops the origin story of how ET and CJ found each other — the moment that started all of this. If you've ever wondered what S2S looks like behind closed doors — this is it. In This Episode: The 80s hip-hop playlist that shaped who they became — LL Cool J, Eric B & Rakim, Babyface and more The first piece of game they ever ran (ET's Babyface line on

Somebody talked you out of your dream before it ever had a chance. Maybe it was a parent. Maybe a friend. Maybe someone you trusted. And the worst part? They didn't even know they were doing it. CJ takes his son Trey to a skateboard store and watches a 6-year-old fall twice in front of a crowd, get back up, and look at his dad like it was nothing — because CJ realized he was about to pass his own fear to his son. Fear of something he'd never even tried. ET traces his version, leaving comfort in Huntsville to chase something bigger when everyone said he already had enough. Jemal gives a raw testimony — real estate, the daycare, the businesses — every significant venture required blind, childlike faith. The one that didn't? Becoming a police officer. His whole family was already there. Everything else? Trust God with nothing upfront. And Karl brings the financial lens: your side hustle doesn't just need to make money. It needs to make sense. This one will make you think about who you've been taking advice fr

What if everything you've built so far — your career, your income, your wins — happened without you even really trying? That's exactly what Jemal King discovered in 2006. Four daycare centers. Real estate. A millionaire — completely by mistake. And the question that hit him harder than the money itself: if I could become a millionaire by mistake, what could I become on purpose? Jemal breaks down his full story — from building without a coach to discovering the value of community, to realizing most people quit the moment they start seeing results. ET closes with his challenge: stay 365 days. Then three years. Then five. Because the levels you haven't seen yet only unlock after the time is paid. Karl brings Kalm Down with Karl and Mal drops the Millionaire Moment — the rebar that holds everything together, and why your degrees and hustle aren't working without it. Most people have no idea what they're actually capable of. This episode is the proof. It's not about talent or luck. It's about goin

You can see exactly what you want. You probably always could. So what's actually stopping you? This episode opens with a story CJ wasn't sure he should tell. A 4-hour TSA line. Atlanta airport in complete chaos. And a woman with no badge, no uniform — just the nerve to say: get out of that line. What followed wasn't just a funny airport story. It cracked open one of the most honest conversations this crew has had about why people stay far from the rooms that could actually change them. Not because they don't have access. But because they know exactly what comes with it. The crew gets real about the price of true accountability — what it costs to be in this circle, what it felt like when ET was going in on CJ, and why that fire is exactly what separates the ones who last from the ones who fall off. ET closes Part 1 with a warning from the life of King Saul — when you forget where you came from, the power you worked so hard to get becomes the very thing that destroys you. You can see exactly what you want. T

You’re not losing because you lack talent. You’re losing because you’re focused on the wrong thing. Most people obsess over results — the money, the body, the relationship, the success. But winners don’t worship outcomes. They build systems. In this episode of the Secret to Success Podcast, we break down why focusing on the result keeps you stuck — and how shifting to solution thinking changes everything. If you’ve been: • Starting strong but falling off • Setting goals but not seeing progress • Working hard but not moving forward • Believing… but still stuck at the 6-yard line This conversation is for you. We dive into: • The difference between victim thinking and architect thinking • Why belief determines your level of commitment • How focusing on solutions restores power over your life • Why consistency without the right system is rehearsed failure • The mental shift that separates dreamers from disciplined winners You don’t rise to your goals. You rise to your systems. If you’re tired of chasing re

Your gift already opened the door. The question is: did you get lazy and let it close? In this episode, ET ( The Hip Hop Preacher), and the guys break down the truth about God-given gifts and why most people never reach their potential. They reveal: ✅ How to identify YOUR specific superpower (it's not what you think) ✅ Why people get complacent once their gift produces results ✅ The difference between using your gift for yourself vs. God's purpose ✅ How Karl discovered his gift of SUPPORT ✅ Why Mal's gift of VISION has made him successful in real estate and every other area of his life ✅ The "Get a Backbone" morning routine that sets up your day for success KEY MOMENTS: - E reveals his superpower: calling people back within 24 hours and showing love - Karl explains why he finally embraced being a "supporter" - Mal shares how VISION allows him to see 20-100 years into the future - The fig tree parable: Why God curses gifts that don't produce fruit - Why trying to use someone else's gift will never work for

What do you REALLY want? Not what society tells you to want. Not what you think you should want. What does YOUR heart actually desire? In this raw conversation, Eric Thomas, CJ Quinney, Karl Phillips and Jemal King get real about goals, dreams, and the difference between chasing material things vs. living with purpose. ET shares a powerful parenting moment that changed how he sees his son, Jamal breaks down why your next promotion might be in your next property, and the crew discusses why the "unseen" matters more than what you can see. Plus: The story behind Jamal's viral house tour (millions of views), why ET doesn't want what you think he wants, and a challenge that'll make you rethink everything you're chasing.

Being close isn't the same as being there — and ET knows exactly what that feels like. In this episode, CJ and ET get raw about the "almost zone": why being talented, dedicated, and almost at the top might actually be harder than starting from zero. ET shares the real story of having the greatest motivational speech in the world and still not being able to get booked — and what finally changed everything. They break down why getting to the top and staying at the top are two completely different skill sets, the whispers of self-doubt that are quietly killing people's dreams, and why proximity to the right people matters more than talent ever will.

The wrong business partner will cost you everything. Here's how to know who to trust. Most businesses fail not because of a bad idea, bad product, or bad timing. They fail because of bad PARTNERS. People who don't share your values. People who steal. People who see you as a paycheck instead of a partner. People who make "doggy bags" to take home instead of building the table with you. In this raw conversation, Eric Thomas, CJ Quinney, Karl Phillips, and Jemal King break down the brutal truth about business partnerships - what destroys them, - what makes them work, - Why starting small is the only path to building big, - And real proof this approach works (six-figure real estate checks, zero student debt, generational wealth from $50/paycheck). This is Part 2 of our two-part series. If you missed Part 1 (Episode 528), go watch the wife haircut debate now! CHAPTERS: Chapters 00:00:00 Opening: Be Faithful Over the Small Stuff - That's How God Knows You're Serious 00:01:20 Stop Looking for Permission -

Most people don’t fail because they lack effort. They fail because they follow rules and advice that were never designed for their real life. In this episode of the Secret to Success Podcast, the conversation challenges one of the most common traps in personal growth: living by general advice instead of personal strategy. This episode breaks down why: What works for others often fails for you Generic advice ignores context, timing, and personal tendencies High performers don’t just work hard — they study patterns Rules, stats, and analytics are useful… but dangerous when followed blindly Real growth requires a personal “scouting report” for your life, marriage, money, and leadership Through stories from sports, business, relationships, and real life, this episode shows why winners don’t just follow instructions — they observe, adjust, and execute based on their specific situation. If you’ve been doing “all the right things” but still feel stuck, this episode will help you understand why —

Most people think belief is a feeling. This episode makes a different case. Your beliefs are visible — not in what you say, but in the results you keep producing. In this continuation of last week’s conversation, we break down why people can have information, opportunity, and effort — yet still see the same outcomes year after year. The issue isn’t hustle or knowledge. It’s what you truly believe is possible, allowed, or worth fully committing to. This episode explores how partial belief leads to partial commitment — and how that shows up everywhere: finances, relationships, faith, confidence, leadership, and decision-making. We talk about: Why belief always leaves evidence How effort without full belief creates cycles, not progress The difference between participating and fully stepping in Why your environment reinforces what you believe How results quietly reveal where commitment stops This isn’t motivation. It’s a mirror. If you’ve been doing the right things but still seeing the sam

Everyone’s talking about the Chicago Bears right now (or at least Jemal thinks so), and while a new coach matters, the real shift runs deeper. This episode breaks down a powerful truth about real turnarounds: the players didn’t change — the perspective did. Same roster. Same city. Same pressure. What changed was how the game was being seen, understood, and approached. And once that shifted, the results followed. Using the Bears as a real-world case study, this conversation explores why so many people stay stuck year after year. Not because they lack ability or effort, but because they keep trying to do more instead of learning to see differently. This isn’t about starting over. It’s about building on what’s already there.

Most people don’t fail because they lack talent, intelligence, or opportunity. They fail because no one around them tells the truth. In this episode of the Secret to Success, Eric Thomas, CJ, and Karl break down why success becomes dangerous when accountability disappears—and why many people collapse after they start winning. This conversation hits hard: Why discipline alone eventually fails How “yes-men” quietly sabotage your future The role appetite plays in self-destruction Why unchecked power and money expose character How to build a circle that protects your purpose, not your ego This isn’t about cutting people off out of pride. It’s about protecting your life, your family, and your future. If no one in your life can correct you, challenge you, or stop you when you’re wrong—you’re not free. You’re exposed.

This year doesn’t need more motivation. It needs clarity, discipline, and intention. In this episode of the Secret to Success Podcast, Eric Thomas breaks down 7 rules that actually matter if you want to win this year — not just stay busy, not just feel inspired, but make real progress. These aren’t trends. They’re principles. You’ll learn: Why delusion keeps people stuck longer than failure How choosing what’s good beats choosing what feels good Why boredom is a requirement for mastery How to become unreplaceable in any environment The difference between playing defense and playing offense Why responsibility beats loyalty How to decide the meaning of whatever this year brings No hype. No shortcuts. Just truth you can build on. Happy New Year. Let’s work. Chapters 00:00:00 Opening: This Is What They're Not Telling You 00:00:52 Rule 1: Get Out of Delusion and Into Reality 00:08:05 Rule 2: Choose What's Good, Not What Feels Good 00:16:05 Rule 3: Boredom Builds Champions 00:24:45 Rul

As 2025 comes to a close, we wanted to take a moment to look back. This episode is a collection of some of our favorite moments from the Secret to Success Podcast this year — real conversations, honest questions, unexpected laughs, and truth-filled discussions that stayed with us long after the microphones were off. From relationships and communication… to mindset, reality, and self-awareness… these clips capture the heart of what S2S has always been about: growth through real talk. Whether a moment makes you laugh, reflect, or pause for a second longer than expected, our hope is that it reminds you how powerful honest conversations can be. Thank you for listening, sharing, and being part of the journey with us in 2025. We’re grateful for you — and excited for what’s ahead.

“Be honest — what’s something you’ve been consistent at… but haven’t seen results from yet?” You can do the right things and still be headed in the wrong direction. In this episode of the Secret to Success Podcast, the conversation goes straight at a frustration many disciplined people quietly carry: “I followed the rules. I showed up. I stayed consistent… so why isn’t it working?” This isn’t a motivational episode. It’s an examination. The team breaks down why effort alone doesn’t produce growth, how consistency without measurement becomes rehearsed failure, and why isolation — not laziness — is often the real reason progress stalls. You’ll hear why pain is often proof of progress, why feedback is essential (even when it hurts), and how following the wrong formula can keep smart, hardworking people stuck for years. If you’ve been doing the work but questioning the results, this episode will help you identify what needs to change — without throwing away everything you’ve built. This conversation is abou

If life feels heavy, confusing, or just stuck… you’re not broken. You’re not cursed. You’re not “falling behind.” You’re in a phase nobody teaches you how to navigate: the dark season. In today’s episode, the guys break down why your hardest moments keep repeating, why running from discomfort actually makes it worse, and the one shift that finally moves you forward. ET explains how every version of success he’s had was formed in moments nobody saw. Jamal talks about the darkness that exposed the real picture of his life and pushed him toward real estate. Karl breaks down how creativity, identity, and resilience are all born in the dark—never in comfort. This conversation will change how you interpret struggle, setbacks, disappointment, and pressure. Because the truth is simple: You don’t grow in the light. You grow in the hard stuff. And once you know how to face it, everything changes.