The Secret To Success with CJ, Karl, Jemal & Eric Thomas

You're getting paid exactly what you're worth. Not what you think you deserve. Not based on your degrees, your loyalty, or how hard you work. You're getting paid exactly what you believe about yourself. And until you deal with that, nothing changes.

This week the crew breaks down why most people resist coaching even when they're losing. ET opens up about why he had his kids leave his company to go work under someone else. Not because he didn't want them around, but because he refused to insulate them from the growth they needed. Karl gets transparent about working out with a trainer who pushed him 14 more reps than he thought he had left, just by watching his muscle instead of listening to his excuses. Jemal brings the NBA Finals breakdown and why the Spurs lost a 29 point lead in the second half. Not because they weren't talented, but because they didn't have sustainable systems. And CJ delivers the truth about Kobe and Mike: 11 championships between them, zero without Phil Jackson.

They also unpack why people follow relationships instead of truth. Why your grandma's way of doing things might not be God's way. Why Diddy told ET at 16 that she wasn't trying to win mother of the year, and how that one conversation set him free from trying to be everything to everybody. And why some of you are 60 years old still struggling with the same issues you had at 30 because you never submitted to coaching.

The crew gets real about marriage, parenting, and why CJ and Candace went to Australia when their daughter was five months old. Not because they're bad parents, but because coaching taught them that a strong marriage creates the foundation for strong kids. They break down why ET got two kids in 14 years with zero accidents, and why that's not luck, it's coaching. And why Jemal told people in his circle they can't be around him without owning real estate.

This episode will challenge everything you think about accountability, growth, and what it really takes to win. Because you can have all the talent in the world, but without the right coach, you're the Spurs blowing a 29 point lead. You're Kobe and Mike with zero rings. Stop resisting the coaching that's trying to save your life. You don't need more information. You need to apply what you already know. And if you're getting paid what you're worth right now and you don't like it, the problem isn't the market. The problem is you.

CHAPTERS
Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: Who Not How - The Tyranny of Trying to Figure Everything Out
00:00:59 Welcome and the Age Realization: When You're Older Than Everyone
00:06:37 The NBA Finals Lesson: How the Spurs Lost a 29-Point Lead
00:13:50 Zero Championships Without Phil Jackson: Why You Need Elite Coaching
00:15:04 Marriage Coaching Saved My Life: Chuck, Moni, Ian and Dede's Impact
00:22:53 The Coaching Tree: How Great Coaches Create Great Coaches
00:23:33 Australia at Five Months: Why We Left Our Baby for Two Weeks
00:19:17 God, Marriage, Kids: The Order That Saves Your Family
00:19:57 Separate the Piano From the Person: Stop Taking Feedback Personally
00:20:53 F Them Kids: Dede's Line That Changed ET's Parenting
00:22:11 Mike Brown vs Phil Jackson: Why Experience and Coaching Matters
00:36:06 Two Kids in 14 Years: The Power of Intentional Family Planning
00:27:28 Relationship Over Truth: Why You Follow Your Grandma Instead of God
00:27:58 Pastor Willis Spoke My Vision Before I Had One
00:46:07 Character Development Boot Camp: Why ET Made Us Pray All Day
00:55:45 You're Getting Paid Exactly What You're Worth Right Now
00:53:59 The Muscle Twitch Story: How Tommy Got 14 More Reps Out of CJ
00:56:37 Maul the Builder: He Doesn't Just Build Houses, He Builds People
00:51:52 The 12-Year Overnight Success: Maul's House Goes Viral Now
00:59:31 Closing: Get in the Mastermind and Stop Making Excuses

JOIN US LIVE ON PATREON
New audio every Tuesday, video every Wednesday, plus live recordings with the S2S fam.
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PRE-ORDER "WE IS GREATER THAN ME"
The debut book from Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney.
https://www.amazon.com/We-Greater-Than-Me-Highest-ebook/dp/B0GPGXXD5D

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FOLLOW
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APOC VIRTUAL CHURCH
Saturdays 11am EST on YouTube. www.apocministry.org

ABOUT THE PODCAST
The S2S podcast is hosted by Eric Thomas, Karl Phillips, the Bajan Sensation, CJ Quinney, and Jemal King. Four friends, four journeys, one mission, real conversations on faith, family, business, and the work it takes to build a life that lasts. New episodes every Thursday.

You're doing the work. You're showing up. You're praying. You're trying. But you're still stuck. And the reason why isn't what you think it is.
This week the crew breaks down the difference between working hard and working with God. Because here's the truth most people don't want to hear: your faith is in your hands, not in God. You've been doing so much that you've made yourself an idol. And God is saying stop. Not because you're not capable. But because the work you're doing is getting in the way of what he's trying to do.
ET opens up about why he's been telling people to stop praying. Not because prayer doesn't work, but because some people use prayer as a crutch. They pray for Peter to be released from jail while Peter is at the door knocking. They're so busy praying they can't see the answer is already here. Karl gets transparent about 3 weeks of waking up at 5:09 every morning and making one commitment: don't ask God for anything. Just be in his presence. And how in those 3 weeks, every area of his business got uncomfortable. Every direction he thought was the answer, God closed. Because the answer wasn't more work. The answer was stop.
Jemal brings the 100 year plan. What are you building that your great great grandkids will benefit from? What seed are you planting that you'll never taste the fruit of? Because the person who plants the seed doesn't get to taste the fruit. But they're satisfied knowing what's coming. And CJ breaks down why most people quit right when the breakthrough is about to happen. Because they're measuring in their own strength instead of letting God be the structural engineer.
They also unpack why your problems aren't problems, they're preparation. Because if you can't handle one rental property stressing you out, you can't handle 10. If you can't handle one difficult conversation, you can't handle the next level. God isn't punishing you. He's preparing you.
This episode will challenge everything you think about work, faith, and what it really means to let go. Because you can't build the next level version of yourself in your own strength. You've tried that. It didn't work. The 52 days don't start when you work harder. They start when you stop.
CHAPTERS
Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: Get a Scale and Stop Wearing Jogging Pants
00:01:27 Before You Work With God, You Got to Know God
00:02:05 The Rodent Story: Calling the Right People to Fix Your Problems
00:04:52 Carl's Breakthrough: Stop Working, Start Walking With God
00:07:37 Your Problems Are Your Preparation
00:10:41 The Jesse Room Story: 52-Day Reframe in Action
00:12:55 There's No Limits in God: The Sky Analogy
00:14:11 The Tokyo Trip That Didn't Happen: When God Protects Your Plans
00:16:49 ET's Transformation: From Flight Attendant to All Four Quadrants
00:18:42 The Pace Ministry: Slowing Down to Reach More People
00:19:22 Christ Put Me Around Better People
00:20:44 Stop Praying Like Peter's at the Door
00:21:23 Jamal's Testimony: God Already Said Yes to Little J
00:25:31 Your Faith Is in Your Hands, Not in God
00:26:15 Prayer Can Be an Idol: Get Up and Open the Door
00:26:46 The Stress of Lying: Why Truth Sets You Free Immediately
00:27:29 I'd Rather Fight the Bear Right Now
00:29:40 The Pilot Wasn't in the Pilot Seat
00:31:23 Dede Goes Public: When Your Partner Activates Your Calling
00:33:38 Don't Bow Out, Level Up
00:36:26 Stop Treating Life Like a Hobby
00:39:20 The Economy Shift: Seven Streams of Income Aren't Optional
00:41:11 Get on the Scale Every Day: The One Thing That Changes Everything
00:43:07 Stop Wearing Jogging Pants in Your Real Life
00:44:17 What Changed at 46: Carl's Shift Wasn't New Information
00:47:25 It's Not God That Changed, It's Your Belief Level
00:50:15 Do You Believe? The Question Before Every Miracle
00:52:42 Write the Vision, Make It Plain: No More Emotional Conversations
01:02:14 The 100-Year Plan: Mall's Millionaire Moment at 49
01:04:31 Closing: Patreon, Bliss Conference, and Next Week

JOIN US LIVE ON PATREON
New audio every Tuesday, video every Wednesday, plus live recordings with the S2S fam.
https://www.patreon.com/c/S2SPodcast120
PRE-ORDER "WE IS GREATER THAN ME"
The debut book from Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney.
https://www.amazon.com/We-Greater-Than-Me-Highest-ebook/dp/B0GPGXXD5D
SUBSCRIBE
https://www.youtube.com/@S2SPodcastChannel?sub_confirmation=1
LISTEN ANYWHERE
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/secret-to-success/id123456789
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GrMsi1Cxj3nipnI9HR1QX?si=f057018bcba44c15
FOLLOW
Instagram: @s2spodcast
APOC VIRTUAL CHURCH
Saturdays 11am EST on YouTube. www.apocministry.org
ABOUT THE PODCAST
The S2S podcast is hosted by Eric Thomas, Karl Phillips, the Bajan Sensation, CJ Quinney, and Jemal King. Four friends, four journeys, one mission, real conversations on faith, family, business, and the work it takes to build a life that lasts. New episodes every Thursday.

You look at people who made it and you assume they started with something you didn't. A better childhood. More talent. Some edge you never got. ET spent his whole life proving that is a lie, and in this episode he takes the excuse away from you.
The fellas get into what ET means when he says "I'm you." Not the polished version on the stage, the same flesh, the same doubts, the same fight. He breaks down why the only real difference between where you are and where you want to be is not talent or background, and why most people stay stuck holding onto an excuse that was never true.
Jemal shares walking into the Obama Library opening, surrounded by billionaires and legends, and the question that hit him in that room about what he is actually building. CJ pushes on how you do the work and still get out of your own way.
This one is a confrontation. The kind you need.
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Watch the video version on YouTube.
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RATE AND REVIEW
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CHAPTERS
PRE-ORDER WE IS GREATER THAN ME
The new book from ET and CJ.
https://www.amazon.com/We-Greater-Than-Me-Highest-ebook/dp/B0GPGXXD5D
APOC VIRTUAL CHURCH
Saturdays 11am EST on YouTube.
www.apocministry.org
ABOUT THE PODCAST
The S2S podcast is hosted by Eric Thomas, Karl Phillips, CJ Quinney, and Jemal King. Four friends, four journeys, one mission, to help you believe in your own potential and build a life that matters.

CJ and David sat down with Jemal King and Wall Street Trapper right after the One Percent stage, and what came out was bigger than money. Jemal spent his early years as a cop, putting on a vest every day. Trap came up on the corner. Two men who once lived on opposite sides of the law, now face to face, breaking down how they ended up with the exact same mindset about risk, discipline, and building wealth.
Trap explains how the streets prepared him for capitalism. Jemal breaks down the seven streams of income and why you don't chase all seven at once. And the whole room gets honest about buffer room, the equity that decides whether one bad week wrecks you or barely moves you.
This one is raw, it is real, and it might change how you look at every dollar you spend.
LISTEN, FOLLOW, AND SHARE
If this episode hit, do three things. Follow the show so you never miss a drop. Rate and review us, it is the single biggest thing you can do to help more people find S2S. And share this one with someone who needs to hear it.
Want the video version and the live recordings with the Patreon fam in the room? Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/S2SPodcast120
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MORE FROM THE FAM
Pre-order "We Is Greater Than Me" by Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/We-Greater-Than-Me-Highest-ebook/dp/B0GPGXXD5D
Join us for APOC Virtual Church, Saturdays at 11am EST: www.apocministry.org
CHAPTERS
Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: Behind the Scenes Post-Stage Energy
00:03:05 The Five Pillars: Faith, Family, Finance, Fitness, Freedom
00:03:58 The Seven Streams of Income: Your Financial Blueprint
00:08:41 Why Black Men Stay Behind Financially Despite Wanting Success
00:09:45 Stop Eating, Start Walking: The Simple Truth About Losing Weight
00:11:59 The Streets Prepared Me for Capitalism
00:19:59 The Runaway Slave Mentality: Hustlers Are Chasing Freedom
00:24:18 Control Risk vs Uncontrolled Risk: The Real Estate Formula
00:44:20 The Police Mindset: Always Prepare for Worst Case Scenario
00:45:56 Control Paper vs Uncontrolled Paper: The Passive Income Revelation
00:48:27 Non-Negotiables: How to Make Discipline Automatic
00:51:22 Simple Not Easy: Why Most People Can't Do What They Know They Should
00:52:18 Buffer Room: The Real Secret to Handling Life's Curveballs
00:58:21 When Your Father Has a Stroke: The Power of Being Prepared
01:00:29 Closing: You Don't Look Like What You've Been Through

ABOUT THE PODCAST
The S2S podcast is hosted by Eric Thomas, Karl Phillips (the Bajan Sensation), CJ Quinney, and Jemal King. Four friends, four journeys, one mission, to help you discover the secret to YOUR success. Real conversations on marriage, business, wealth-building, and personal development, with the radical transparency that built this show. New episodes every week.

You can't build the new you without tearing the old one down. That's the truth most people don't want to hear. Because demolition is uncomfortable. It's messy. It's loud. And it doesn't look like progress when you're standing in the middle of it. But here's what you need to understand: demo is the first sign of progress.
The crew goes deep on transformation in this episode, and they're not talking about surface level change. They're talking about gutting out the old wiring, the old walls, the old mindset that's been holding you back for years. ET breaks down why God doesn't design you where He has to come back and rewire you later. You're already wired for everything you're supposed to do. The problem is you've only been using one hand your whole life. Jemal opens up about becoming a millionaire by mistake, and the question that changed everything: if I could become a millionaire by mistake, what could I become on purpose? Karl gets transparent about being in the demo phase right now, crying in bed, asking God for clarity, and realizing that the discomfort is the process. And CJ brings the perspective on why you can't skip demo and go straight to the finished product.
They also unpack why most people quit right when they start seeing results. Why you can't do demo alone. Why your marriage, your parenting, your career all need to be renovated, not just maintained. And why the people who knew you before your transformation are the ones most likely to keep you stuck. Because they're still measuring you by titles, not outcomes. They're still seeing the shell of who you used to be, not the person you're becoming.
This episode will challenge everything you think about change. Because transformation isn't about adding more to your life. It's about tearing down what's no longer working and building something new from the foundation up. And if you're waiting for it to feel comfortable, you'll be waiting forever. The new you doesn't come without demolition. And the demolition doesn't stop. You're supposed to keep renewing, keep renovating, keep transforming. That's not the problem. That's the process.
CHAPTERS
Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: You're Already Wired for Greatness
00:01:20 Stop Being Around People Who Won't Transform
00:03:24 The 20,000 Square Foot Reality: When Success Changes Everything
00:04:27 Jesus Said Who Is My Mother: Choosing Transformation Over Tradition
00:04:56 You Help More People By Leaving Them Alone
00:06:01 The Squad Car Story: When Your Partner Chooses Promotion Over Progress
00:07:52 Title vs Outcome: Why Most People Stay Stuck at Good
00:13:02 Demo Is the First Sign of Progress
00:15:21 Romans 12:2 - Be Transformed By Renewing Your Mind
00:19:49 The Uncomfortable Truth: You Will Be Unrecognizable
00:22:38 Success Is Sequential Not Simultaneous
00:41:10 You Don't Have to Demo Alone
00:49:07 You're Already Wired - Stop Focusing on What You're Not
00:54:45 Closing: God Is Willing and Able to Transform You

JOIN US LIVE ON PATREON
New audio every Tuesday, video every Wednesday, plus live recordings with the S2S fam.
https://www.patreon.com/c/S2SPodcast120
PRE-ORDER "WE IS GREATER THAN ME"
The debut book from Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney.
https://www.amazon.com/We-Greater-Than-Me-Highest-ebook/dp/B0GPGXXD5D
SUBSCRIBE
https://www.youtube.com/@S2SPodcastChannel?sub_confirmation=1
LISTEN ANYWHERE
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/secret-to-success/id123456789
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GrMsi1Cxj3nipnI9HR1QX?si=f057018bcba44c15
FOLLOW
Instagram: @s2spodcast
ABOUT THE PODCAST
The S2S podcast is hosted by Eric Thomas, Karl Phillips, the Bajan Sensation, CJ Quinney, and Jemal King. Four friends, four journeys, one mission, real conversations on faith, family, business, and the work it takes to build a life that lasts. New episodes every Thursday.