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

You're avoiding the scale. Not just the one in your bathroom, but the one in your marriage, your finances, your health, your life. You don't want to see the number because then you'd have to deal with it. You'd have to admit where you really are. And until you get back on the scale, you'll keep telling yourself stories that never get you back in alignment.
This week the crew gets brutally honest about the scale. Not just weight, but every area of life where you're avoiding the truth. Jemal breaks down why he kept the scale in the kitchen, not the bathroom. Because the enemy isn't the number. The enemy is the cheeseburger. The cookies. The late night fries. The scale is just telling you what you already know. And when you run from it, you're saying you don't want to be successful.
ET opens up about why he stopped getting on the scale after going out of town for Dede's birthday. How he told himself a story that if he got on and it wasn't where he wanted to be, all the work he did would feel like it was in vain. But the scale doesn't tell stories. It tells facts. And the story you tell yourself when you avoid it is the one keeping you stuck.
Dr. King breaks down how he measures Camille's happiness. Low stress. Making sure everything is taken care of. The kids, the house, the business, the car. He knows her level of joy is directly connected to her peace. And the one thing he could do better? Travel more. Not five star Dubai trips. Just getting away. Because wherever they are together, that's home.
Karl gets real about what he needs to work on with Tamisha. Cooking. She does 99 percent of it. And even though that's become their family dynamic, he knows taking one meal a day off her plate would relieve stress. Because the scale in your marriage isn't just communication. It's the small daily decisions that show you're paying attention.
ET unpacks why he shifted his relationship with food. He used to be a taste bud junkie. Never thinking about vitamin D or vitamin C. Just grits and eggs with cheddar cheese. But God told him to shrink the goal. Stop treating fitness like faith. This is your Achilles heel. You can't go big here. You have to measure daily. Kale, supplements, resistance before cardio. There's an order to it.
The crew also talks about why most people use prayer as a crutch. Praying for Peter to be released while Peter's at the door knocking. Why your bank account dashboard isn't your enemy. Why date night isn't your enemy. The enemy is not doing the things you know you're supposed to do. Get on the scale. Stop running. The truth is your friend.
This episode will challenge how you measure success. Because you can't manage what you don't measure. And if you're avoiding the scale in any area of your life, you're saying you don't want to win. Get back on it. Face the number. Make the adjustment. We is greater than me.
CHAPTERS
Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: The Scale Tells You the Truth You're Running From
00:01:58 Welcome and The Margin Metaphor: Staying Inside the Lines
00:05:46 ET's Scale Confession: When You Make Truth Your Enemy
00:09:43 The Story You Tell Yourself Is the Problem
00:12:22 The Two-Year Investment Principle: What You Do Now Shows Up Later
00:14:49 Jamal and Camille's Cassette Tape Vision: Speaking Your Future Into Existence
00:22:15 Carl's Kitchen Scale Strategy: Put Your Help Where Your Enemy Lives
00:26:50 The 52-Day Journey: Shrinking the Goal and Changing Your God
00:32:01 The Order Matters: Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally in Marriage
00:37:00 The Visa Victory: How Tamisha's Mom Finally Got to Come to America
00:40:32 Carl's No-Stress Marriage Philosophy: When Everything Is Taken Care Of
00:41:55 Carl's Biggest Area for Growth: Taking the Cooking Load Off Tamisha
00:43:58 Jamal's Travel Revelation: When You Stop Creating Experiences
00:45:33 Closing: We Is Greater Than Me - Pre-Order Available Now

PRE-ORDER "WE IS GREATER THAN ME"
The debut book from Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney. Available now.
https://www.weisgreater.com
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
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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/secret-to-success/id123456789
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GrMsi1Cxj3nipnI9HR1QX?si=f057018bcba44c15
FOLLOW
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ABOUT THE PODCAST
The Secret to Success Podcast is hosted by Eric Thomas, Karl Phillips, CJ Quinney, and Jemal King. Four friends, four journeys, one mission. Real conversations on faith, family, business, discipline, and becoming your best self.

You want to be in the circle, but you're coming in needy. You want the access, the connections, the benefits. But you're not bringing health. You're not bringing value. You're coming in taking from the circle instead of adding to it. And until you fix that, you'll never stay.
This week the crew gets raw about what it really means to be part of a team. CJ opens up about losing his Delta 360 status after two years. Not because he stopped flying. But because he started using too many of the benefits. The upgrades, the miles, the Sky Club access, the Porsche pickups. He was taking more from the circle than he was putting back in. And Delta kicked him out.
ET breaks down why the same thing happens in relationships, marriages, and friendships. You can't keep pulling from the circle without adding to it. Because the moment you become a liability, the moment you start draining more than you're contributing, people start distancing themselves. Not because they don't love you. But because you're using all your credit.
The crew unpacks why most people come into circles looking for what they can get instead of what they can give. Why generosity is a war, not a transaction. And why the healthiest people in the circle are the ones who never need anything. Shout out to Rondell, shout out to Will, shout out to Maul. They came in healthy. They came in ready to serve. And because of that, they're still here.
ET gets real about teaching his son Jalin the difference between being fed and knowing how to hunt. Why wealth doesn't start with money, it starts with a mindset. And why you can tell the difference between a lion and a giraffe just by looking at their bodies. One hunts. One grazes. And your physique, your character, your future depends on which one you are.
They also talk about why ET's daughter Jada called and asked what God said about her. How he told her everything she needs is about to come because she's finally in the Serengeti. And why being a COO at her brother's company is putting her in position to attract everything she's been praying for.
This episode will challenge how you show up in your circle. Because if you're needy, people can feel it. If you're draining, people will distance themselves. Stop taking advantage of the advantage. Start adding to the circle. We is greater than me.
CHAPTERS
Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: When You Get Needy, You Get Cut From the Circle
00:01:29 Welcome and The Delta 360 Wake-Up Call
00:03:22 The Secret to Staying in the Circle: Come With Health
00:05:27 Cultural Programming: The Give Me Mentality vs The Creator Mindset
00:05:57 The Delta Story Breakdown: Using All Your Global Upgrades
00:12:00 The Porsche Pickup and When Advantages Become Expected
00:24:57 Shout Out to Rondell Black: The Art of Knowing How to Be
00:25:46 Equal Sacrifice, Not Equal Giving: The Real Secret to We
00:29:17 Teaching Your Kids to Hunt: The Giraffe vs Lion Lesson
00:35:21 The Jada Story: Leading Your Wife to Houston
00:38:15 The Five Pillars and Building Your Own Dynasty
00:39:48 We Is Greater Than Me: The Book and the Mission
00:40:32 Football Season Talk: Bears Moving to Indiana and Lions Hype
00:48:48 Forever Forward Marriage Retreat: Photo Shoots and White Party
00:50:55 Closing: 9 to 5 Millionaire Network and Real Estate Results

PRE-ORDER "WE IS GREATER THAN ME"
The debut book from Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney. Available now.
https://www.weisgreater.com
FOREVER FORWARD MARRIAGE RETREAT
October 29th in Cancun, Mexico. Less than 50 couples. A celebration of marriage with the S2S crew and their wives.
https://www.foreverforwardmarriage.com
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
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 Secret to Success Podcast is hosted by Eric Thomas, Karl Phillips, CJ Quinney, and Jemal King. Four friends, four journeys, one mission. Real conversations on faith, family, business, discipline, and becoming your best self.

You're trapped by the very thing that made you successful. You've got the talent, the work ethic, the drive. You've built something. But the same high capacity leadership that got you here is now your Achilles heel. And until you deal with that, you'll never get to the next level.

This week the crew gets raw about what it really means to be part of a team when you've been successful on your own. ET breaks down why he's always been a two man, never a one. Even when everyone assumed he was the leader, he was always the second. From elementary school track meets to McDonald's, he knew his high capacity came with smoke. He knew the thing that made him great could also destroy him. So he spent his whole life looking for the right ones to connect with.

Mal opens up about why he joined the team in the first place. He had the real estate, the daycares, the security company, the money, the family. He wasn't looking for business. He was praying for brotherhood. He was praying for a circle of influence that was on the same level. Not financially, but spiritually. And when he connected with the crew, it wasn't about coaching or business deals. It was about friendship. It was about having an out. It was about being able to cook dinner with the wives and the kids without it always being mastermind time.

Karl shares what it's like being the introvert on a team of extroverts. How he showed up to the office 20 years ago not knowing if he even fit in. How he was overthinking everything, trying not to mess it up. But deep down, he knew connecting with the right people would have an impact bigger than he could imagine. And now, two decades later, he's living down the street from E in a neighborhood he never dreamed of. Because together everyone accomplishes more.

CJ unpacks the shift from being a lifelong one to becoming a two. How he was always the captain, always the leader, always the one. Until he met E. And for the first time in his life, he had to learn what it meant to be second. Not inferior. Not weaker. But connected. Because the one and the two together is the secret sauce.

They also break down arranged marriages, why Avery and Jamal Jr. are already locked in, and why the divorce rate in arranged marriages is 94 to 96 percent success. Plus, ET's kids are both working at the same company in Houston with offices down the hall from each other, and God keeps his word.

This episode will challenge everything you think about success, leadership, and what it means to be part of a team. Because you can be high capacity and still be trapped. Stop trying to do it alone. We is greater than me.

CHAPTERS
Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: Kyrie Was a Banging Two - Understanding Your Role on the Team
00:01:35 Welcome and Happy Birthday to ET - Celebrating 56 Years Around the Sun
00:05:32 Jada's Office and Jalen's Success - When Your Kids Make You Proud
00:10:18 The Birthday Gift: We Is Greater Than Me Book Pre-Order Goes Live
00:14:28 Fair or Foul: The Arranged Marriage Conversation for Avery and Jamal Jr
00:36:12 Carl's Story: From Substitute Teacher to Essential Team Member
00:45:35 Maul's Brotherhood Prayer: Finding Your Circle of Influence
00:53:07 ET Was Always the Two: The Lifelong Journey of a High-Capacity Leader
00:56:18 The Secret Sauce: When a Lifelong One Meets a Lifelong Two
00:56:44 Trapped By What Made You Successful: The High-Capacity Leader's Dilemma

PRE-ORDER "WE IS GREATER THAN ME"
The debut book from Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney. Available November 3rd.
https://www.weisgreater.com

FOREVER FORWARD MARRIAGE RETREAT
October 29th in Cancun, Mexico. Less than 50 couples. A celebration of marriage with the S2S crew and their wives.
https://www.foreverforwardmarriage.com

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

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 Secret to Success Podcast is hosted by Eric Thomas, Karl Phillips, CJ Quinney, and Jemal King. Four friends, four journeys, one mission. Real conversations on faith, family, business, discipline, and becoming your best self.

You know better. You can do better. But you haven't done better yet. And that's your 242: the place where you know what needs to change but haven't produced better yet. This week, the crew breaks down accountability that actually works.

ET explores the difference between reputation and character. Reputation is a shadow. It's who you want people to think you are. Character is who you actually are. And when your character is on the line, you can't promote a health supplement at 242 pounds or talk about transformation while avoiding the area you know needs to change. Not because of vanity, but integrity.

CJ gets real about being a true two man. Not a one in waiting looking for his moment, but someone whose light is connected to yours. He shares how he stepped aside at a speaking engagement so ET could go first. Someone accused him of dimming his light, but they couldn't understand that CJ and ET's destinies are tied together. Winning means doing whatever it takes, not whatever makes you look good.

The crew unpacks why consistency without quality is rehearsed failure, why people want to win their way instead of simply winning, and why real accountability goes beyond someone saying you're getting big. It's someone asking for your blood pressure every day. The 52-day challenge isn't about weight loss. It's about the area where you know better, can do better, but haven't done better yet.

ET also breaks down his home game versus away game strategy, how the Peloton app keeps him accountable on the road, and how CJ pushed him back to intermittent fasting. Nobody said a word when he was eating honey buns and Cheetos, but now that he's fasting, everybody's worried about his electrolytes.

This episode will challenge how you think about accountability, partnership, and being a two man. Because you don't want to be a two man. You're a one in waiting. Until you deal with that, you'll keep doing 52 days alone. Stop trying to win your way. Do what it takes to win. Your 242 is waiting, and it starts with your heart.

CHAPTERS
Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: Reputation is a Shadow, Character is Who You Are
00:01:38 Welcome and Airport Lotion Drama - The TSA Struggle is Real
00:04:11 The Sprinkler System Scam and Mr. Perfect's Lawn
00:07:09 Pool Equipment: The Money Pit That Never Stops Breaking
00:09:23 17 Years and 21 Years: Celebrating Partnership Milestones
00:10:37 The Speaking Engagement Story: When Your Light is Attached to Someone Else's
00:13:43 Consistency Without Quality is Rehearsed Failure
00:16:49 I Just Want to Win: The Philosophy That Built an Empire
00:17:18 You're Not a Two-Man, You're a One in Waiting
00:19:11 The Secret to Success Mission: Bringing Souls to Christ
00:20:23 White Men Can't Jump: Would You Rather Look Good and Lose?
00:24:44 Being a Two-Man in the 52-Day Challenge: What Accountability Really Looks Like
00:26:45 The Blood Pressure Metric: Why Accountability Needs to Be Tangible
00:27:56 The Jerk Chicken Confession: When You Eat Wrong and Your Numbers Show It
00:31:51 Reputation vs Character: The Connection That Changes Everything
00:41:53 The Dentist Analogy: Imagine If You Had to Go 52 Days Straight
00:45:12 You Know Better, Can Do Better, But Haven't Done Better Yet
00:46:27 Home Game vs Away Game: The Peloton App Solution for Travel
00:47:17 The 24-Hour Fast: When Accountability Pushes You Beyond Your Limits
00:49:15 Introducing the Build 52 Challenge: Your 52-Day Transformation Starts Now
00:49:57 Live Staff Meeting with Moose: Registration Deadlines and Pricing
00:53:07 Closing: Transformation Not Just Information

JOIN THE BUILD 52 CHALLENGE
Free registration ends soon. Transform the area you've been ignoring in 52 days.
https://www.build52challenge.com

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. Available November 3rd.
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 Secret to Success Podcast is hosted by Eric Thomas, Karl Phillips, CJ Quinney, and Jemal King. Four friends, four journeys, one mission. Real conversations on faith, family, business, discipline, and becoming your best self.

Want to learn more about Forever Forward? Join us live this Thursday at 7:00 PM EST for a Forever First Look - a special event preview. Register using the link below!

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/HIHEuTfrRGqd05VzP8FR1A

You want to travel the world with your spouse. You want to be around other couples who actually like each other. You want to celebrate your marriage instead of fixing it. And that's exactly what Forever Forward is for. October 29th in Cancun, the crew is inviting less than 50 couples to a marriage bliss retreat. Not a conference. Not counseling. A celebration. This week CJ and Candis, Jemal and Camille get real about why this retreat isn't for the struggle marriage. It's for the couples who are already in love, already healthy, already doing the work. Because here's the truth most people don't want to hear: the healthy couples always end up being the source of strength for all the weak couples. And where do they go to get filled back up?

Candis confesses she used to say no to vacationing with other couples. She wanted quality time with CJ, not group hangouts. But exposure changed everything. Not because they sat around doing marriage counseling, but because they observed. They watched how Jemal and Camille showed affection, how they communicated, how they celebrated anniversaries. And it challenged them to level up without anyone saying a word. The crew breaks down why iron sharpens iron applies to marriages too. Why being around other couples in bliss rejuvenates you. Why you need community, not just for business or faith, but for your marriage. And why this retreat is about building a tribe of couples who actually enjoy being together. Jemal drops the unk word about the attack on marriage nobody talks about. The quiet period. The phase after the baby showers and birthday parties where nobody invests in their marriage anymore. Life becomes about the kids, the job, the ladder. And years later, the divorce phase hits. Not by chance, but by neglect. Because divorce doesn't happen overnight. It's years of not working out, not investing, not putting anything back into the marriage. This episode is about the small foxes that destroy the vine and the small steps that build marriages. If you want to succeed in your marriage as bad as you want to breathe, this is your moment. Forever Forward. October 29th. Cancun. Let's celebrate love.

CHAPTERS

Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: Traveling the World Together as Couples
00:01:29 Welcome and Forever Forward Announcement - October 29th in Cancun
00:04:29 This Ain't For the Struggle Marriage - Who Forever Forward Is Really For
00:05:32 Why Iron Sharpens Iron Applies to Marriages Too
00:08:26 The Exposure That Changes Everything - Why Community Matters for Couples
00:14:07 Candace's Confession: I Didn't Want to Vacation With Other Couples
00:15:49 It's Never Turned Into Marriage Counseling - The Power of Observation
00:17:13 The Forever Forward Experience - What to Expect in Cancun
00:18:44 Unk Jamal's Word: The Attack on Marriage Nobody Talks About
00:22:13 The Small Foxes That Destroy the Vine - Why Small Steps Build Marriages

FOREVER FORWARD MARRIAGE RETREAT October 29th in Cancun, Mexico. Less than 50 couples. A celebration of marriage with the S2S crew and their wives. https://www.foreverforwardmarriage.com

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 Secret to Success Podcast is hosted by Eric Thomas, Karl Phillips, CJ Quinney, and Jemal King. Four friends, four journeys, one mission. Real conversations on faith, family, business, discipline, and becoming your best self.