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

Most people say they want the truth, but the moment it shows up, they call the messenger a villain. This episode picks up where the Joe Jackson conversation left off and turns the mirror around. The real question isn't whether Joe was too hard on Michael. It's why we keep demonizing every coach, mentor, and visionary with the gift to push us toward what we say we want.

DISCLAIMER: Our focus in this episode is not the Jackson family, and we are not endorsing or excusing abuse of any kind. Our focus is what happens when people push us because they see we are capable of more, and get demonized for it. The Jackson story is a starting point, not the subject.The guys dig into why visionaries always get villainized, why our relationship with trauma is broken, and the difference between feedback and validation. Karl shares the "Carlos" moment that changed how he receives criticism. ET tells the Mr. Gene swim instructor story that put this entire philosophy to the test with his own son.

If you've ever fired the person trying to save you, this one is for you.

In this episode: Why every visionary, from Moses to Joe Jackson, gets demonized during the process Why you can't receive help unless it comes wrapped exactly the way you want it The difference between looking for feedback and looking for validation How ET almost fired the swim instructor who taught his entire family to swim How to narrate your own story without playing the victim

CHAPTERS:
Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: Karl OS - The New Operating System
00:01:39 Welcome and Team Introductions: The Michael Jackson Movie Discussion
00:03:24 Did Michael Jackson Play the Victim His Whole Life?
00:04:15 Joe Jackson: Visionary or Villain?
00:23:06 The Gary, Indiana Reality Check
00:25:01 Feelings vs. Goals: Why Most People Stay Stuck
00:28:35 The Mr. Jean Swimming Lesson Story
00:37:12 Stop Looking for Validation, Start Looking for Feedback
00:44:20 Karl's Transformation: From Soft to Strategic
00:43:17 Next Level Speakers Conference Announcement
01:01:02 Kalm Down with Karl: Stop Living Your Life Like a Question
01:01:50 Mal's Millionaire Moment: Your Pension is Dead
01:04:02 The Secret Project Reveal: What Karl and Mal Are Building

KALM DOWN WITH KARL: Stop living your life like a question and live like the answer that you are. God saw a problem on the planet and created you as the solution. Stop walking around uncertain. You are the answer.

MAL'S MILLIONAIRE MOMENT: One pension is too close to no pension. Jemal breaks down how the average career span matches the average mortgage span, meaning you can have a property fully paid off by the time you retire from your day job. That's your second pension. He also shares how he turned his daughter's graduation gift into a down payment on her first property at 22.

RATE AND REVIEW: If this episode hit you, take 30 seconds to rate and review on Apple Podcasts. It's the biggest way you help us reach the next person who needs to hear this.

JOIN THE S2S PATREON: Early access, live recordings, behind-the-scenes content, Q&A, and ET speech streams. https://www.patreon.com/c/S2SPodcast120

PRE-ORDER "WE IS GREATER THAN ME" by Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney: https://www.amazon.com/We-Greater-Than-Me-Highest-ebook/dp/B0GPGXXD5D

NEXT LEVEL SPEAKERS CONFERENCE: June 5-7, 2026 in Atlanta, GA. Featuring ET, CJ, Jemal, Karl, Inky Johnson, Jeremy Anderson, and Marco Kino. Early bird tickets active now. www.nextlevelspeakersconference.com

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

WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION: https://www.youtube.com/@S2SPodcastChannel?sub_confirmation=1

CONNECT WITH S2S: Instagram: @s2spodcast

ABOUT THE PODCAST: The Secret to Success Podcast is hosted by Eric Thomas, CJ Quinney, Jemal King, and Karl "The Bajan Sensation" Phillips. The mission: show the authentic side of four men building businesses, marriages, wealth, and legacies in real time. No hype, no filters, just real conversations to help you believe in your own potential.

Your soft coaching is killing their future. And you think you're being kind.

In Episode 540, ET, CJ, Karl, and Jemal pull up to the table after watching the Michael Jackson movie and what follows is one of the most honest, uncomfortable, and necessary conversations this crew has ever had. About Joe Jackson. About tough love. About why we've been Catherine-ing people when we should have been Joe Jackson-ing them. And why the people closest to greatness are usually the ones being held back by feelings, comfort, and lies we call love.

CJ gets cavity searched while ET watches in the distance…

Then the crew dives into the Michael Jackson movie and what most people missed. Joe Jackson got them out of Gary, Indiana. From the steel mill to the charts. Six kids. Multiple number ones. And we've been dogging him out for decades without asking the hard question: would there even be a Michael Jackson without Joe Jackson?

ET breaks down why he's been doing it wrong as a leader. Why caring about people's feelings has actually been holding them back. Why his mom kicked him out at 16 and it was the greatest gift she ever gave him.

This episode will make you rethink every soft conversation you've had. Every time you coddled someone instead of challenging them. Every time you let someone stay comfortable when you knew they were capable of more. Because real love isn't making people feel good. Real love is helping them become who God called them to be.

Timestamps:
Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: The Airport Security Story - When ET Left CJ Behind
00:01:25 Welcome and Team Introductions: The Pastor's License
00:02:25 Fair or Foul: ET Goes Through Security While CJ Gets Searched
00:10:58 The Michael Jackson Movie: We Owe Joe Jackson an Apology
00:12:28 From Gary Indiana to Greatness: Joe Jackson's Vision
00:18:00 The Catherine vs Joe Jackson Debate: Love or Lies?
00:21:34 Stop Catherine-ing People: Why Feelings Are Holding You Back
00:19:37 The Candy Seller Revelation: When Compassion Becomes a Lie
00:25:25 Real Leadership Requires Losing People: The Mom Story
00:34:00 Joe Jackson Them: Holding People Accountable to Their Genius
00:40:12 The Real Estate Lesson: When Mom Made ET Buy the Right House
00:29:16 The Jalen and Jada Story: Taking Ownership of Your Part
00:37:45 I Don't Have Any More Care Left: The Superpower of Not Caring
00:28:30 The Trauma of Being Broke vs The Trauma of Success
00:44:52 Next Level Speakers Conference Announcement: June 5-7 Atlanta
00:45:58 Why AI Can't Replace Joe Jackson: You Still Need Humans
00:46:50 Closing: Patreon Meetup and Final Thoughts on Tough Love

🔒 This Is What Patreon Members Get...
Unscripted conversations. Behind the scenes moments. Live Q&As. ET's speech streams. This is the version of S2S where nothing gets cut. If you want in:
👉 Join the S2S Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/c/S2SPodcast120

🎤 Next Level Speakers Conference | June 5-7, Atlanta
If you know you're called to speak, train, or elevate your personal brand, this is where you need to be. ET, CJ, Karl, Inky Johnson, Jeremy Anderson, and more. Plus a Patreon meetup. Early bird tickets available now:
👉 nextlevelspeakersconference.com

🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/@S2SPodcastChannel?sub_confirmation=1

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @s2spodcast

🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/secret-to-success/id123456789

About the Secret to Success Podcast

The S2S Podcast is hosted by Eric Thomas, Karl Phillips, CJ Quinney, and Jemal King. For over a decade, S2S has been one of the most authentic voices in personal development, not because of polished scripts, but because of real stories, real conversations, and real results.

Every episode pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to build wealth, sustain relationships, grow businesses, and become who you were created to be. No hype. No filters. Just four men who've lived it, telling the truth about how they got there.

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 history, talking about going back to heal his mother and realizing she went through everything he blamed her for carrying.

Karl's Kalm Down segment delivers one of the most practical frameworks this show has produced. Access and alignment are not the same thing. Just because something good comes to you does not mean it is yours. Make your decisions on alignment, not access.

With Jemal away, CJ steps in with a sanctified session and does not hold back. God wants more for you than you want for yourself. Everything you do not have is because you are still operating below the level God designed for you. Stop shrinking.

The episode also includes the announcement of ET and CJ's debut book "We Is Greater Than Me," now available for preorder on Amazon, and ET pulls out his GED on camera for the first time, earned February 9th, 1989, out of Lansing, Michigan. The certificate that started everything.

If you are a woman who has ever smiled through something that was breaking you, Candis is building something for you. If you have ever felt like your life looks right but something is still off, this table sees you.

In this Episode:
Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: Access Is Not the Same as Alignment
00:00:57 The Shift: Letting Go of Control and Trusting God's Plan
00:05:22 Breaking Generational Cycles: Understanding Your Parents' Pain
00:07:54 The Yoke Up Revelation: What It Really Means to Partner with Christ
00:12:33 Your Best Self Is for Hard Times, Not Good Times
00:10:27 Letting Go of Titles and Traditions That Kill Us
00:28:07 The Jada Story: When DD's Leadership Changed Everything
00:19:55 From the East Side to Bliss: Candace's Transformation Journey
00:21:47 Parenting Without Living Through Your Kids
00:33:12 Book Reveal: We Is Greater Than Me
00:43:17 Candace's Movement: From Crying in the Closet to Leading Women
00:48:32 Closing Word: Grow Up and Open Your Packages

Connect with Candis: @justcandisquinney on Instagram APOC Ministry virtual church, Saturdays at 11:00 AM ET on YouTube

Subscribe so you never miss an episode: https://www.youtube.com/@SecretToSuccess?sub_confirmation=1

Join the S2S Patreon for early access every week: https://www.patreon.com/s2spodcast

Follow us on Instagram: @s2spodcast

Listen on Apple Podcasts: Search "Secret to Success" on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Secret to Success is hosted by Eric Thomas, Karl Phillips, CJ Quinney, and Jemal King.

About the Secret to Success Podcast

The Secret to Success podcast is hosted by Eric Thomas (ET, The Hip Hop Preacher), Karl Phillips, CJ Quinney, and Jemal King. For over two decades ET has been one of the most recognizable voices in personal development, motivation, and leadership. The Secret to Success podcast goes beyond the highlight reel to show the real conversations happening behind the work, covering marriage, business, wealth building, faith, and what it actually takes to build a life worth living. New episodes every Thursday on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

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 that follows: God does not always allow the pain. Sometimes it is just our decisions. What is remarkable is that He works through it anyway.

ET's conference debrief becomes one of the most honest moments in recent S2S memory. He traces his lifelong anger back to its real source, being uprooted from Chicago as a kid, losing his cousin-brothers, resenting a stepfather he never asked for, and spending decades needing to control everything because nobody was ever in control for him. The breakthrough comes when he finally connects the dots and realizes the plan he spent years fighting against was actually the plan that made him who he is.

The episode also goes deep on DeDe's gift, her ability to see what no one else sees, illustrated through the story of Donovan, a child in their church navigating an impossible situation while his younger brother fights kidney failure. It is a quiet masterclass in what it looks like to show up for people with your actual gifts, not just your checkbook.

If you are a woman who has ever smiled through something that was breaking you, this one is going to meet you exactly where you are. And if you have ever chased a life that looked right on paper and still felt empty behind closed doors, pull up a chair. This conversation was made for you.

In this episode:

Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: God's Plan Despite Our Decisions
00:00:55 Welcome and Team Introductions: Post-1% Conference Reflections
00:02:49 Conference Takeaways: Building Your Own Table With People You Trust
00:04:18 Behind the Scenes: The Real Work of Live Events That Nobody Sees
00:16:02 The Commonality of Humanity: We All Want the Five Pillars
00:17:17 Candice's Mission: The Off-Ramp for Women Who Have Everything But Aren't Enjoying It
00:05:18 DeDe's Role: The Eye That Catches What Everyone Else Misses
00:09:49 The Phone Detox Challenge: Too Much Access to Everything
00:21:58 Candis' Story: Forgiving Her Father and the Optical Illusion of Life
00:27:09 The Wedding Day Decision: Moving As If You Already Have the Relationship You Want
00:30:36 The Truth About Candice's Father: When the Answer Still Isn't What You Hoped For
00:36:58 Eric's Story: I Still Don't Have Good Parents
00:38:32 The Joseph Revelation: God Allowed This to Happen So You Could Save Others
00:39:15 The Bruce Banner Effect: When Unresolved Trauma Makes You Someone You Don't Like
00:43:13 The American Dream Versus the Divine Calling: Stop Comparing Your Life
00:53:25 Losing Control and Finding God: When DD Took Over the Conference
00:55:00 The Healing Begins When You Realize Your Parents Were Broken Too
00:57:49 Closing: You Don't Want to Be Me, You Want to Be on Stage

Never miss an episode: https://www.youtube.com/@SecretToSuccess?sub_confirmation=1

Join the S2S Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/s2spodcast

IG: @s2spodcast

Listen on Apple Podcasts: Search "Secret to Success" on Apple Podcasts

Secret to Success is hosted by Eric Thomas, Karl Phillips, CJ Quinney, and Jemal King.

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 Dede is legendary)

Why ET stopped giving his time and expertise away for free — and why you should too

The "selfish vs. self-focused" conversation that will change how you think about your time and money

A special visit from the Cooking with the Cooks family

Pops pulls up and tells the untold origin story of how ET and CJ connected

Timestamps:
Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: The Public Was Never Supposed to See This
00:03:39 Throwback Music Session: LL Cool J and the Golden Era of Hip-Hop
00:09:58 Baby Face and Early Game: The First Piece of Wisdom
00:15:00 The Football Team Get Naked Story: When Confidence Was King
00:17:18 The Michael Jordan Clip: Being Selfish Is How You Win
00:18:05 The Shift: How ET Stopped Giving Everything Away for Free
00:22:02 The Mastermind Testimony: When People Pay, They Apply
00:24:16 Valuing Your Time and Expertise: The CJ Partnership Model
00:32:59 The ETA Records Story: Giving What's Earned, Not What's Expected
00:37:35 Pops Enters the Building: The Man Who Started It All
00:41:04 The Origin Story: From Prison Visit to Twenty Years of Partnership
00:43:43 Closing: Behind the Scenes Access and What's Next

Key Takeaways:

The difference between being selfish and being self-focused — and why it matters for your money and your time

Why giving your expertise away for free is a disservice to yourself and the people you're trying to help

The unplanned moment that created one of the most influential mentoring relationships in the world

What the S2S Patreon is really about — and why this content exists

🔒 This Is What Patreon Members Get Every Week Unscripted conversations. Behind the scenes moments. Live Q&As. ET's speech streams. This is the version of S2S where nothing gets cut. If you want in: 👉 Join the S2S Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/S2SPodcast120

🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@S2SPodcastChannel?sub_confirmation=1

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @s2spodcast

🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/secret-to-success/id123456789

About the Secret to Success Podcast

The Secret to Success (S2S) Podcast is hosted by Eric Thomas (ET, The Hip Hop Preacher), Karl Phillips, CJ Quinney, and Jemal King. For over a decade, S2S has been one of the most authentic voices in personal development — not because of polished scripts, but because of real stories, real conversations, and real results.

Every episode pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to build wealth, sustain relationships, grow businesses, and become who you were created to be. No hype. No filters. Just four men who've lived it, telling the truth about how they got there.

New episodes every Thursday. Patreon drops every Tuesday and Wednesday.