The Secret To Success Podcast is your weekly jolt of truth, strategy, and conviction from Eric Thomas (ET)—the world’s #1 motivational speaker—alongside CJ Quinney, Karl Phillips, and Jemal “9-to-5 Millionaire” King. No fluffy theory here. We talk mindset, money, relationships, leadership, faith, health, and execution—and we do it with straight talk, real stories, and proven playbooks you can run today.
From locker rooms and boardrooms to classrooms and living rooms, we break down how high performers actually win consistently—and how you can too. Expect hot seats, uncomfortable truths, practical frameworks, wild behind-the-scenes moments, and the accountability you didn’t know you needed.
If you’re ready to stop collecting information and start adopting the mindset that changes your life, you’re in the right room. Tap in, take notes, and let’s execute.
Site
RSS
Spotify
Apple
Data updated on 06/11/2026
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
Discover shows related to The Secret To Success with CJ, Karl, Jemal & Eric Thomas, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
Why You Keep Quitting When It Gets Hard (Eric Thomas) | S2S 566
Episode 566
Thursday, November 5, 2026 • Duration 42:00
What do you do when the dream is real, but the rent is due?
Fresh off the Forever Forward weekend, with a couple of weeks left before their new book We Is Greater Than Me drops, CJ and Eric Thomas go back to the one season CJ almost folded.
Money was so tight that CJ, the first in his family to get a degree, master's in hand, was calling his blue collar parents to borrow five hundred dollars. So he started substitute teaching on the side. By the end of his first day he had a struggling classroom singing, the principal asked him to come back every day, and the district wanted to offer him a role worth close to six figures. Then ET found out, and told him to quit.
ET explains why. CJ had already turned down Western Michigan. ET had already watched people from Detroit make enough to survive but never enough to thrive. And the calls coming into their office at Michigan State, from Reggie Bush to Puff, told him the needle was moving. You can't half do this. Then the real reason CJ took the job comes out, and it involves the Cheesecake Factory.
They go back even further. ET had one rule for the team, no dating, and Candis of Detroit broke right through it. CJ remembers ET calling with his wife Dede in the background, asking how long this was going to last, and the Michigan State staff meetings where ET stared out a tiny window like he was in prison. ET shares what God told him to do with Dede's need for stability.
It all lands on the story ET preached this weekend: why God let David lose everything right after he beat Goliath. You can't stay a champion off the last battle you won.
JOIN US LIVE ON PATREON
New audio every Tuesday, video every Wednesday, plus live recordings and Q&A with the S2S fam.
https://www.patreon.com/c/S2SPodcast120
CHAPTERS
Chapters
00:00:00 Cold Open: You Can't Stay Champion Off One Win
00:01:34 Welcome: Fresh Off Forever Forward
00:02:58 Countdown to We Is Greater Than Me
00:04:50 Why CJ Struggles to Promote Himself
00:06:02 Why Now Was the Time for This Book
00:11:55 Was There Ever a Time You Doubted?
00:13:39 The Substitute Teaching Story
00:17:58 Why ET Told CJ to Quit
00:20:01 The Evidence: When Reggie Bush and Puff Called
00:22:04 You Can't Be Here One Week and Gone the Next
00:24:18 Western Michigan or the Cheesecake Factory
00:26:53 Candis of Detroit Broke the Rule Book
00:30:53 Five Grand a Speech and Dede's Big Question
00:33:12 Suffocating in the Staff Meeting
00:35:30 Turn Your Dream Into a Job
00:37:05 Want It as Bad as You Want to Breathe
00:39:21 We Is Greater Summit, November 16 to 18
00:40:27 Get the Book, Bring Your Team
PRE-ORDER WE IS GREATER THAN ME
The new book from Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney. Pre-order now and get $346 in free bonuses. Get one for you and one for your team.
https://www.weisgreater.com
WE IS GREATER SUMMIT
Three nights, live and virtual, with Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney, November 16, 17 and 18. Self, family and teams, plus the book launch party.
https://www.weisgreater.com/summit
WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION
https://www.youtube.com/@S2SPodcastChannel
RATE AND REVIEW
If this one hit home, leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more people find the show.
LISTEN ANYWHERE
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-secret-to-success-with-cj-karl-jemal-eric-thomas/id844102142
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GrMsi1Cxj3nipnI9HR1QX
FOLLOW
Instagram: @s2spodcast
Why You Keep Attracting the Wrong Person (Eric Thomas) | S2S 565
Episode 565
Thursday, October 29, 2026 • Duration 01:16:05
What if the person you keep picking is not the problem? What if it is the version of you doing the picking?
With CJ and Jemal out this week, Moose takes the host chair next to Eric Thomas and Karl and drives the whole conversation around one idea from ET and CJ's new book, We Is Greater Than Me.
Moose grew up an only child, born in Egypt and raised in New York after 9/11, and learned early that the only way to get ahead was to look out for yourself. So he asks ET straight up: how does we benefit me? ET flips the question. Me is not real. He has never eaten, played, gambled or made it through a day without somebody else making it possible, and he walks you through his grandmother's projects in Detroit to prove it.
Then it gets uncomfortable. ET says there is no enemy. Nobody outside your marriage is running your marriage, so whatever is tearing it down, you are holding the hammer. And if you leave one bad situation just to find the next one, you will tear that one down too. You might not be in the wrong we. You might be the wrong me.
Karl shares the commandment he wrote this week, and it sounds backwards until it clicks: the most selfish thing you can do is give. Moose opens up about his grandmother's final moments in Egypt. ET explains how CJ and Karl turned an hour of raw ET into the three minutes the world saw, and why he never once did it on a solo.
And a random comment someone sent about his kids, Jalin and Jayda, made ET realize he had been raising them in the zoo. It closes with a text Candis sent about Dede, and ET says no sermon can top what Dede did that day.
JOIN US LIVE ON PATREON
New audio every Tuesday, video every Wednesday, plus live recordings and Q&A with the S2S fam.
https://www.patreon.com/c/S2SPodcast120
CHAPTERS
Chapters
00:00:00 Cold Open: They Grow From Chasing It Down
00:01:34 Welcome: Moose Takes the Host Chair
00:03:22 Karl's Birthday Shift: Think and Train, Don't Just Do
00:04:59 FOMO Is the Negative Side of We
00:09:12 New York, Boston and Vancouver in 72 Hours
00:11:43 Let Us Create: Why Nothing Gets Built Alone
00:17:29 Moose: Raised to Look Out for Me
00:18:54 Me Is Not Real
00:24:26 What Have You Done for Me Lately
00:25:39 How to Undo It: Stop Group Thinking
00:28:12 When You Worship the Group
00:29:45 There Is No Enemy
00:31:04 The Most Selfish Thing You Can Do Is Give
00:35:04 Coach Scott Drew on Healthy Teams
00:40:11 Study How You're Wired
00:44:09 Moose's Grandmother's Final Words
00:46:13 Roots: No One Greater Than Thee
00:48:26 Wrong We or Wrong Me?
00:49:48 Don't Cut It, Reset It
00:56:33 Out of the Zoo: ET's Kids Go to Work
01:00:41 Distributed Leadership: How ET Really Blew Up
01:06:54 You Can't Make Money Without a Tribe
01:09:02 What Dede Did When Nobody Was Watching
01:13:27 Get the Book, Bring Your We
PRE-ORDER WE IS GREATER THAN ME
The new book from Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney. Pre-order now and get $346 in free bonuses. Get one for you and two for your we.
https://www.weisgreater.com
WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION
https://www.youtube.com/@S2SPodcastChannel
RATE AND REVIEW
If this one hit home, leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more people find the show.
LISTEN ANYWHERE
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-secret-to-success-with-cj-karl-jemal-eric-thomas/id844102142
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GrMsi1Cxj3nipnI9HR1QX
FOLLOW
Instagram: @s2spodcast
How to Let Go of People Who Only Take From You (Eric Thomas) | S2S 564
Episode 564
Thursday, October 22, 2026 • Duration 50:51
How many times are you going to let somebody overdraft your life before you close the account?
Eric Thomas and CJ go deep on relationships, boundaries and building the right team. E says it plain: God never told you to stay in a relationship that only takes. If people keep withdrawing more than they deposit, at some point you have to be strong enough to say, I have to let you go.
It starts with CJ asking E how you know you are building on bedrock and not in vain. E gives three rules. Repeat the behaviors that get your best results, the same way a 24 hour fast finally moved his scale. Reproduce your best, even if it is the in your face voice Dede is tired of hearing. And select people who share your values, because access is not the same thing as love.
Then CJ asks if there is ever a "me season." E tells the story of Dede asking the family for 18 months so she could get her master's, and why that was me for the sake of we. He explains why so many people quit on we after a bad partnership: they never prayed about it, they came for the money.
The back half is a live Q&A with the S2S Patreon fam. E answers when the we is worth the sacrifice of me, why some of your me is sick and only spends in your own house, how to get volunteers to join what you are building, and why you can win a lot by yourself but you cannot win the big one alone. He also tells the story of how God gave him the title We Is Greater Than Me in prayer.
JOIN US LIVE ON PATREON
Hear every episode first and ask your questions live. New audio every Tuesday, video every Wednesday.
https://www.patreon.com/c/S2SPodcast120
PRE-ORDER WE IS GREATER THAN ME
The new book from Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney. Help us hit the New York Times Best Seller list.
https://www.weisgreater.com
EXTREME EXECUTION CERTIFICATION
Live, October 24 and 25. Only happens once a year.
https://www.extremeexecution.com
CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Cold Open: I Need You to Produce Something
00:01:28 Welcome: We Costs More Up Front
00:02:43 NBA Coaches, Receipts and the Power of We
00:05:28 Who This Podcast Is Really For
00:07:46 How Do You Know You're Building on Bedrock?
00:08:31 Rule 1: Repeat What Gets You Results
00:13:21 Rule 2: Reproduce Your Best
00:15:46 Rule 3: Pick People Who Share Your Values
00:18:40 Is There Ever a Me Season?
00:19:05 Dede's 18 Months
00:21:32 Why Your Last We Failed
00:25:48 Why We Need You at WeIsGreater.com
00:27:12 Patreon Live Q&A: What E Is Most Excited About
00:30:06 When Is the We Worth the Sacrifice of Me?
00:31:17 Deposits, Withdrawals and Overdrafts
00:35:00 Why the Book Is Called We Is Greater Than Me
00:37:33 Does We Cost You Part of Me? Your Me Might Be Sick
00:41:45 How to Get People to Join Your We
00:43:07 You Can't Win the Big One Alone
00:46:16 How God Gave E the Title
00:47:34 Do You Stay With People Who Won't Grow?
00:49:53 Closing
WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION
https://www.youtube.com/@S2SPodcastChannel
RATE AND REVIEW
If this episode hit home, leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share it with somebody in your circle. It helps more people find the show.
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-secret-to-success-with-cj-karl-jemal-eric-thomas/id844102142
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GrMsi1Cxj3nipnI9HR1QX
FOLLOW
Instagram: @s2spodcast
You're Not People-Pleasing If the People Aren't Pleased (Eric Thomas) | S2S 563
Episode 563
Thursday, October 15, 2026 • Duration 51:21
Eric Thomas thought he was a people pleaser. Then he looked around his own company and noticed something. Nobody was pleased.
Payroll was astronomical. Every month was a prayer just to cover it. Morale was low. And every time the money ran short, ET had the same answer: get back on the road and go make more.
This conversation starts with one sentence. CJ told someone who wanted in, "I don't trust you in the we right now." Not with his wallet. With the mission. Because CJ had already watched a people pleasing spirit up close. He watched E people please his way into that payroll.
So CJ turns to E and asks him to talk to the people pleasers. What comes next is ET at his most honest: "I lied to you about what we was."
He tells you why he did it, and it goes all the way back to being a kid watching Roots. He tells you what one conversation with TJ about the NFL finally made him see. And he gives you the one question that exposes whether you are really people pleasing or just worried about what people think.
Then it gets personal. ET grew up in the Serengeti, but he raised his kids in the safari, where the meat gets thrown out to you right on schedule. So he made a decision about his son Jalin that most parents will not make. Then Jalin got COVID, missed four days of work, and opened his check. What he said to his dad after that is the whole point of this episode.
Also in this one: why ET says workers don't get paid in this country, what a fourth and inches call has to do with your life, what being "half and half" gave CJ that E never had, and the phone call ET made to the father who raised him to apologize for something that made him mad as a kid.
So be honest. The people you keep taking care of. Are they actually pleased?
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
CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Cold Open: You Can't Say It's Bad When You're Part of What's Making It Bad
00:02:08 Welcome: AI, Water, and the End of the World
00:04:42 Chat GPT Turned E Into a Handyman
00:12:36 The AI Water Crisis: Chat vs Coca-Cola
00:18:06 Pre-Order We Is Greater Than Me
00:19:15 The People Pleasing Problem: When You're Really Self-Pleasing
00:22:08 The Payroll Crisis: When E Created a False World
00:23:39 Fourth and Inches: The Dan Campbell Philosophy
00:25:05 You're Not People Pleasing If They're Not Pleased
00:29:31 TJ and the NFL Reality Check
00:31:49 Workers Don't Get Paid: The Real World vs The Safari
00:34:07 If You Made Me, Make Another One: The Hov Principle
00:40:02 CJ's Half and Half Advantage: The Power of We
00:41:59 The Safari vs The Serengeti: Raising Kids in Reality
00:45:19 The Hidden Coke Story: Why Parents Hide Their Stuff
00:47:07 Jalin's COVID Check: When Reality Hits
00:48:32 Real People Pleasing: Standards That Set People Free
PRE ORDER WE IS GREATER THAN ME
The new book from Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney. Help us hit the New York Times Best Seller list. Buy one for you and one for your squad.
https://www.weisgreater.com
WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION
https://www.youtube.com/@S2SPodcastChannel?sub_confirmation=1
RATE AND REVIEW
If this episode helped you, leave us a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more people find the show.
LISTEN ANYWHERE
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-secret-to-success-with-cj-karl-jemal-eric-thomas/id844102142
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GrMsi1Cxj3nipnI9HR1QX
FOLLOW
Instagram: @s2spodcast
You Can't Build It Alone (Eric Thomas) | S2S 562
Episode 562
Thursday, October 8, 2026 • Duration 01:17:30
Eric Thomas and CJ break down leadership, team building and why you can't build it alone. The greatest wins in your life will never come from solo effort, and the thing that made you successful as an individual might be the very thing destroying your team. CJ said it at the 1% event. Your vision only has enough room for you.
It is just CJ and Eric Thomas at the table this week, and E opens by saying he has never felt this good. The reason is not a new win. It is something he removed. E explains how the Flight Assessment showed him he was the opinionated flight attendant in his own house, and why the biggest thing he did for his family this season was stay out their business. His kids Jalin and Jayda left the “family we”, landed at the same company, and took off.
From there the two get into money. E breaks down why money cannot buy happiness but it can buy options, the number he chased so Dede could retire, and why he stopped trying to fund everything on me income after a handful of kids came back from Dubai changed.
Then CJ pushes E on the hard question. How do you know you are in the right we, and when do you leave one? E talks about God telling him to leave Huntsville, the day CJ told him he was a brand and made him keep the hat on, and why he picks people on character. CJ closes with the line that carries the episode. He and E did not find a finished table. They built one with a hammer and a nail, and you can build yours with the people already around you.
So be honest. Are you building your own table, or waiting on a seat at somebody else's? Drop it in the comments.
CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Cold Open: CJ Almost Got Fired in His First Month
00:01:39 Welcome: Just CJ and E This Week
00:02:54 Pre-Order We Is Greater Than Me
00:04:22 Why E Has Never Felt This Good
00:05:42 Jalin and Jayda Outgrew the Family We
00:10:30 What E Had to Change on the Inside
00:12:44 The Flight Assessment and the Opinionated Flight Attendant
00:15:36 "Stay Out Their Business"
00:17:33 Sometimes Growth Is Removing Something
00:20:29 Coaching Grown Kids Without Controlling Them
00:25:22 Money Can't Buy Happiness, But It Buys Options
00:29:31 The Number That Let Dede Retire
00:31:09 Tithing, Giving and Who Really Carries the Church
00:34:18 Sending Kids to Dubai: When Me Income Runs Out
00:38:00 "Your Vision Only Has Enough Room for You"
00:42:19 A Vision Big Enough for a Thousand People
00:43:18 Dallas, the Hospital and the Van
00:48:45 How Do You Know You're in the Right We?
00:53:19 God Said Go: Why E Left Huntsville
00:54:30 From Anointed Speaker to a Brand: The Hat Story
00:57:14 Leave the We or Grow the We?
00:59:45 E Chooses People on Character
01:02:56 We Built Our Table
01:04:19 You Can Build It With Your People
01:06:35 Build Where Your Feet Are
01:09:10 Why CJ Only Wants His Own Table
01:10:37 What a 12 Year Old Taught the Pastor
01:14:15 Closing: Go to WeIsGreater.com
PRE-ORDER WE IS GREATER THAN ME
The new book from Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney. Help us hit the New York Times Best Seller list. Buy one for you and one for your squad.
https://www.weisgreater.com
EXTREME EXECUTION CERTIFICATION
Live, October 24 and 25. Only happens once a year.
https://www.extremeexecution.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/the-secret-to-success-with-cj-karl-jemal-eric-thomas/id844102142
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GrMsi1Cxj3nipnI9HR1QX
FOLLOW
Instagram: @s2spodcast
You Don't Need to Be the Star to Win (Eric Thomas) | S2S 561
Episode 561
Thursday, October 1, 2026 • Duration 55:59
Why do talented people keep losing? Eric Thomas says sometimes it is not the talent. It is the team.
This week the crew breaks down the power of we. The Bears walk into Monday Night Football with their third string quarterback and still get the win. ET explains why that was not luck. It was the right me inside the right we, and it is the whole reason the new book is called We Is Greater Than Me.
From Raider Nation to the Lakers, Dennis Rodman to Draymond Green, the conversation keeps landing on the same truth. It matters who drafts you. It matters who coaches you. And it matters whether you know your role.
CJ tells the story of giving up his speaking slot so ET could take the whole stage, and what he said when someone told him to stop dimming his light. ET goes back to the Michigan State cubicle where he, CJ and Karl figured out who was the brain, the hands and the mouth. Then he drops a rule for your house and your business. If you are not the best at it, stop doing it just because you can. That is your ego in the we.
Plus, Jemal on why your life is really a series of pivots, Karl on the funeral video that got a standing ovation, a fair or foul on a grown man with his own face on his phone screensaver, and the 45 dollar heart test everybody listening needs to ask their doctor about.
So what is your role in your we? Are you playing it, or are you still trying to do everything yourself? Drop it in the comments.
CHAPTERS
Chapters
00:00:00 Cold Open: The Third String QB and a Powerful We
00:01:32 Welcome: Blessed, Highly Favored, and the Calcium Score Test
00:04:13 God Put ET's Kids at the Same Company
00:08:48 Fair or Foul: A Grown Man With Himself on His Screensaver
00:10:56 Donuts, Breakfast Tacos, and When to Lock Back In
00:14:47 Jemal's Keynote: Your Life Is a Series of Pivots
00:18:34 You Don't Get What You Experience, You Get What You Focus On
00:19:37 Karl's Funeral Video That Got a Standing Ovation
00:22:29 NFC North: The Third String QB Who Won
00:24:19 Why the Book Is Called We Is Greater Than Me
00:29:45 Extreme Execution Certification, October 24 and 25
00:31:21 Raider Nation: Why We Gives You an Identity
00:33:51 The Brain, the Hands and the Mouth: How ET, CJ and Karl Found Their We
00:40:03 Rodman Never Wanted to Shoot
00:41:14 CJ Gave Up His Turn: "Stop Dimming Your Light"
00:43:30 Draymond Green and Finding Your Role
00:45:56 Your Ego Is in Your We: Roles in Marriage
00:49:37 I Only Do What I Do: Jordan and the Baseball Bat
00:53:21 Power Washers, Lasers and a Magnifying Glass
00:54:26 Closing: Go to WeIsGreater.com
PRE-ORDER WE IS GREATER THAN ME
The new book from Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney. Help us hit the New York Times Best Seller list. Buy one for you and one for your squad.
https://www.weisgreater.com
EXTREME EXECUTION CERTIFICATION
Live, October 24 and 25. Only happens once a year.
http://www.ExtremeExecution.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/the-secret-to-success-with-cj-karl-jemal-eric-thomas/id844102142
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GrMsi1Cxj3nipnI9HR1QX
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 drive.
You Want Me To Go Easier On You, But Will The World? | S2S 560
Thursday, September 24, 2026 • Duration 57:34
Should the coach change to fit the player, or should the player change to fit the coach? This week the crew opens up one of the oldest arguments in coaching, leadership, and life, and nobody fully agrees.
CJ starts it off by admitting someone once told him his coaching style was too harsh, not wrong, not ineffective, just uncomfortable. That one comment turns into a debate that swings from brunch etiquette to Allen Iverson, from Navy SEAL hell week to the Mr. Miyagi principle to the exact moment you stop being valuable to a team.
ET explains why he walked away from being a democratic coach. Giving everyone an equal voice sounded fair, until it produced a room full of preferences and no results. But does that mean every coach should run it that way?
The Allen Iverson and Coach Larry Brown story becomes the test case, the only coach in history to win championships in both college and the pros, paired with one of the most talented players ever who never fully bought into the system. Was that on Iverson, or on the system?
Jemal argues that if the coach is proven, the player adjusts, not the other way around. You don't get to skip wax on, wax off. ET goes further, crediting his hardest seasons of being coached, not coddled, for getting him from homeless to number one in the world.
But where's the line between discipline and being broken down? The crew pushes into the screaming baby at brunch, why some kids need the paw paw, whether hell week coaching actually prepares you for real life, and why blessed kids might need a little manufactured hunger to grow.
So which side are you on? Does the coach adjust to the player, or does the player adjust to the coach? Where's your line between hard coaching and harsh coaching? Drop your answer in the comments, the crew wants to hear it.
CHAPTERS
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening: Stay Inside the Margins or You're Not You Anymore
00:01:35 Welcome and Fair or Foul: The Screaming Baby at Brunch
00:07:08 The Pow Pow Philosophy: When Kids Need Boundaries in Public
00:09:04 The Coaching Dilemma: Should the Coach Change or the Player?
00:12:16 The Mr. Miyagi Principle: You Don't Change the Winning Formula
00:14:29 The Allen Iverson and Coach Brown Story: When Talent Meets Discipline
00:17:43 Different Learning Styles vs. Taking Ownership: The Real Debate
00:21:55 From Homeless to Number One: Why ET Coaches the Way He Does
00:23:06 The Expectation Problem: Why ET Stopped Being Democratic
00:28:02 The 252 Moment: When You're Not Valuable Anymore
00:39:37 The Levels of Coaching: From Peewee to the Pros
00:45:11 The Letter With No You In It: Taking Responsibility for Your Story
00:46:58 Hell Week Coaching: Why We Came Up Different
00:53:04 Teaching Sons Not to Touch Women: The Non-Negotiable Standard
00:55:15 The Virtual Jungle: Creating Hunger in Blessed Kids
00:55:58 Closing: We Is Greater - Go Get the Book
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
SUBSCRIBE
https://www.youtube.com/@S2SPodcastChannel?sub_confirmation=1
LISTEN ANYWHERE
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-secret-to-success-with-cj-karl-jemal-eric-thomas/id844102142
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 drive.
You Want the Results But You Won't Get on the Scale | S2S 559
Episode 559
Thursday, September 17, 2026 • Duration 47:41
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
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 Think You're Using the Perks But Really You're Losing the Circle | S2S 558
Episode 558
Thursday, September 10, 2026 • Duration 54:29
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 | S2S 557
Episode 557
Thursday, September 3, 2026 • Duration 01:07:11
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.
Details about The Secret To Success with CJ, Karl, Jemal & Eric Thomas, a podcast by The Resonance Network
