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

Most people don’t fail because they lack effort.
They fail because they follow rules and advice that were never designed for their real life.

In this episode of the Secret to Success Podcast, the conversation challenges one of the most common traps in personal growth: living by general advice instead of personal strategy.

This episode breaks down why:

What works for others often fails for you

Generic advice ignores context, timing, and personal tendencies

High performers don’t just work hard — they study patterns

Rules, stats, and analytics are useful… but dangerous when followed blindly

Real growth requires a personal “scouting report” for your life, marriage, money, and leadership

Through stories from sports, business, relationships, and real life, this episode shows why winners don’t just follow instructions — they observe, adjust, and execute based on their specific situation.

If you’ve been doing “all the right things” but still feel stuck, this episode will help you understand why — and what to do differently.

Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: Stop Negotiating With Fear
00:00:52 Welcome and Team Introductions: The Q1 Focus Energy
00:01:28 Back in My Day: From Arcade Games to Roblox
00:08:31 Analytics vs The Scouting Report: Why One Size Doesn't Fit All
00:09:58 The Dan Campbell Effect: When to Go For It on Fourth Down
00:12:38 The Gazelle Mentality: How ET Learned to Observe and Survive
00:33:03 Brian Cox and the Film Room: The Cheat Code to Success
00:48:11 ET's Two-Home Challenge: Creating Unity in Unique Circumstances
00:50:20 The Mother-in-Law Revelation: Understanding What Really Matters
00:53:45 Millionaire Moments with Karl: Your Side Hustle Becomes Your Main Hustle
00:55:55 Closing: Hit Fear in the Mouth and Do Your Scouting Report

👇 Next steps:

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Share this episode with someone who keeps following the rules but isn’t getting results

Stop copying success. Start studying what actually works for you.

Transformation beats information — every time.

Most people don’t fail because they lack talent.
They fail because they can’t sustain excellence.

In this powerful episode of the Secret to Success Podcast, the conversation goes far deeper than motivation—into parenting, accountability, discipline, and what it actually takes to become the best version of yourself every day, not just when you feel inspired.

You’ll hear:

A raw voice message from a father breaking generational cycles

Why most people only visit greatness instead of living there

The difference between talent and autopilot discipline

How accountability separates role players from legends

Why your children should inherit more than memories—they should inherit momentum

This episode isn’t comfortable.
But it’s necessary.

Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: The Walmart Adventure and Living on the Wild Side
00:01:54 Welcome and Team Introductions - What ET learned from Ben Johnson
00:09:00 The Village is Broken: When You Can't Intervene Anymore
00:21:42 Jayda's Breakthrough: When Your Daughter Becomes Your Therapist
00:31:00 What Does Your Best Self Actually Look Like?
00:39:15 Know Thyself: Being the Best Version of YOU, Not Someone Else
00:40:50 The Jayda Thomas Reveal: Hidden Dialogues Podcast Launch
00:48:00 The Chris Paul Lesson: Why People Reject Accountability
00:53:30 Hall of Fame Mentality: When Your Practice is Harder Than the Game
01:05:57 Closing: Kalm Downwith Karl, Millionaire Moments and Building Generational Momentum

👇 Take action:

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Because transformation matters more than information.

Most people think belief is a feeling.
This episode makes a different case.

Your beliefs are visible — not in what you say, but in the results you keep producing.

In this continuation of last week’s conversation, we break down why people can have information, opportunity, and effort — yet still see the same outcomes year after year. The issue isn’t hustle or knowledge. It’s what you truly believe is possible, allowed, or worth fully committing to.

This episode explores how partial belief leads to partial commitment — and how that shows up everywhere: finances, relationships, faith, confidence, leadership, and decision-making.

We talk about:

Why belief always leaves evidence

How effort without full belief creates cycles, not progress

The difference between participating and fully stepping in

Why your environment reinforces what you believe

How results quietly reveal where commitment stops

This isn’t motivation.
It’s a mirror.

If you’ve been doing the right things but still seeing the same results, this episode may explain why.

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: The Practice Squad Mentality - You Don't Have to Be Perfect
00:01:50 Caleb Williams and the Ben Johnson Effect: Learning to See the Field
00:02:38 Stop Sleeping With the Enemy: Why Your Circle Is Keeping You Broke
00:03:09 It Burns My Heart: The Real Reason We Talk About Money
00:04:37 Let It Burn: When Your Credit Score Controls Your Destiny
00:07:42 God Said You Should Lend, Not Borrow: The Biblical Case for Wealth
00:09:46 Vengeance Is Mine: When People Owe You and God Is Teaching You
00:10:51 The Conference Invitation: Why You Need to Be in the Room
00:13:43 The $15 Million House Story: How Carl Made It With $30K and Good Credit
00:14:47 They Don't Want You in That Neighborhood: The Truth About Real Estate Gatekeeping
00:19:02 The Wizard of Oz Revelation: Everything You Need Is Already Inside You
00:21:27 Karl's Six-Figure Check Moment: When Belief Became Reality
00:23:51 The Dynasty Trust Attorney: When Doors Only Open at Certain Net Worth Levels
00:24:24 DeDe Said This Was the Best Christmas: When Communication Transforms Marriage
00:29:11 The Briefing to His Daughter: How Money Changed Karl's Family Language
00:31:01 Putting Money in Her Account: The Wisdom Jamal Gave Karl About His Wife
00:44:21 Just Believe: The Song, The Message, The Breakthrough
00:38:13 Every Result Has a Belief Behind It: Karl's Transformation Explained
00:49:56 Paycheck to Prosperity: The New System Mall and Karl Are Building
00:58:59 Work Your Work in the Morning, Evening Let Not Your Hands Be Idle
00:58:05 Turn the Light Switch Off: Carl's Million Dollar Moment
00:40:04 April 16-18 in Chicago: The 1% Solutions Gathering Announcement
01:06:15 Closing: Focus on This Opportunity With All Your Might

👉 Register for the ET One Percent Solution Conference
https://etonepercent.com

👉 Subscribe to the Secret to Success Podcast on YouTube
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Most people don’t fail because they lack talent.
They fail because they can’t sustain excellence.

In this powerful episode of the Secret to Success Podcast, the conversation goes far deeper than motivation—into parenting, accountability, discipline, and what it actually takes to become the best version of yourself every day, not just when you feel inspired.

You’ll hear:

A raw voice message from a father breaking generational cycles

Why most people only visit greatness instead of living there

The difference between talent and autopilot discipline

How accountability separates role players from legends

Why your children should inherit more than memories—they should inherit momentum

This episode isn’t comfortable.
But it’s necessary.

Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: Breaking Generational Cycles of Parenting
00:01:43 Welcome and Team Introductions
00:02:58 Jemal's Vision Becoming Reality
00:05:00 CJ's First Walmart Experience: Living on the Wild Side
00:07:45 The Walmart Chronicles: $5 Rotisserie Chicken and Lost Leaders
00:15:40 Parenting in 2026: The Gentle Parenting Dilemma
00:17:57 ET and Jada's Therapy Session: Healing Father-Daughter Wounds
00:21:55 What Does Your Best Self Look Like Daily?
00:24:03 Karl's Excellence Standard: Whatever Your Hands Touch
00:35:59 The Autopilot Effect: When Excellence Becomes Natural
00:39:20 Becoming Your Authentic Self: The Carl and CJ Story
00:41:11 Jada's Hidden Dialogues: Introducing Her New Podcast
00:51:50 The Chris Paul Accountability Lesson
01:09:31 Your Kids Should Inherit Momentum, Not Just Memories
01:11:49 Closing: Concentration and Commitment to the Moment

👇 Take action:

Subscribe for weekly mindset and leadership conversations

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Share this episode with someone who needs to hear the truth

Because transformation matters more than information.

Everyone’s talking about the Chicago Bears right now (or at least Jemal thinks so), and while a new coach matters, the real shift runs deeper.

This episode breaks down a powerful truth about real turnarounds: the players didn’t change — the perspective did.

Same roster.
Same city.
Same pressure.

What changed was how the game was being seen, understood, and approached. And once that shifted, the results followed.

Using the Bears as a real-world case study, this conversation explores why so many people stay stuck year after year. Not because they lack ability or effort, but because they keep trying to do more instead of learning to see differently.

This isn’t about starting over.
It’s about building on what’s already there.

🎯 In this episode, you’ll hear about:

Why turnarounds don’t require new talent, just clearer perspective

How guidance and coaching change what you notice and how you move

The difference between repeating a year and actually creating a new one

What happens when you stop chasing more and start maximizing what you already have

Whether it’s your life, your career, your finances, or your faith — this message applies far beyond football.

Chapters

00:00:00 Opening: Can You See Me Now? The Chicago Bears Energy
00:01:26 Welcome and Team Introductions: The Helmet Comes Out
00:05:16 Bears Fever: From Last Place to First in the Division
00:08:45 The Ben Johnson Effect: Why Coaching Changes Everything
00:20:17 New Year or Another Year? The Choice Is Yours
00:26:56 Don't Start Over—Keep Building: The Skyscraper Mentality
00:32:00 The Coaching Conversation: Carl's Real Estate Transformation Begins
00:33:45 From Crisis to Clarity: Carl's COVID Real Estate Story
00:36:34 The Equity Revelation: Money in the Bricks
00:43:05 The Six-Figure Check: Carl's First Major Real Estate Win
00:46:00 Why We Talk About Money: ET's Passionate Defense
00:50:04 Stop Listening to Broke People: Reading the Coverage of Wealth
00:51:26 Outro and Call to Action

👉 Register for the ET One Percent Solution Summit (Chicago)
Real perspective. Real tools. Real turnaround conversations.
https://etonepercent.com

👉 Subscribe to the Secret to Success Podcast on YouTube
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