The School of Greatness - 466 Eric Thomas: Prepare for Greatness & Believe in Yourself

Episode Date: April 3, 2017

"Start where you are with what you have because what you have is plenty." - Eric Thomas If you enjoyed this episode, check out show notes, video, and more at http://lewishowes.com/466

This is episode number 466 with Eric Thomas. Welcome to the School of Greatness. My name is Lewis Howes, a former pro athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur. And each week we bring you an inspiring person or message to help you discover how to unlock your inner greatness. Thanks for spending some time with me today. Now let the class begin. Oh, we've got a hot one today on the School of Greatness podcast.

Get ready, buckle in, and let's go. Eric Thomas, PhD, is an author, world-renowned speaker, educator, and pastor. E.T., as he is better known, has taken the world by storm with his creative style and high-energy messages. His words continue to impact tens of millions of people all over the world. Through a significant social media presence

and his recent domestic and international tours, ET, the hip-hop preacher, has become a global phenomenon. He's worked with Fortune 500 companies such as General Electric, Quicken Loans, AT&T, Nike, Under Armour, New Balance, and UPS. He's also consulted for

major universities and the major sports teams within the MLB, NBA, NFL, and MLS. And boy, do we get down today. I am pumped and I hope you guys really enjoy this one. It's all about how to prepare for greatness and believe in yourself. Separate ego from impact and step into the person you were always born to be. Some of the things we cover today are why hitting rock bottom can be of massive service to you. The difference having a great team can make in your career and your brand versus having an average team.

Also, what it means to be grounded versus to be humble. Why you must prepare every day to perform. And how to overcome the fear of speaking in front of an audience, big and small. That and so much more. I am so pumped, guys. We got down today. And I want to give a shout out before we dive in to the review of the week over on iTunes.

This is from Kathy Griswold, who said, love, love, love this podcast. Absolutely love it. Every episode is more inspirational than the one before. It's hard to wait for the next one to come out. You help to put me in the right mindset every morning for work. Thank you. Kathy Griswold, thank you for leaving a review and for being the review of the week. If you haven't left a review yet, make sure to go to itunes.com slash greatness and leave one right now to be considered for the review of the week.

Now, without further ado, let me introduce to you the one, the only, Eric Thomas. Welcome, everyone, back to the School of Greatness podcast. We've got a living legend in the house, Eric Thomas, my man. Living legend.

I'm living. It's good to see you, man. I'm excited about this. This is the first interview we're done in the new space. So we just redesigned this. We're still making some tweaks and things here and there. But welcome to a new year. And a new space.

And a new space. I don't have to clean it, though. You don't have to clean it. No, yeah. We did an interview, I think it was two years ago. Yeah. Two years ago. You came to me.

I came about an hour away, like somewhere. I don't even know where it was. I don't know where we were. Some hotel. Some hotel. Yeah. I'd never been there before. You and I either, so.

And we had a great time connecting then. I think that's the first and last time I've seen you in person, right? It was that time. Absolutely. But I've kept up with you ever since. Yeah. Yeah, been listening to your stuff and learning, man. We started a podcast because of you. I know, you in person, right? It was that time. But I've kept up with you ever since. Yeah. Yeah, I've been listening to your stuff and learning, man. We started a podcast because of you.

I know, you guys are crushing it. We weren't on the level to go here, so we kind of just do it in our car and in our garage, but we'll get here one day. No, you guys are great. You guys are doing amazing. And I've been seeing you on tour. You're going to like a thousand cities in the last six months or something crazy. You're just constantly on the road.

And then there's packed audiences, thousands of people showing up. We tried to connect in Houston. Yeah, yeah, but you were doing too much.

And you're speaking to like 30 schools a day or something. I just gotta stay busy, man. Stay out of trouble. I hate you, man. I hate you. Well, I'm excited you're back

because you have such a unique gift, unique talent, unique power and presence in the world. So I'm excited you're back and I'm curious first, what talent, unique power and presence in the world. So I'm excited you're back. And I'm curious first, what are you most grateful for recently in the last few months of your life? You've been doing so many things.

You've got all these programs, a speaker training thing coming out we'll talk about. You were speaking all over the world, all the NBA teams, baseball, NFL. You're doing everything. What are you most grateful for? My wife's health, man. She's back. You know, I remember when about three years ago she was diagnosed with MS, and she was like a baby.

So I have two children. So when you think about a child, they eat and sleep. That's pretty much it. And that was it. She only had energy to eat and sleep. Really? So she would sleep like maybe 12 hours a day, just a little energy. And I knew something was wrong because she would sleep like maybe 12 hours a day, you know, just a little energy, you know.

And I knew something was wrong because she would go to the mall and she could only last 20 minutes, 20, 30 minutes. No stabbing. I'm like, yo, she's a marathon runner. No ladies can do that. I said, something's wrong here. And we just left. We went to Australia. And I mean, literally in Australia, we were hitting like the guys can tell you we were getting up like at five o'clock to catch a seven o'clock flight, like every single day, you know, and she was murdering it, like getting up before me, getting dressed, you know, boom.

And she never complained. You know, we get back. That's what 24 hour flight. We get back and she says to me, like, you know, I think I'm better. Like these trips aren't affecting me like they were three years ago so I think man that's the best she um yeah I don't know when this is getting recorded or when it goes out but she wrote that letter you know and she's like yep it's time for me to put this behind and support you you know in your ministry so I think that's man just having my wife back like we've been dating since we were 16 years old she was 15 and we never dreamed of uh an illness you know we never had like a chronic illness as a part of our life dream and goal so when it hit you know of course i supported her but um you know it just wasn't it came out of nowhere you know and so for a lot of people unfortunately when they have legions on their brain you know it travels to their spinal

cord and travels throughout their body and they're in in wheelchairs, whatever. And she is fully back, like 90% back. So I think if there's anything I'm grateful for is to have my high school sweetheart back to 100%. That's beautiful. No question. That's cool. She's going to be joining the forces. I don't know how cool that party is. We'll see.

I'll come back three years from now. You're doing a marriage workshop here coming up this week or whatever. And maybe part of that is the space you have, you know, the space between the time you're together, right? Yeah, so we'll see. That's what keeps you guys together. Even CJ was like, he doesn't know if he wants his wife up there, you know. He's not 100% sure what she's going to say.

Right, right, right. Yeah, but I'll come back and give you this. Or maybe you can interview her. In two years, we'll do it another time and see what's going on. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I like it, man. And you've been speaking everywhere. Just this year alone, you've been speaking a lot.

Again, hundreds and thousands of people that come out. What's the biggest challenge that most of these individuals have? What's the common challenge? Believe. They don't believe, man. It's all mental, and people don't get it you know everybody wants to say okay well here go 10 steps to okay lewis said do eight et said do nine you know this person says this is the 12 steps and everybody's trying to get the steps

without the mentality it's like okay maybe you don't need all nine or maybe you don't need all eight maybe you need four maybe you need 12 i don't know but i think sometimes they see what we do and say if i can if like if i can that, just like exactly how he's done in the book. Exactly. And it's like, oh, you have a story. You know, you have a unique experience. And so your 12 are shaped by by not just your world, but how your world has shaped your thinking. And I think that's the part that mission is like, guys, you know, if it was easy, everybody could do it. If it was a cookie cutter everybody would just follow it to the T but there's

a mindset and when I looked at Serena you know when I look at the Michael Jordans Tom Brady you know when you look at Michael Phelps like it is a mentality you know on our new album The Resolution I talk about I got that dog and I'm not really referring to just this you know

aggressiveness but it is a mindset. I saw Belichick said something where they were like, how are you feeling about the Super Bowl? He's like, I'm going to be honest with you. We're five weeks behind. You know what I'm saying? He's like, everybody else is – For next year.

For next year. Everybody else is practicing, training. They lost. And so they're trying to get ready. They're lifting weights. They're reading books. Everybody that lost is studying. He's like, what type of mind says we're five weeks behind in terms of – The day after the Super Bowl. The day after the Super Bowl. But, again,, everybody that lost their study, he's like, yo, we five. What type of mind says we're five weeks behind in terms of.

The day after the Super Bowl. The day after the Super Bowl. But, again, it's a mentality. And I think a lot of people are missing that mentality. And what's going to get them to develop that mentality and that belief? What's it going to take? I'd say, for me, it was hitting rock bottom. You know, and so hopefully for them it's hitting rock bottom

or not hitting their goals and and having this cycle of loss that they'll say like a lebron you saw lebron crying that was because cleveland had lost for so many years like they had never had a championship so so so he was just like yo we finally did it you know but it was year after year of losing that even when he left and won he came back because he remembered a loss and said, yo, this is good, but this isn't what I set out to do. Like, I want to be a winner, and I want this town to know what it feels like to win. You know, so I think that's it. When you lose enough or you hit rock bottom and you just say, like, enough is enough, just everything will snap and change.

Because you're saying, look, the way I've been doing it, it's not working. So I have to do something different. So I just think, man, you got to hit rock bottom. Here's the interesting thing. I meet a lot of these people, and this is like the deadliest person in my opinion. When someone tells me, you know, Lewis, I've got a really good job. I'm making $130,000 a year. I've been doing it for 20 years.

I got a really good life, good kids, good wife. But just that something's missing. And they got those like golden handcuffs, right, where they, good life, but it's not outstanding. What do you say to those individuals who are like, it's hard to really, they don't want to hit rock bottom because they got a good life. But, man, it's really tough to break through that top level. Look, man, I just had this conversation with like my number one client in the world and that's my son you know we just had this talk and i said son you are probably at the most dangerous part of your life he's like dad i got three months and i graduated from college like i

worked with tom iso you know i've won a uh that i wear an elite eight ring a final four ring dad i've i got a job offer of a lifetime. And I was like, that's the problem. I'm like, everything you've ever dreamed of, you are three months away. So what happens three months in one day? Like you have nothing son. Like I said, so what you have to do for me is now I need you to start all over from scratch. I need you to come up with what's the next four years look like? What's the next grind? I I'm like is it getting the 800 Credit score is it saving two hundred and fifty thousand dollars is it finding the girl of your dream and getting married You know is it buying a house helping your mom pay for your sister to go to school I'm like son. I don't care what it is, but you don't understand

This is dangerous because this is where people mess up they get comfortable They saddle and they think yo I made it and you said, that's the worst place in the world. So I told my son, like, yo, just imagine in three months, you're going to wake up at every dream you've had since you were six or seven years old. It's like who graduates with the dream job? You know who who who lives in New York? Who who's he's in Manhattan. He's going to be in Manhattan Times Square. You know, so I said, son, this is a dangerous place. to be in Manhattan, Times Square. So I said, son, this is a dangerous place.

So I say to those individuals, yeah, you're right. You don't want to hit rock bottom, but you have to create your own mental rock bottom so that you don't hit rock bottom. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. It's kind of like the power broke, right? Absolutely. It's like Damon John talking about the power broke all the time.

Even if you're the richest guy in the world, you got to act like you got no money. You got to act like it. Because what makes Brady want to win a fifth? At 39. At 39. What makes Jordan say, okay, I got four? It's not even a new season. He said, we got to get the fifth one.

What makes Serena get 23 and still going? What makes Venus, who was sick and should have been gone, and now she's 36 years old, what makes her fight to get to the Australian Open? And I'm telling you, it's not the money, the network. It's not, you know, the vision board. It's, I believe, for those of us who are where we are, it's something within, you know? And you can't go buy that. You know, I can't give it to you.

Lewis can't. Like, you've got to go within and find that and pull that stuff out. Yeah. What do you think is the best way to develop belief in oneself? I just think, man, for me, I mean, a million ways. But for me, it's like you got to find that why. You know, it's like I couldn't imagine not getting up at 3 o'clock in the morning because DeeDee needs me.

You know, imagine, you know, and I don't know MS like that. Nobody quote me or call Lewis and say Eric was wrong. But I do know the one thing that they know is stress causes it. And the way the legions grow is because of stress. So my thing is I got to keep the stress off my wife. And right now she's in a hotel, you know, in L.A. You know, she's about to leave her job and she knows that still financially we're fine. She has a car and we're taking care.

So I'm thinking about my son who I don't want to have a student loan or my daughter. You know, so for me, it's like it's my why. And keep telling people okay yeah tom brady but he was doing it i believe roger goodell i i believe his mom with cancer i believe he cried when he talked about his father his four super bowls he was crying about his father being his hero i'm like this is unbelievable i mean what more can you ask for so it's not the car, the house, the whatever. It is that internal goal, that internal why. And so for me, I just think that's it. Like, ah, it's just something within, and you've got to pull it out. And so it's easy when you have a why, a purpose.

I'm doing it for this. I'm doing it for that. It's easy to get up and get going. But if it's just for a car, what happens, Lewis, when you get the car? Because you can buy it. What happens when you get the house? And you can buy the house car what happens when you get the car because you can buy it what happens when you get the house and you can buy the house what happens when you get the jet and you got but when it's for your son that's forever like my wife's ms the the span of her life it's going to keep me like it's not okay i can get a house and it's over like that's going to

take me if she lives another 50 i'm going to be grinding like this for 50 and what i try to explain to people you've seen this happen before. I don't know if you know a person personally, but you've got a guy whose wife, they've been married 50 years and, you know, and she died. And this guy dies two weeks later. And it's like, how did you get through? Like, he got through cancer. You know, he made it through cancer, but his wife dies and he dies a week or two later. Why did he get through cancer?

Because he was doing it for her. But once she died, that was his whole reason for living His whole reason for existing And when that why died He was like It's over for me Or I don't remember Carrie Underwood

I think was her name And the young lady from Star Wars What was her name? Oh yes, I'm not sure I think it's something like that But she Okay, and her Terry Fisher passed

And I think her mom passed Like a week later or something Yeah, a week later The next day Wow See, you got some smart passed a week later. The next day. See, you got some smart people here, right? The next day. So why did she die? Her baby.

That was her baby girl. She was all these years that her daughter was struggling with addiction and going through whatever her challenges were. Moms was right there. But once she died, everything died for moms. So I just think that why, Lewis, is so important. And if your why is a car, well, you're talking 2015 gets old, what, in 2020? So that's it. Like, you know, your house, it depreciates in value in, what, 10, 20 years maybe?

So I think when you have that why, that thing pushes you. You're doing it for cancer for your mom. Tom Brady's thinking in his mind. And one of the players said, hey, remember you're doing this for your mom? He said it. Like, hey, you're doing this for your mom. I know we're down 25 points, but you said your mom. You know, and so Tom is like, yep, I told my mom, my dad,

and I don't want to see my mom at the end of the game with a loss. And then mom comes up with the scarf, and you can see she's going through chemo, and he did it for his mom. So you got to have something within, man. Yeah. What's your why dd you know jalen jada you know carl cj their families you know i tell people all the time you know i'm not working just for me i promised these guys if they would rock with me you know that they would be rewarded so they have wives now and children now they have homes and cars and lifestyles and like what i do every interview every video you know every presentation if i don't get better they don't get better you know and so

when i have these other guys saying you know we're gonna catch you eat we're gonna be a better speaker i'm like well you better have 100 people you're working for because you're not about to beat me because i've got people who are relying like counting on me when i'm on the treadmill i'm on the treadmill I'm on the treadmill not because I need to look a certain way my wife's been in she got she got beat so she's been in for the long haul I'm fat small whatever she's with me she's not going nowhere so I'm not doing it for her I'm not doing my mom not gonna love me no more if I weigh 155 pounds versus 260 my mom's gonna love me but if me. But if my health lasts for another 30 and I can keep this energy,

bro, I'm doing three, four gigs a day. If I can keep this energy for another 20 years, financially you know where the team is going to be. But if I allow myself to get sick because I'm not taking care of my body and I can't go speak or I can't consult, then the guys are going to suffer. Their families are going to suffer. So, man, I'm telling you, then the guys are going to suffer. Their families are going to suffer. So, man, I'm telling you, waking up for them, you know, and eating right for them, that's my why, man.

And then all those people who see me in the airport who are crying or those people who see me and say, hey, you got me through prison or you got me through my exams. I can't afford, Lewis, to let those people down. Like, I'm not an entertainer. You know, entertainers have the luxury of doing whatever they do you know on stage you know and then they can live whatever life they want to live like nobody holds them to you know a standard but Eric Thomas people hold me to like that's my pastor or that's my mentor that's my father like there are kids who would say I don't have a father like you don't know it but you're my father people say like yo you're my

business partner before I like you were my silent business partner for six years so if i fall off they fall off you know i've heard cj say before like i'm not trying to be funny and i hope it doesn't happen but if you got a divorce i don't i'm thinking like if you couldn't make it i'm not gonna be an american i wake up thinking about that that was a conversation we had 10 years ago, maybe. But I wake up like, E, make sure you do what you're supposed to do because so much is riding on your speaking. Not tires, but on my speaking. How do you, yeah, of course, how do you not allow the pressure to overwhelm you? Or how do you reframe it in your mind not as pressure or something else?

That's what I don't see it as. Pressure, for sure. But I don't see pressure as negative you know like you probably i see pressure as it creates diamonds you know so without it no no one could be great so dd's ms you know and i tell people this all the time i know guys who literally left their wives when they were um diagnosed with maybe cancer or maybe ms you know i know a young lady specifically who husband left her after 20 years, you know, of, of her being diagnosed with MS.

And I get it. You know, I get, I do understand, but I said in sickness and in health, I can't prove that I really love you without this pressure. Like this pressure proves like anybody can do it. If everything was good,

I'm proving under stress, Brady, Brady was like, fear without no fear. God, we got do it if everything was good. I'm proving under stress. Brady, Brady was like, fear? We got no fear. We got to score right now. We got, this is, okay, now we just scored. Now we got to score again. Now it's overtime. Now we really have to score.

Because if we don't score now and they score, game is over. So, for me, I don't see it as negative. I see it as, yo, pressure is what separates the boys from the men. This is what everybody says. They're a great speaker. They're a great this. Pressure says, okay, we're going to really see who's the champion. And I'm not trying to – I know it's a lot of Falcon fans out there.

I'm not trying to be disrespectful to anybody. But they were able to handle a certain amount of success, first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, almost multiple quarters. But when the pressure hit, they weren't able to sustain the success they were having. So once we get to overtime, now all of a sudden, it goes to the Patriots and all of a sudden you stopped them all this time,

but you couldn't stop them when it mattered because it was a pressure that a lot of those guys had probably never felt Super Bowl overtime. You know what I'm saying? They probably never felt, we got to stop him now. You know what I'm saying? We got to sack Brady now. You were able to get a sack in the first quarter second quarter third quarter but when you needed to sack most under the most stressful time you weren't able to produce whereas brady was like yo i've been here yeah i've been here before so i got it so for me

the pressure isn't negative i like the pressure because it's going to separate eta from all the other companies that say they're the best motivational service companies in the world. And they might be. It might be 12 of us. I don't know. But if it's 12, we will be among the 12. We'll be among the 12. And there's room for everyone.

Absolutely. That can handle the pressure. Yeah, of course. That can handle the pressure. Of course. And you can't be at the Cavs and the Pistons at the same time. So, you know. You got to choose.

Let's talk about ego. And, you know, we have, I would say, similar kind of businesses where we're in the face, right? We're the personalities. We're leading the charge. And without us, it probably wouldn't be as successful as it is, right? We're speaking. We're doing the videos, all that stuff. How do you separate your personal ego from not getting in the way to being able to be the biggest service that you can in the world, as opposed to it's all about, you know, me

mentality, but all about serving your audience? How do you separate that for yourself? Yeah, well, it's the same way I look at the face. You know, the eye is very important, but not without the nose. You know, and the nose has its significance, but not without the ear. So I don't know if the ear is sweeter than the nose. You know what I'm saying? I don't know if the ear can say, yo, hey, I'm the ear. Like, come on. I don't know if the eyes can say, hey, without us guys, we couldn't see.

Absolutely. But see what? You know, so for me, I think I don't have an ego problem because I understand I play a significant role in a phenomenal organization. And without those other pieces, the success that I'm having, I wouldn't have. So yeah, I may be the face, but I'm not the nose. I'm not the eye. I'm not the mouth. I'm not the ear.

So it's no success without those things so and I had a long career without the people who work with me now and had a very good career and now I have a phenomenal career

so I understand I can you know some people have like one group and it's like this happened with that group no I had a group

and I have another group so I played with the Cleveland Cavs back in this time frame and I'm playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers at this time. And I had success with the first Cleveland Cavaliers. I got contracts. People knew who I was.

But with this one, we got hardware now. We're in the championships. We're in the championships. So it's easy for me now because I realize, hey, without these guys, I wouldn't have X, Y, and Z. And so I don't see myself as, okay, I did these videos. No, if Carl didn't record them and edit them, nobody would even know who I am.

I would have just been that sweet dude in that room with those 50 people. Those 50 people would have been like, yo, he the man. But with the videos, you know, with C's strategic branding and saying, okay, it needs to be done this way, this way, this way, I wouldn't make the money I'm making. My kids wouldn't have the lifestyle. My wife wouldn't

have the lifestyle. So for me, it's not an ego. My mother used to always tell us, don't say you're humble because you have to have something to be humble. My mother say, say you're grounded. So for me, I'm grounded. I know that I'm not that deep, but I am one piece of a phenomenal puzzle. Yeah, that's great, man. That's funny.

In the beginning of every one of my chapters in my book, I talk about getting grounded, preparing yourself. When you say get grounded, I We say get grounded. I stole it from you Talk to me about what it means to be a man and your your opinions and thoughts on masculinity Because there's a lot happening right now. We don't need to get into politics, but just in the world, there's a lot of frustration, confusion, uncertainty, battling of the sexes, things like this. What's your definition of masculinity, first off? First off, man, it's responsibility. I think a man is about responsibility.

And I think a man, a true man, knows he's the head but plays you know the tail you know he i don't have to walk around my house and say yo i'm the man you know i show my wife i'm the man by ironing her clothes before i leave for the day you know i show i'm the man by calling my son and saying is there any way i can help you you know i know you're a senior in college but is there anything i can do for you? You know, I show my manhood by, you know, saying to C and Carl, man, I love you guys. You know what I'm saying? And on the podcast, I love you guys.

Or on the calls, I wouldn't be here without you. So I think there's this fine balance of, yep, I'm powerful and I have this strength, but I don't use it for my advantage. I use it for us. I use it so we can grow. Like, I don't use my platform to tear you down, for us i use it so we can grow like i don't use my platform to tear you down you know or say things about you that you know would put you in a bad place

i i use my influence i use my money i use my strength i use my influence i use my impact to build us up and not tear us down so for me manhood like the real man says like i'm not gonna make no excuses i'm not gonna point the finger and say lewis you didn't do this you didn't do that i'm gonna take full ownership full responsibility of helping us and even you you know it's funny i uh was looking to get a loan for i was wanting some property for our church and the bank was like i'm sorry but like we don't do loans you know for churches and i'm like okay well He's like, it has nothing to do with you. In the last 10 years, churches have, with the economy, the way that churches have proven that they have it.

And so I'm like, Lewis, I'm like, wow, it has nothing to do with me. But because of the churches and what they, so I'm not just doing this for speaking for ET. I'm doing this so when Lewis does it and people see ET and see the integrity, they don't look at motivational speaking as man that's whack or inspiration as that's baloney because you'll go online and there are reports or

different videos that say man motivation who does that like that's fake they trying to take your money so when I do what's right by this industry it makes it easier for you and when you do right by this industry it makes it easier for me and when you do right by this industry it makes it easier for me and people are not saying they're scams so for me yeah manhood is responsibility

and it's that fine balance of when i was a child i spoke like i act like i understood that but when i became a man like i put childish stuff away and i'm not competing with you i'm i'm here to enhance you be i'm on the show today. Literally, I don't care how many shows you do. I want this to be one of the ones where people are like, I got a fool with Lewis. The way he interview me, the whole chemistry. I got a fool with this guy.

Not I'm on the show to build my following, but I've got to let people know. For real, I'm just being real with you, Lewis. I get a lot of calls, and I do very few interviews. Because when we sit together, whether we say it or not, we are endorsing one another. Absolutely. We're saying, like, yo, I fool with Lewis, I fool with ET.

So I'm here because I have had a chance to follow you. I've had a chance to meet you. I'm like, yo, he the real deal. Like, I have flaws flaws but you the real deal like you are authentic person like you're serious about what you do you're trying to add value so for me if i have a chance as a man with a platform to help you i'm going to do that so just tearing each other down this talking to each other in a way like this tweeting stuff i'm like bro you're a grown man you have something to say to me i just called me let's say it to my face like we don't

have to we don't have to tear each other down. So I'm just about responsibility is what I think manhood is, bringing up and not tearing down. Yeah, I appreciate that. That's cool, man. And who is the person you look up to the most in the world in general, whether it's an athlete or someone in your family? Or is there someone that you're like, gosh, that guy or that woman or that person it's crazy like i'm not like that's not me like you know my biological father

wasn't in my life my father who raised me so i've never really had that dude but like 100 if i had to pick a dude it would probably be cj like i look to cj like wow like like i look at cj he younger than me you know i'm saying but the stuff that he does the moves that he makes i'm like yo that's like if i could start all over again and do it differently a lot of what i see in him i'm like yo i would do that at 22 23 like i wasn't really on that like business wise like i might have been praying and stuff but i wasn't in terms of business in terms of my marriage i had to figure some stuff out you know i'm saying like i wasn't 21 married and like oh i know to do this this and that like i'm getting into it with my girl like i didn't know like okay you need to so there's just some stuff that i've seen and the way he handles himself and does stuff

that i'm like yo i don't have that you know i have a dream i am this man is my and put stuff but if i had to have somebody that i would say i look up to it would probably be seeing this like in this time of my life that's who i look to if I had like a challenge or like okay Which way should we go and yeah? And I might have a thought in my mind to be like don't think that thought I see what you think he should do and if His thought ain't your thought don't worry about your thought just go away. He say and the ship we gonna be alright So yeah, that's how I would pass that and what about like someone who you haven't met who you're thinking is doing something really inspiring Are they're just the building a bed say? Michelle Obama, you know or met, who you're thinking is doing something really inspiring, or they're just building a building?

I'd say Michelle Obama, you know, or Oprah. You know, I'm looking at Michelle like, wow, like that role is a role you could have easily just played, you know, in the backdrop and not really done anything. But she had her own ideas, her own platform, and she used it, you know, to help a population of people who would be considered disadvantaged and then you look at an oprah who's in africa starting schools who are putting people's books on and you know putting them on her show and all of a sudden now they have they have influence and impact so i look at those two women as if i could have a mentor i would love to sit down with

those ladies and ask like how did you gain your influence like because they started like they don't necessarily come from privilege right and to be able to now be women of you know privilege and impact i would love to just know like what books were you guys reading like who were you learning from and why ego wise why did you not let your ego you look at oprah like even though she big time you look at oprah like somebody that that's like my auntie like a friend yeah that's like my auntie you know what i could go sit down and have a con michelle you don't look at michelle as you know you can't touch her and whatever you look at how she was with her husband she's dancing kissing like she was a normal the way she treated her daughters like they they got pigtails my daughter's got pigtails like it's like they're just normal they're not of course but they are normal people in the sense that they didn't lord over people with their celebrity or with their influence.

And so I would love to sit down and kind of learn from those individuals. Maybe you can call Oprah for me and set that up. I'm working on that, too. All right. Whoever gets there first. I like that. Yeah, whoever gets there first. We'll make sure we say the name.

I like that. Yeah, we'll kiss their purse. We'll make sure we say the name. I like that. What's your dream? Yeah, to change the world, starting with the educational system. I just feel like so many kids who are disadvantaged don't know the power of knowledge. They don't get it. Because you are knowledgeable, you were able to write your story. You were able to write your narrative. And I just think because these kids don't understand the power of education,

they're not writing their own narrative. And they're letting people write their narrative for them. They're letting people decide their fate. And I just want to say, look, learn, read, write. If you're not good at English, okay, go with math. Be an engineer. But, like, take advantage. And I want to help teachers.

Like, there's so many teachers I feel like they they care but because they didn't grow up in certain neighborhoods and they're not familiar with the language the rules or the codes they're not able to coach these kids like and this generation is different you just can't throw a book in their face because they don't they don't have that you know um that that desire for learning but you can still coach them you can still get them ready so i just want to help teachers to go in the classroom, like really empower, really change, and give them the tools that they need to do what they went to school for. Like everybody talks bad about teaching.

You think I took a $50,000 cut? Like you think I went into education and not a doctor or a lawyer or engineer so that I can fail? And teachers want to be successful too, but I just don't think that they have the tools for this generation. So, man, that's what I would love to do is change the educational system and just give more people. Man, you know how it is flying, you know, the world. You know how it is being able to eat.

You know what it's like to have choice. You know what it's like to have freedom. It's real nice. Man, it's great, man. You know, and I don't want people to think, you know, I'm on that. But I walked in a hotel yesterday, there was this long line and then there was

the SPG, I think, line. I was like, I'm in the SPG. And I went in and, you know,

checked in quick. I was like, yo, I like this. I'm not against the long line, but it's good to be, you know,

a member, you know, and that's what I want for other people. I don't want just that Eric can put his kids through school or Eric can travel

to Australia. Like, I want other kids to know what it's like to have ownership of their own life. Isn't that what America is about? All men are created equal. All men are created, and I want them to enjoy the liberty and the fruit of being an American. Because if you really live the American dream, it's unbelievable. It's not like anything else.

It's amazing, man. But it's just so few people who actually get that opportunity. So how are you going to do that? Well, you saw Houston, man. I'm just. You're like three, four schools a day. This is what I love about AT is you really practice what you're preaching about your dream. You're not just like, I want to change the educational system.

I'm going to talk to a few leaders about it or something. You are actually on the ground. You'll speak to six kids, 600 kids. You'll speak to a classroom, the whole school. Funny story, if you don't mind. I got time. So my auntie invited me to her school. So apparently she doesn't know I'm ET to hip hop preaching.

She invites me to her school. And so she sends me this text and says, okay, should I invite just my students or maybe a couple more and I said well auntie you know get more right yeah I get there she had ten people in the classroom like I'm speaking to ten kids a high school probably about 25 I was speaking to 10 kids just so happens that the lady talked about the law of attraction the teacher next door has been following my stuff for years shows

the kids every money she's like is it our school and my aunt is like oh et eric like yeah so the lady brings her students over so i went from 10 to 20 now yeah about 20 students that i'm going in on and the other teacher goes to the principal and says do you know who's in our building and And so immediately after that period, you know, and I do like an auditorium three hours in a row. They fill up the auditorium. No way. But my aunt's still looking like, I didn't know. She's like, why are they taking pictures with you?

And I'm like, auntie, I know I'm not a big deal to you, but to a couple people, they really want to hear this. So that's where we started. I just believe start where you are with what you have for what you have is plenty. we started, I just believe start where you are with what you have for what you have is plenty. And then just recently I was able to sit down with some very powerful people in the education arena who are saying, ET, we want to help

you take this platform to another level. We have the connections, we're in the schools, and we want to help you. But I just think, Lewis, there are so many people who are waiting for the meeting. There's so many people waiting for that meeting to happen. Before they, and I just say, let's go create it.

So every city, corporate brings me to, the NFL, the NBA brings me to. I say bring me in a day early and let me hit every school I can hit, every detention center. And if I keep doing this, you reap what you sow. Eventually, somebody's going to see what I'm doing. And somebody, Oprah maybe, Michelle maybe. Somebody's going to see what I'm doing. Oprah's people listening. Make sure you book this guy to do something.

And when you're speaking at the schools, are you doing most of it for free? Is it mostly kind of just going in and just showing up? It's K through 12 for the most part. It's free. It's college. They can write a check. They can write that check.

They got a big stadium. I hear you, man. A few big stadiums. But you're getting paid to go out for something else. Absolutely. Corporate is bringing me in or NBA, NFL, and then we're using that time to go back. Isn't it the American way? Like somebody has helped us, and then we pay it forward.

Pay it forward, man. Give it back. See, I told you I got stuff from the book. He said it the same time I said it. I feel like, you know, like you were talking about in the beginning, you know, we can make all the money we want, get the cars, the jets or whatever, and have and have the fancy things but when's enough enough like before you want to start making an impact and i feel like everything that i do that we do it's like if it's not giving back in some way then what's the point yeah if it's just for me or just for us alone yeah and it's not to serve people in a bigger way like we're doing something wrong. Yeah, let me tell you, man. Last night, talking about Didi and I have been married 26 years,

together 30, and we check in last night, knowing what's going on today and just to be able to hold each other. You know, for me, I'm like no child. Education is no child left behind. And I'm sitting here like, you know, I'm with my high school sweetheart. Like, we made it through everything, and we're doing this thing together. You know, my son calls me this morning for worship. You know, he's like, Dad, I just want to get the day started. A couple players in the car, and we're doing this thing together. You know, my son calls me this morning for worship. You know, he's like, Dad, I just want to get the day started.

A couple of players in the car and we're doing our thing. And I'm like, yo, I didn't have to leave my wife or my kids behind. Like we're all together. I'm with the team eating breakfast. I'm like, yo, we didn't lose. We didn't lose. You know, and then you're in the airport and there's somebody that's hugging you and crying. I'm like, yo, we're able.

We're taking everybody with us. You know, it's like the LeBron in cleveland when he's starting to work out and then before you see it like everybody's running before there's thousands of people with lebron i'm like that's how we feel nike hasn't asked us to do that particular commercial yeah but that's what we're doing like it's people who are following us in every city now we've got breathe university there are people all over the world they're on this movement of this being phenomenal so they're not forgotten they're on this they're on this for real the school of greatness like they're really about being great and it's not us alone it's it's all of us together man so it's just been sweet not getting to the top and like you're by yourself but i've gotten to the top

and all these people that still coming with us so it just, it's what you say. It's money, okay, yeah, you do need that. You need resources, but it's not about the money. The money is a tool to help you accomplish that goal you're trying to accomplish. And you didn't really have a lot of money growing up, right? No, not at all. So how did you learn from someone who never made money, really, to build wealth?

How was that for you? Did you learn from someone? Did you just kind of figure it out? I mean, the books. Come on, let's be real. You got the Napoleon Heels. They can grow rich on the top there. That's the one, man.

You know, The Richest Man in Babylon. I got that in here. So, you know, all the classics, man. The Richest Man That Ever Lived. I mean, it's just so many different classics. Isn't The Richest Man in Babylon, is that the one where he gives away 50% of everything? Yep, yep.

And he puts 10% of everything. The Scrolls, right? Is that what it is? The Scrolls, yep. The Scrolls Mark I and II are, I'll tell you when I finish, but I got that one, the Scroll Mark I, II. But for me, then I started meeting Dan Gilbert.

I started meeting Bob Proctor. And I was saying, like, I don't want to get the check from these guys. I want to sit down and learn from these guys. So a lot of those guys have done it, and we've been fortunate to have our own, you know, financial guru now with Josh, you know, being a part of the team, you know, so looking at things from a financial standpoint, because I'll be honest,

I always look at stuff from a ministry standpoint, you know, and ministry is good, but it's not a business, you know, so now we have a business model and things are happening. So I got around the right people, man, and was honest enough. You talk about ego. Was humble enough to say, I don't know, and I'm not going to pretend like I know. Because sometimes you get these people around you and you try to act like you know. Did you read that book?

I talk to people, oh, yeah, I read that book. You read that book? Oh, yeah, I read that book. They never read a book a day. But I'm like, no, no, I don't know. And then we need your help. They never read a book of dead. I'm like, no, no, I don't know.

And then we need your help. So I've just surrounded myself with the people who know I do well at what I do well at. And I let the people who do well at what they do, I give them free reign to do what they do. CJ not necessarily doesn't give us all free reign. I give free reign. I get it. I get it, free reign. I like it.

What would you say is your greatest gift in the world? Service. Nobody's going to serve like I serve. You know, I'm going free ride. I like it. What would you say is your greatest gift in the world? Service. Nobody's going to serve like I serve. You know, I'm going to preach. Then I'm going to mop the floors. I'm going to cook. I'm going to cut the potatoes. I'm going to skin them, cut them, boil them.

Like nobody's going to out-serve me. You know, I'm going to serve in the morning. I'm going to serve at night. Everybody leaves. I'm going to cut the light off. You know, so for real, people have different gifts. People are intelligent people write you know people are athletic people are fast you know interview whatever I I am the best servant in the world I am I've read something and I knew I you know it's just stuff just hit you but I would never forget reading that the greatest among you shall

be a servant and I was like oh that's my lane right there the greatest among you shall be a servant. And I was like, ooh, that's my lane right there. The greatest among you will be a servant. I'm like, I can do that. I can wash feet. I don't have a problem with that. Whatever you need me to do, I can do that. So that's my greatest gift. People think of speaking.

Speaking is the platform that gets the attention. But once I get your attention and you come in my life, you won't want to leave this relationship. Sure, sure. You won't want to leave me. How did you learn to speak life, you won't want to leave this relationship. Sure, sure. You won't want to leave me. How did you learn to speak the way you do? Paying attention. You know, I think a lot of speakers that I watch,

they would come into a building and have a message. And I don't care who was in the room. They'd do the message. I'm like, nobody's listening. Like, everybody's asleep. But my man is so into himself, like he didn't even realize that everybody's knocked out. I'm like, they're asleep. Like, it's not working. He's not looking at people's eyes. Yeah, he's not looking himself. Like he didn't even realize that everybody's knocked out. I'm like, they're asleep.

Like it's not working. He's not looking at people's eyes. He's not looking at them. He don't care what's going on. He just got his eight speech PowerPoint. He's going through 100 slides. Nobody's getting it. A boring clap at the end. If they get that.

Because the generation now, they're going to walk out. They're on the phone. Yeah, they're on the phone. They like it. And I realized like that's not working. And when I start like talking to people, it's weird. People say, you know, how do you do what you do? I'll just go and ask people like, what would be your takeaway?

If you were listening, like what would you want to hear? And I just go up and say what they said. So I spend time with the people. I talk to the custodial worker and I ask him like, you know, I know the principal's perspective. But my man, you got a lot of paperwork going on. He's behind the desk. Like you're a custodial worker. Like you see the kids you hear things yeah that nobody else hears what's going on with these kids with his parents is divorced and this kid you know is from a foster care and a lot of our kids i'll probably get more uh thorough information from

the custodial worker like my man's like believe it or or not, very wise and very tapped in. Sometimes the principal is not tapped into the pulse. They think they know what they want to hear. But they don't know what's going on. Talk to the teachers. It's so true. Once I get that, all I have to do is go up and say what you told me. That's it.

But just keep it creative. It's so true. And loud. I figured the loud thing. Keep your attention, yeah. I mean, it's so true. I mean, that's something that I like to do as well. I was giving a speech in Illinois the other day, and I asked them beforehand, a week before,

what do you want me to cover? What do you want to talk about? And they said a few things, and I was like, that just doesn't feel right. I just don't think this audience wants that. So we get there early, and I'm in the back of the room talking to people, just saying, hey, what are you getting out of today? What do you want to get out of this? They don't even know I'm speaking.

I'm just like, what's the big thing? What's the big challenge in your life? And I love that you do that as well because I don't think a lot of speakers do that. Because they're full of themselves. And this is what I tell young speakers. I don't like going to a restaurant where the food is sitting under that red

light. I like to go where I can order and it's made fresh. So as a presenter, I'm not gonna give you the red beam light, I'm gonna give you, you can order fresh, like what do you want? So when I come in, my stuff is gone. I may have never done. Made to order.

It's made to order and even Carl has a hard time sometimes cause he's like, yo Carl, hey, I don't know what, he was like, I don't know, just start. And he'll go, okay, boom, all right, and I'll talk and he'll just kind of fill me up like okay i think this is next i think that but although it puts more work on us it guarantees that it's organic and that the people are going to walk out refreshed so i'm about being organic man that's all i'm about yeah i was speaking to a class yesterday a small class of students high school students and And they were in a leadership class talking about public speaking and a lot of them their biggest fear is speaking

So how did you overcome the fear? Maybe it sounds like you never were afraid to speak in front of a group But how how was I still a how do you you know teach that and I know you guys have a public speaker? Training program where you just started. Yes, So it's at etinspires.com. You guys can learn more about it. If you want to learn how to do that and what your style is, you can get that training there. But how do people overcome that fear? When you realize that you're not speaking so that people can critique you, you're speaking to change their life. So you have the opportunity.

I don't know if there's anything okay i'm sure there is but i don't know if there are more ways to change people than being up front and like literally speaking like that i don't know what the power is but there is a power you know when you sit down and you're letting somebody's like like control your thinking control like they're putting work and so i realized like yo this is a crazy responsibility but literally I have a chance when a kid is listening to me for 30 minutes he can walk on his life can be changed forever so when I shift the focus from how do I sound how do I look I want people to say nice things about me too I'm gonna change your life forever the the I would say there's still some

anxiety because I want to make sure I do it effectively, but it takes the pressure off because it's not about me now. It's about changing this kid's life, making principals go back, teachers go back, parents go back with a vision or an excitement or a hunger that they didn't have prior to me being there. So for me, it's like I think if you're focused on, well, am I going to get a letter of recommendation? Are they going to bring me back? Are they going to say positive things about me? Am I going to get a letter of recommendation? Are they going to bring me back or are they going to say positive things about me?

Am I going to get more likes? You know, is my social media? Maybe you should be afraid. But if you go in saying, you know, I'm going to change this kid's life forever. I'm going to change his life, this marriage forever. If you go in with that, it kind of takes some of the edge. Yeah, I love that. And that's kind of like the Michael Jordan approach where he said, you know, every night I knew someone in the arena was coming to watch me and I had to show up to be a catalyst of possibilities or hope for them, right?

And it's funny because for years when I was speaking, I was always the other way. I was always nervous about what are people going to say? Are they going to like me? Are they going to boo me? Am I going to forget my words or whatever? And it was always about the ego. Like, am I going to look okay? And then a couple of years ago, I got some great teaching words or whatever. And it was always about the ego. Like, am I going to look okay? And then a couple of years ago, I got some great teaching from someone who said exactly what you said, essentially, about remove yourself from the situation and make it about the audience. Make it about how can you be in service the maximum way. So I love that you're teaching that. And I'm sure the entire training is going to be more of those great things. So make sure you guys go check it out and get it.

is going to be more of those great things. So make sure you guys go check it out and get it. How do you prepare mentally before either a school of, again, six or a corporation of 6,000? Do you have the same mental preparation or ritual before you jump on stage or get in front of a room? If so, what is that? I think it's every day. That's why I'm in a school every day.

That's why I don't wait until I get a call. That's why if there's a corporate company that I have a relationship with, I just did something for five guys. I'm staying in touch with the owners. I'm staying in touch with the staff. I'm going to five guys locally and saying, hey, you guys were at the conference. Is there anything I can help you with? So I think that's the thing.

CJ teaches us to stay ready. That's the thing, stay ready. So a part of staying ready is, yeah, you don't have to get ready. So the NFL players that I work with, I'm constantly on the phone with those guys. I'm on the phone with the coaches. I'm constantly asking questions. Like, I don't assume that I can wait for the call and then prepare myself in 30, 40 minutes to be ready to – so I create relationships with these individuals.

I create friendships with these individuals. And I stay in touch with them on a regular basis adding value like how can i add value to your life and then they just keep me e man you don't you don't realize you know what's going on the nfl it's like we're watching the super bowl and then the day after we got to do this and then e man it's like from january to april like mentally we just got at home and you know we we got friends that are trying to distract us and we don't want to. And I'm like, oh, there we go. All right, Carl, let's put some videos together for that. All right, let's put a curriculum together for that.

And so I'm talking and talking and talking. So then when the team calls me and says, you know, the Browns called me, Hugh Jackson said, E.T., I want you to come and work with me. Well, now when I get there, I'm already – I already know some of the things that he would need as a coach to help these young players. And as much as I'm allowed to, I'm going to have that impact. So I just stay in school, stay in detention centers.

Now my daughter is going to detention centers with me. She wants to be a social worker, you know, so I'm staying tapped in. My son's a general manager. So when I do stuff with teams, I bring him along when he can come. So just staying in the environment, staying with the post, because if you know the post, it's all you, man, it's easy. All you're doing is just rehearsing.

You know, it's like you're doing, you practice, practice, practice, practice. And when it's showtime, yeah, you just lay it out. Yeah. It's nothing different. It's nothing different. You're doing it every day.

But if you do it once every month, it could be a challenge. Challenging, yeah. What do you think about before you go to bed? How am I going to wake up the next morning, you know? And if I don't, what pieces do I need to put in place so that my wife is well? As a matter of fact, you know, it's funny you asked me that. I felt in my spirit, you know how stuff just comes.

I said the other day, because my daughter's 18 and, you know, she's starting to, she's probably been interested in dating dating just didn't share that with me My daughter just started no no no she's probably just felt comfortable telling me that she likes boys, you know So um what I've been doing is I say II you know what you need to do you need to sit down on this phone and you need to talk your daughter through a Relationship just in case you don't make it you know you talk your son through his 20s just in case on one of these flights something you know was to happen and so that's what i've been thinking about lately is e how do

you prepare them even in your death like how do you set up your family and structure in such a way that if you're not physically here that coaching coaching is still here, that your voice is still in their ear, you know, so that's what I've been thinking about, and then more importantly, like, the mistakes I made that day, E, I always see it, you know, working with Coach Izzo, one of the things I've learned from Coach is he uses his timeouts wisely, he uses halftimes wisely, he's constantly trying to make adjustments, you know, during that time frame, and so for me, going to bed is rest, and so prior to going to bed, I'm like, yo, E, what adjustments, you know, during that timeframe. And so for me going to bed is rest. And so prior to going to bed, I'm like, yo E, what adjustments, you know, do you need to make? And then, you know,

make those adjustments when I make, I wake up that next morning. What do you think your biggest weaknesses are? Man, just wanting to do too much, man. You know, um, you know, when you think about yeah, education, I think about marriage. I think about, and all of them are, you know, equally important. People get divorced. You know, you got education. I think about marriage. I think about, and all of them are, you know, equally important. People get divorced. You know, you got kids who don't finish school. You got kids who make terrible decisions and they're on the streets or prisons. Like I could just do prison or I could just do education.

So sometimes it's just like, yo, it's just like, yo, I want to save the world. And, you know, I have to explain to my wife, I can't help that I want to save the world. You know what I'm saying? Like I didn't wake up one day and say, I want to save the world. I didn't push a button and say, all right, save the world. It's like I was born with it. I was born to care. I see people.

I'm trying to stop, hug everybody before I get on my flight. I don't carry money anymore because I always give it away. It's like I didn't ask to be this guy. And it's not a lot of save the world people out. You know what I'm saying? So sometimes you're like a freak. You know what I'm saying? It's like, when are you going to stop? When are you going to quit saying so sometimes you're like a freak you know i'm saying it's like when are you gonna stop when are you gonna quit when you go i'm

like yo i wanna stop but when i sleep i'm dreaming of people i got a person just recently who unfortunately um i was trying to coach and mentor and the relationship didn't work out i literally had a dream about those individuals hugging them and their family and you know what i'm saying i hadn't talked to the person in 30 days but I'm still thinking about them like in my sleep. I didn't ask to do that. I didn't ask to care to that level. Like some people are like, some people I know they're good.

Like they can get rid of a person and like never think about that person. Like I'm not wired like that. Like I can't abandon you because you did something I didn't like. Like I'm just wired to be a shepherd. I'm wired to serve, you know? So, but sometimes it causes challenges because other people are like, yeah, well, be a shepherd i'm wired to serve you know so um but sometimes

it causes challenges because other people like yeah well i'm focused i gotta do this or i gotta do that or my wife was like well what about our family cut that off and just us and i'm like okay i'm trying but i don't know what like i don't know where the switch is like you know i don't if if i found out where it was i would you know cut the circuit breaker off and then cut it back on three four hours later so i think that's probably my greatest weakness is i do want to save the world and you got to be balanced like you got to take care of your family you got to take care of your staff and you got to know when to say no and when to say yes but it's still a challenge absolutely every school called why didn't come to our school why didn't come to school eric's a big he think he's big time now like why he was in

our town and he went to these schools why didn't he come over to here Does he only work with this group or does he only work with that group? And it's just like I want to save everybody, but there's 24 hours in a day. So what's in the way? What's in the gap for you for achieving your dreams? Time and just prioritizing. That's the beauty of having a team you talked about earlier. Now as the team grows grows you can have more chick-fil-a's you know take them from the south now they're starting to see them in michigan and

illinois and whatever so when you get that model and i think that's what you know having a cj and a josh right now what they're trying to do is say hey let's turn to et if you have a a program p70 speaker training then you're not hitting these two or three people here, 10 people there. Now you have this academy and you can bring people and you can do more. So for me, that's not my thing, but having a team of guys now who are saying,

hey, let's make it a machine. And if it's a plane, E, and we get you a 757, we can put three, 400 people on. We still can't do it the way you want to do it, E. You still can't get a million people. You can't create a machine for a million people, E. But we can get 500 people on the plane for you, and you can take care of those 500. So I think that has been, in a way, is no longer a challenge.

They're actually developing that as we speak. And I think that's going to help me feel better that I've saved a million this year. I still got to get to those billions, but we'll take the millions that we can get this year. I like it. And who was the most influential person in your life growing up? Probably my mom. Biggest lesson she tell you.

What's that? Mom's like no excuse. My grandma had 14 kids. My mom was the only one really to finish high school. 14? 14. Holy cow. And lost a set of twins, so it should have been 16.

In like a three-bedroom house with one bath, you know. And I just saw, yeah, no, Chicago. We're originally from Chicago. And I saw my mom. My mom went to college at 48 and graduated at 52. So my mom is that dog. You know what I'm saying? When I think about that, that's my mom, you know.

And even though I used to be upset with my mom because she lied about you know who my biological father was it was a plan you know mom's like the original olivia pope you know i'm saying mom's like we go you know i'm saying they're not gonna know who you are they're not like how do you get uh two families not to say who your father is and i was with my biological father's family i was with my grandma my aunts and didn't know who he was so my mom had a straight like she had it planned out you know like yo this is what's gonna happen you're gonna go to school my mother would like sleep in tents so i can go to special schools you know because they had it's like you don't know the waiting list you know so she would live in like in a tent really like you know i'm just like you know camp out if you will for me to get

in so mom is you know she started as a photographer in 1819 turned that into microfilm you know for Ford graduate finished Ford with a degree you know and put herself like one of the highest levels you could go so just seeing my mom grind all these years and not say well I didn't have my father in my life and I grew up in poverty on the south side of Chicago I went mom didn't make any excuses mom said hey we'll do whatever it takes and so mom is definitely man even though we had an estranged relationship

you know for a couple years I left and was immature but mom has definitely always been that person that I you know because some of our challenges I wouldn't say that I have my mom's picture on the wall but we've always been emotionally attached you know, because some of our challenges, I wouldn't say that I had my mom's picture on the wall. But we've always been emotionally attached. You know, we've always been very close, you know. And so mom has definitely been that person that I learned my grind from.

And what would you say is the biggest lesson you learned from your father or the absence of your father? That you can fake it like you care, but you can't fake it like you're there. You know, and I think it's so weird, man. Like when I worked with the browns this year i didn't get to talk as much as i'm used to talking you know that wasn't the role um which was weird for me because i'm like yo i'm a talk but man i would literally come to the meetings or i would be on the field as they're coming out getting ready for the game and i remember god saying to me like yo i still can't believe you on the field, E.

Like, yo, I've been watching you since I was in high school. I cannot believe you standing here with, you know, with my team's T-shirt on. Like, yo, this is unreal. And I would have guys from the other team like, okay, I know you with the Browns, E, but, hey, when I was with Oregon or Alabama, you came to my school, you know. And just to see that the talking is good. But being present and holding somebody and looking them in their eyes and saying, like, yo, you could do this. Like after a loss in Cleveland and just being there and they're like, yo, we lost 10 games.

You still here? We lost 12 games. I'm like, yo, I'm here. I'm not here. I'm not here to win or lose. Like I'm not here. I'm here for you. And to be able to be there for people i'm realizing that's the best as a father i'm there for my children you know the staff as much as i can be i'm there for the staff like i'm not in my own world whatever we eat together we fly together you know we in the same car i don't have i might be hollywood i don't know i might need a chauffeur these days but i, we still do everything together, you know? So for me, I'm realizing the power of presence. You don't have

to always talk. You don't have to give people gifts. Sometimes just being in people's life through the ups, the downs, the bad, the ugly, the snow, the sleep, people value and appreciate you just being present. Well, I love hearing that a Michigan guy is in Ohio supporting my team. No question. We need to let the coach have you speak before every pregame. Okay, no question. And warm them up. You hear this, Hugh?

Let's go. Come on, Cleveland. A few more questions for you. And I could talk with you all day. I love this. And what are you most proud of that most people don't know about you? Man, I don't know what I'm most proud of. I don't know.

I don't know that I have any, like, individual pride. I think what I'm most proud of is that I've been able to get with a group of men, and we've been able to become brothers, and we haven't let egos get in the way, and we've been able to change with a group of men and we've been able to become brothers and we haven't let egos get in the way. And we've been able to change the world with little or nothing. Like when you look at our company, you know, we're from, we're from last in Michigan.

Like that's where we started in Lance and we didn't have any support. And I've got to change. I used to always say, nobody gave us anything, but a lady wrote me a check for a thousand dollars at the free program I do at Michigan state. So that's, I can't say that anymore,

you know what I'm saying? But we haven't had a lot. And like I said, egos haven't gotten away it's not a thing of you know um you're bigger than me or i'm bigger than you you know um like for real financial records just everything we've shared everything and for us to be three young men from you know lance and detroit barbados and to be able to change the world like you don't know what it feels like to just have people like I can't go anywhere anymore like people know who I am and people you know was at the NFL experience

and I remember we went to a restaurant and I saw a hip hop artist that would walk in and nobody wouldn't say anything to him other than you know they go but people would walk up to me and hug me and start crying and say look guy I'm not I'm not a groupie. Like, Eric Thomas, do not get this twisted. I don't take pictures with celebrities.

But you changed my life. And this is bigger. I met a guy when we came in last night to the hotel. He said, yo, E, I don't want to say anything to you, but, like, I built my business because of you. Like, you changed my life. Like, I hear this every day and so for me it's like I'm proud of the fact that we were able to build something that helps people and not necessarily just the focus on us but but we meet people that say man I made 15 million dollars in the last three years watching you guys your free podcast your free this your

free that you know so for real man a group of guys coming together in the room and having a dream and ago And having a blue collar forgive me, but a blue collar. We're not Apple You know we're not Microsoft and maybe you know we're not in the big magazines And like you know some of the you know more powerful people in the world may not necessarily be talking about it But the everyday people who are struggling to get up and get at it are saying, yo, you helped me. And for me, it's like, yo, we're contributing to America just like all these other great Apple phones. We're changing lives and to grow.

So that's what I'm probably most proud of, of what we've done. I can't think of any individual thing I've done. It took me 14 years to get up. It took me 12 years to get a 40 degree. So I don't really have anything like, for real, I was homeless, high school dropout, eating out of trash cans. I don't know if I've ever had that thing that I did.

Like I wasn't an athlete. Like I've never had that thing that I can hang my hat on as an individual, you know what I'm saying? But as a team, I can truly say, I can hang my hat on as ETA. We have like, we would be magnum cum laude, summa cum laude, whatever that is. Like, we would be up there with GPA. Highest honors.

No doubt we would be up there. And what's the total views you've had now on all the videos on YouTube? You guys know the, how many views? Hundreds of millions. Hundreds of millions of views. Yeah, the PhD, right? Yeah, yeah. I remember I was watching it for like a year building up to it right all over online even that though is as exciting as i was for even that was a collective

effort of course people who supported me in terms of editing you know people who made me rethink you know like okay eda i've never forget i read it the other day one of the young ladies who uh was was on my committee she said to me it was so funny i sent her the first draft and she's like i'm not trying to be funny but i know eric thomas i don't see any passion in this like there's nothing that says roar beast mode i'm not trying to be funny but if you if this is gonna have your name on it i would go back and give me some et and i didn't know you know because that's not my space i didn't know i could go et i didn't know i could bring it to life i didn't know i could bring color to it you know in life because it's academic of course you know so i didn't say that just because like

it's not something right that i've done you know i didn't do that on my own that would it would be so many people that would have to be in this room you know with me but in terms of eta like i could truly say i know what my part is in this movement and i'm very proud of what we collectively have been able to do together yeah that's great man i love it what is um what is breathe university what is this and how can people be part of it's a family man you know it's a's a family. It's a group of people who believe like we believe, who share our values, who share our passion, and now we've just created a platform where we can be together. Man, look, and I would never talk about any other platform,

but the thing I'm so proud of with Breathe U, the young man who runs some of our mastermind calls, he said, yo, in the last two or three years he has missed two calls so i'm on the thursday call i'm on the sunday call whatever calls like we get to do bu meetups or like i'm in la so all our students that are in this area will come together and do lunch or dinner together so it's just a huge family a fraternity if you will of people who started from the bottom it's like like, yo, E, I don't have millions. I don't have 7,000, 10,000 to be a part of these programs.

And so we're like, hey, we're the Kia. You know what I'm saying? Sure. We're the Kia of this game. It's a great vehicle, 100,000 mile walk. You know what I'm saying? It's a great car. It's just where you want it to be.

It may not have the brand recognition of some of those others, but in terms of that. They don't have stars. Yeah, right. So that's what we are, man. And so we've been able to help people. And what do you teach them? What do you teach them?

There are marriage courses. We have financial courses. We have personal development. There are spiritual courses. You know, so whatever you're looking for, entrepreneurship, you know, CJ and the guys show you how to start with whatever the gift is and no bank account and still use your platforms that you have to be successful. So everything we've done, the triple double is what we like to call it. You know, we're very successful in our marriages.

Just yesterday, man, I'm so I'm so proud, man. Like I know people might laugh at me or whatever, but yesterday my son came by and we had a marital session and so he was leaving and and i was sitting on the couch and he came over the couch and kind of like grabbed and hugged me you know and kind of did his head on my head and was like all right dad love you and the and the couple that was there was looking like wow like yo he's 21 years old you know but he's still coming home still to hug and then afterwards he was right, dad, where's the money at? I hug you because I know I can get to your heart. So where's the money at, dad?

I was like, oh, what's up? I'm like, you got me. It's up in the cabinet to the left. You know, you can grab it. So, you know, so for us, man, we're trying to teach fathers how to be parents. Because a lot of dads didn't have dads. So just everything, man, that you could think of, how to save your money, how to make money, whatever you need in life with a one-stop shop uh you want to learn how to work a camera carl can teach you how to work a camera you know go viral so just whatever you need we're we're that

company to help you get it i love it man i love it and it's all at et inspires that's what i hear i've never i've not been to the site but i hear it's all there yeah maybe i need to start going to the site i love it i mean you got books you there. Yeah, maybe I need to start going to the site. I love it. I mean, you got books, you got apparel, you got mixtapes, videos. Whatever you need, man, to get you pumped up. Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course. And on that site, or you get the app, download the Eric Thomas app.

It's all free. Eric Thomas 2.0. I think I should be at 7.0, but these guys make the decision. I don't know how I'm still just at 2.0. My phone's 7. Like, I should at least be 4 by now. I like it. I'll have to talk with you about that later.

I wanted to ask you this question earlier and I forgot. Is it more important to focus on training the rising generation, the youth, or the current leaders who are instilling the information into the world? I think it's both and, not either or. I think it's both and, not either or. I think it's both and. I think we've got to, those people who are influencing them now, we have to get to them and show them every word you say to them

is either tearing them down or building them up. And the older generation has to learn. It's not that they don't want it. They just need it in a different they don't want it they just need it in a different way you know they want to be successful they they want families but the way you used to do it you can't do it and now we got to get to the babies because they literally will change the face you know of america and so that's why you see me in elementary middle high college nfl you know and now we have a program for players after the game and I think that's

what makes our ministry so unique is that there are individuals who will see me at the NFL at a game and say you know I've been rocking with you since I've been in high school E and so to have people that you've that have been listening to you for 10 8 7 years and then you get to meet in person they're like yo I feel like I'll I'll never forget when I met RG3 for the first time you know he was kind of like yo E he's like it's funny I want to say hi but I feel like I'll never forget when I met RG3 for the first time. You know, he was kind of like, yo, he's like, it's funny. I want to say hi, but I feel like I already know you. You know, so it's like it's weird because I've been listening to you for the last five, six years, you know. So for me, I think for you got to get them young and you got to spend as much time with them as possible.

So when they become adults, they're not just leaders, but effective and efficient leaders. Yeah. This is called the three truths. I don't remember if I asked you this last time So all three have to be true Well your three true so this is Many many years down the line. It's your last day, right? Just imagine your last day and You've got billions of views or however many billions of views now not just

millions you've impacted the world you've changed everything you want to change you've done everything you wanted to do everything has happened that you envision which i know is going to happen and um that's it it's about you know you're about to call it quits. It's the last day. And for whatever reason, everything you've ever created has been erased. All your content, videos, universities, everything has been gone. Your content, your messages. And you had a piece of paper and a pen. And you got to write down three final truths. The three things you know to be true from all the things you've said and all the places you've gone and spoken to from all walks of life.

What are those three lessons that you would say, these are the principles and the truth of what you need moving forward? If this is all they had to remember you by, these three lessons. So the first one, you just said it, we got to get that information back. So we got to have a love for knowledge.

We got to get all that back because we are what we know. We're no more than what we know. So people who are, I heard something recently, you know, we're, we're no more than what we know. Uh, so people who are, I heard something recently, Carl said, where if you took a room of a hundred people and added a hundred billionaires to the room, give it five or six years, the people who are in poverty would go back to being poor and the billionaires would find a way to be billionaires again. And it's because of what they know, you know? So I would say knowledge is power. Number two, I'd say we are where we are because of experiences. So find those relationships.

Hopefully, DeeDee would be with me on this last day. Find those relationships, man. Find those people that you love and love on them. Don't get so caught up in money and stuff because relationships are really the essence. And then the final one, man, be true to yourself, you know, especially being in L.A. You know, it's so superficial. You know, some people can be so superficial.

You know, there's no debt. You know, it's so dense. You know, and so I would say, you know, to your own self, be true. Find out who you are, what your gift is, what you love. Like, eat what you like to eat. Go where you like to go. Like, be you. And you'll find out that when you're you you will attract you you know you will attract all the happiness the wealth that you can by being you but if you're fake you know you can't do it and

this last one i'm gonna get in trouble for this but my wife's been on the elliptical lately she's like i gotta lose my butt i'm like well people are paying for that you're trying to lose it you got folks paying for that right there. So I won't know about, but I was teasing her because I was saying, you got one group that feels, so who's happy? The person that doesn't have it trying to buy it. The person that has it trying to give it away. It's like this crazy world.

You know, why can't we just enjoy what we have? Why are we always looking at what somebody else has? Like enjoy what you have, especially if looking at what somebody else has like enjoy what you have especially if your husband's not mad at it i know she's gonna hear this and be like why did you say that on the lewis house i don't know those are great and what's the question you wish more people asked you um how you know they don't ask how a lot they always like the what you know you made this money you got this you done this ask me how oh yeah this asked me oh i said it's like serving you know i'm saying getting around the right people you know but people always ask like what time do you

get up why are you asking me what time i get up you need to find out why i go to bed when i go to bed you know how i how i'm able to go to bed at the same time night, how I'm able to get up at 3 o'clock in the morning, like how I'm able to grind throughout the day. Like you need to know the formula, and you're just, you know, it's like math. Our teachers, I don't know if this is true of you guys, but we wouldn't get full credit in math if we didn't write out, you know, the process. True. If you just had the answer, they're like, okay, I gave you two points for that.

Right. But like I'd give you 100 if you can show me how you got to that. Because if you can show me the formula, I guarantee if you really know the formula, you're going to get the answer correct probably 90 out of 100% of the time. 90% of the time, you're going to get it right. And so I just think that's the problem. Nobody's asking me for the formula.

Everybody just wants what I have. Nobody's asking me how I got here. And I think that's the question that people need to ask more. And that's what I love about being on your show I'm just gonna be honest you can go listen to whatever interviews I did a lot more in an earlier time now I'm focused so I try not to do too many I don't do it I don't know I did any really last year but if you listen to your questions and how you got to those it's different than what most people ask me and I and I stopped

doing it because I got tired of, what time do you go to bed? What time do you wake up? I say, most of the stuff you ask me, you can read the book and get that. Or you can listen to the podcast and get that. Ask me something that is so in-depth that I have forgotten to talk about it,

that I no longer think about it, that is not at the center of my thought process. Like, dig deep, because there's some stuff in there. Like, it took me 12 years to get a 40 degree. There's some stuff in there. Like, bring some of my thought process, like dig deep, because there's some stuff in there. It took me 12 years to get a 40 degree. There's some stuff in there. Bring some of that stuff out, and I think you do a great job of doing that. Appreciate it, brother.

Thank you, thank you. Well, before I ask the final question, I want to take a moment to acknowledge you, Eric, because, again, you are what you preach. You go to the schools. You're on the ground day in, day out for the last 10, 12 years. You've been doing it. You were doing it before go to the schools, you're on the ground day in, day out for the last 10, 12 years, you've been doing it.

You were doing it before you had the brand, the videos, you've been doing it and you're still doing it and you're accelerating it and growing it. So I want to acknowledge you for your incredible level of support and service and impact in the world because what you do, how you show up matters and it's making a huge impact on the youth, which I remember being a kid and having someone inspire me that I looked up to that was a catalyst for me that changed my mindset from a destructive, depressed, abusive mindset, going down a really bad path to a more positive mindset and living a life that was possible to achieve my dreams.

to a more positive mindset and living a life that was possible to achieve my dreams. And you're doing that every single day for so many kids. So I acknowledge you for your ability to show up with energy, with passion, and the sacrifices that you make to go to bed early and wake up at 3 a.m. Not many people do that. And so you're doing things on a different level, and I acknowledge you for the incredible gift that you are. I appreciate that, man. Yeah, of course.

Thank you. Of course. Thank you. Of course. I'm going to call Tom Brady and tell him next year he could just put you in as a tight end. I'm watching right here. I'm like, you should have been a tight end. I could have been. You need a Super Bowl. I could have been. It's like Gronkowski right here from where I'm looking. I know, I know.

We got to get you in, man. I played one year of arena football but I never made it to the NFL. Let Brady know, like, I'm going to call and say, Brady, here's the deal. Next time one of your guys go out, I just bring my man in. There you go. There you go.

Yeah, yeah. My final question is, what's your definition of greatness? Reaching your ultimate dreams and goals. Like,

the stuff that you know. You know, because there are kids out here who are doing better than their sister or their brother and they're like, well,

I'm doing better than you but we know you haven't tapped into your true potential. And so greatness to me is one knowing what greatness should look like for you. Having your own personal definition of greatness and getting up every single day

and going after it, man. To me, that's what greatness is. E.T., my man. Thank you so much, bro. Appreciate you having me on the show. Appreciate it. Thank you. Yeah, of course. There you have it, greats. I hope you guys enjoyed this one. And if you did, please let me know over on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram at Lewis Howes.

Share this with your friends, lewishowes.com slash 466. If you know anyone who would love this message, please click on the share button right now on the podcast app that you're listening to, whether it be iTunes or Stitcher or SoundCloud, and share this out. Let's get the message out there. Let's help people rise to the top in their life. That's what this is about, bringing a community together to elevate, to achieve the greatness within us. But we can't do it on our own and we need inspiration like this and messages that can help us with the tools and resources to get to that next level. So click on that share button on the podcast app or just tweet out lewishouse.com slash 466. Tag myself on Instagram stories where you're watching or listening to this

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