Eric Thomas
American motivational speaker, pastor, and author known as ET the Hip Hop Preacher
Eric Thomas (American motivational speaker, pastor, and author known as ET the Hip Hop Preacher) has appeared as a guest on 1 episode in TMT. Topics they speak about most include Personal accountability, 52-day challenge, Embarrassment as motivation.
In their words
Positions and remarks grouped by topic, each with the exact quote and where it was said.
Personal accountability
Thomas says telling others creates accountability because people let themselves down more readily than others.
“You can let yourself down sometimes quicker than you can somebody else”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Focus on Yourself: Do THIS Before 2026 Ends to Get Back on Track with Eric Thomas (Nov 5, 2026) · Listen from 47:28
Thomas argues excuses provide comfort but leave the consequences unchanged.
“Excuses just make you feel so good, but here's the challenge. you still got to get up the next day with the consequences”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Focus on Yourself: Do THIS Before 2026 Ends to Get Back on Track with Eric Thomas (Nov 5, 2026) · Listen from 33:39
Thomas says the first great decision is often asking for help, and he succeeded by being around people who made good decisions.
“the first greatest decision we can make is to say help. It's not us doing anything”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Focus on Yourself: Do THIS Before 2026 Ends to Get Back on Track with Eric Thomas (Nov 5, 2026) · Listen from 31:45
Thomas argues that dwelling on others' wrongs gives them control, even when they truly were wrong.
“They were wrong. But life is not about proving they're wrong. Life is about making things right for you”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Focus on Yourself: Do THIS Before 2026 Ends to Get Back on Track with Eric Thomas (Nov 5, 2026) · Listen from 22:53
Thomas advises transferring strategies from areas of life where one succeeds to areas where control has been lost.
“Borrow from an area where you're already great, where you're already conquering, and just bring those same skill sets into a place where you've lost control”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Focus on Yourself: Do THIS Before 2026 Ends to Get Back on Track with Eric Thomas (Nov 5, 2026) · Listen from 13:30
52-day challenge
Thomas lists scheduling as the first non-negotiable step, saying unscheduled goals won't happen.
“if you don't write it down and you don't give it a time, it's just not going to happen”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Focus on Yourself: Do THIS Before 2026 Ends to Get Back on Track with Eric Thomas (Nov 5, 2026) · Listen from 45:01
Thomas says the mindset shift will come within 52 days even if not all results do.
“the results may not all come in 52 days, but the mindset will come in 52 days and the results always follow the mindset”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Focus on Yourself: Do THIS Before 2026 Ends to Get Back on Track with Eric Thomas (Nov 5, 2026) · Listen from 42:15
Thomas says unlike his usual grind message, the challenge asks people only to return to their past best self.
“I'm not asking you to get to a place you've never been. I'm just asking you to get back to your best self”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Focus on Yourself: Do THIS Before 2026 Ends to Get Back on Track with Eric Thomas (Nov 5, 2026) · Listen from 3:32
Thomas says the 52-day challenge came from a prayer-group lesson on Nehemiah rebuilding a long-fallen wall in 52 days.
“the wall was torn down for like 100 and something years, 140 years. And they rebuilt it in 52 days”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Focus on Yourself: Do THIS Before 2026 Ends to Get Back on Track with Eric Thomas (Nov 5, 2026) · Listen from 4:23
Embarrassment as motivation
Thomas proposes starting with an inventory of areas where one is, or should be, embarrassed.
“let's do an embarrassing inventory and let's audit all the areas where either I'm embarrassed or I should be embarrassed”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Focus on Yourself: Do THIS Before 2026 Ends to Get Back on Track with Eric Thomas (Nov 5, 2026) · Listen from 44:32
Manifestation and goal setting
Thomas recommends posting a realistic picture of one's past best self rather than an unreachable ideal.
“I took a picture of where I wanted to be and I put it up. It's the first thing I want you to do”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Focus on Yourself: Do THIS Before 2026 Ends to Get Back on Track with Eric Thomas (Nov 5, 2026) · Listen from 38:15
Fatherhood
Thomas says his aggression as a youth stemmed from hurt over not knowing his biological father.
“You're not fighting because you're tough. You're fighting because you're hurt. You're not hard because you're hard. You're not hard. You're hurt”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Focus on Yourself: Do THIS Before 2026 Ends to Get Back on Track with Eric Thomas (Nov 5, 2026) · Listen from 27:54
Homelessness
Thomas recounts that while jailed as a homeless teen he realized he himself was the common factor in his problems.
“I was like, Eric, who's the common denominator? And I said, Eric Thomas is”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Focus on Yourself: Do THIS Before 2026 Ends to Get Back on Track with Eric Thomas (Nov 5, 2026) · Listen from 17:21
Weight loss
Thomas says his health challenge was driven by pre-diabetes, pre-hypertension, and sleep apnea rather than weight alone.
“it really wasn't about losing 30 pounds. It was about pre-diabetes. It was about pre-hypertension. It was about mild sleep apnea”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Focus on Yourself: Do THIS Before 2026 Ends to Get Back on Track with Eric Thomas (Nov 5, 2026) · Listen from 7:29
Appearances
Focus on Yourself: Do THIS Before 2026 Ends to Get Back on Track with Eric ThomasThe Mel Robbins Podcast · Nov 5, 2026 · 57 min
Mel Robbins and motivational speaker Dr. Eric Thomas discuss his 52-day challenge for getting back to one's best self before the year ends.
Often appears with
- Mel Robbins · 1 shared episode