September 29, 2025 • 22 mins
After 16 years in the Marine Corps, I’ve seen the highs, the lows, and everything in between — from getting NJP’d to becoming a Martial Arts Instructor Trainer, author, podcaster, and father who refuses to play small.
In this episode, I break down 5 hard-earned lessons (plus a bonus) that have shaped me as a Marine, leader, and man:
🕰 Patience: Why you can’t quit before the plan has time to work
🔥 Adversity as Fuel: How owning your mistakes turns setbacks into motivation
💡 Never Make Yourself Small: Stop dimming your light for people who can’t handle your shine
🏗 Rebuild & Rebrand: Forget what they say — you’re allowed to grow and start over
🎯 Life After the Marine Corps: Building your exit plan before it’s too late
🏀 Bonus – Rubber vs. Glass Balls: Learning what to protect at all cost.
This is a reflection on 16 years of lessons — and a challenge to look at your own career, own your story, and start building what’s next.
IG & TIKTOK: meech.speaks
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
People going regardless, people are going to bring up what you
did wrong, regardless of the situation.
They going to do that to rub it in your face.
They going to do that to try to hold you down.
They going to do that period. OK, One thing that you got to
understand, people going to talkabout you.
(00:36):
This episode is sponsored by Better Help.
What's going on everybody? As we all know, mental health is
a huge piece for me. And recently, as I become a
better version of myself, I've decided that it's time for me to
go to therapy because I understand how life can be a
little overwhelming and we all need help navigating through the
trenches of military service in and out of uniform.
Better Help connects you with a licensed therapist who is
(00:57):
trained to listen and give you helpful, unbiased advice. 1st
all you got to do is go to theirsite.
Matter of fact, you can use my link right here.
Answer a few questions and Better Help will match you with
a professional who has years of experience in helping people
with struggles just like yours. You can do it all from your
phone or computer, via phone call or video chat or messaging
(01:18):
however you feel most comfortable.
It's the easiest possible way tostart talking to a therapist.
You will be matched to a therapist usually within 48
hours, so you can get started fast.
Let Better help connect you to atherapist who can support you
all from the comfort of your home.
Visit betterhelp.com/meech Speaks and enjoy a special
discount on your first month. What's going on, everybody?
(01:40):
It's that ordinary podcast with the extraordinary thoughts that
tells you to stop being great and be extraordinary.
I'm Demetrius Thigpen, also known as me speak.
So welcome back to another episode of the Talking Crazy
podcast. Now, before we get started with
this podcast, don't forget to head on over to your favorite
streaming platform, whether that's Apple podcast or Spotify
podcast, and leave this podcast a honest review because this
podcast deserves to grow just asmuch as we do.
(02:01):
All right, so I'm coming into this episode a little late right
now as we speak. I think it's about 9:30 going on
10:00 at night. Alright, I was on the phone with
Peasy and we're having a conversation and I'm telling
them like man, I'm just getting off work, you feel me?
I'm just pulling back up to the house.
I don't think I'm going to be able to drop an episode today.
And he looked at me and he said and you just don't want it bad
(02:24):
enough. And I said what?
He said you still got like 3 hours left.
And I'm like, well, I mean, it is getting late.
You know, maybe I shouldn't dropthat episode, He said, you know,
it's OK. You just don't want it bad
enough. And see that right there, right?
See that right there just didn'tsit right with my spirit.
(02:45):
OK All right. Like, I don't think a lot of
people really understand this, man.
And I'm gonna just go ahead and say this.
When somebody else wants your dream more than you do, you feel
me? Like when somebody else wants
your vision, sees the vision more than you do, that's a
problem. So when he told me that I don't
want it bad enough, see, that just didn't sit right with my
(03:07):
spirit. So here we are going into this
week with a new episode. Let's go ahead and get started.
All right, so September is actually a huge month for me.
And the reason why is because September 22nd, 2009 is when I
joined the United States Marine Corps, all right?
And I was thinking about it lastweek as I was driving home.
And if you were following me on Instagram, you got a chance for
(03:28):
me to be able to say it. But don't worry, I'm going to
say it again anyway. But I would be remissed if I
didn't talk about my accomplishments.
Let me rephrase that. I would be remiss if I didn't
really take into consideration everything that I have done.
And you know, what's so crazy is, is that it's so easy for us,
(03:49):
right? Like, you know, it's so easy for
us to sit back and reflect on the things that we've done and
kind of downplay it. You feel me like we will
downplay our own lives, our own accomplishments because we feel
like as if we didn't do enough. And that's exactly what I did.
You know, I'm sitting back and I'm thinking like, damn, man,
like 16 years, man. Like, should I be a first harm
(04:11):
by now? Should I be like a mouse arm?
Should I, You know, did I do enough in my military career?
And I realized I've done more, did enough in my military
career. You fit me.
Could I have done more? Absolutely.
But to say I haven't done a lot will be lying.
You fit me. We'll be lying if I said that I
(04:31):
haven't done a lot. And when I say this, I want you
to understand. And I'm just going ahead like I
I'm just say this exactly how I'm gonna say it.
I'm about to talk my shit. All right.
And and and when I say this, just please understand.
I'm about to talk my shit. I was born and raised in
Detroit, MI. You feel me?
The likelihood of me being successful wasn't really high.
(04:53):
All they told me was that I'm a Google either to college or I'm
a work at the factory, you know,and because I didn't want to do
either one of those, there were a lot of options.
Everybody around me did not believe that I should join the
Marine Corps. In fact, I remember one of my
counselors sitting back and telling me matter of fact she
was trying to talk me out of it.She said that the military
(05:14):
wouldn't be a good fit for me. In fact, she also said I
wouldn't do good in the militaryto begin with.
Everybody was not pro this idea and I took a opportunity and bet
it on me. And I will say this before I
even start this fucking episode is, is that if you are thinking
about doing anything in your life, all right, people going to
(05:36):
talk you out of it. People going to not agree with
you. People are just not going to see
the vision the way that you're going to.
You have to be able to see this vision.
You have to be able to see this vision because I promise you,
it's going to be a lot of debris.
It's going to be a lot of fog, fog.
It's going to be a lot of peoplenot believing in your ideas.
So you have to be able to believe in it.
(05:57):
And God damn it I did. So I beat the statistics.
I beat the odds. Coming out of Detroit, MI only
with a high school diploma. Enlisting to the 1%
organization. 10% of Americans will join the military.
Only 1% are going to become Marines.
Already knocked that out the gate going to the Marine Corps.
Start my career. I hit a roadblock, boom I get
(06:20):
NJPD. Now for those who do not
understand OK most people that get NJPD that's a career ender
for them not me. I I get I get hit with the NJPI,
keep it moving. A month later I become a martial
arts instructor. 8 months later I become a Martial Arts
instructor trainer. Now once again this happened in
(06:43):
grade. I will go on and attend 3
meritorious boards afterwards. Why?
Because they send their best Marines on a meritorious board.
Are you wondering why I was being put up on those boards?
It's because I was one of the best Marines.
Fast forward, I go on and I workat the Martial Arts and Fitness
Center of Excellence. I attend and I work with the top
(07:04):
percent of the Marine Corps. I'm training alongside these
people. But before I even did that, I
became an author, a podcaster, aspeaker.
I did all of that in my militarycareer.
I've done things that most Marines have never done or will
(07:27):
never do in their entire lives. I am the definition of what it
means to bounce back. Even when I got passed over for
promotion for Gunnery Sergeant, I took that pee and I applied
pressure and got it the next year.
I'm the definition of not letting it weigh you down.
(07:50):
I'm the definition of what it means to beat the odds.
There ain't even no published authors of my family here.
I am one of them. Let me rephrase here, I am the
first one and that meant ain't no podcasters in my family.
I'm the first one. So when I tell you a lot of
things are possible, a lot of things are.
(08:13):
So with that, I got 5 lessons that I've learned in my 16 years
of military service. Let's go ahead and get started
#1 patience. OK?
I don't know who needs to hear this, but Rome was not built in
a day. And the reason why a lot of
y'all never see the finish line to anything that you do is
because you don't have patience for it to grow, OK?
(08:33):
You don't have patience for it to to stumble around.
You don't have patience for it to figure itself out.
I say that to say this. When I was a young Marine, I was
a shit bag. You know what I mean?
I was a shit bag Marine. I made a lot of mistakes, OK?
I had a bad attitude. In fact, my attitude was so bad
(08:54):
that I remember that I was aboutto get administratively
separated because of the stuff that I was just doing.
And I remember sitting in my room and I was just saying,
like, Demetrius, if you do not get your shit together, I
promise you, brother, you're going to get kicked out of the
Marine Corps. I remember saying that and I
remember saying that night that moving forward, I'm going to do
(09:14):
the best that I can. And the next day I got my ass
too. The next day I got my ass too.
And and I've say that to say this right here, OK, is because
if I did not have patience with the plan, I would revert back to
who I was. That patience will go a long way
in anything that you do throughout your entire military
(09:36):
career. So I will say this, have
patience, OK? Because nothing was built in a
day. There's going to be missteps.
There's going to be setbacks. To be honest with you is going
to feel like it's going to crumble right in front of you.
And it feels like as if you haveto rebuild again.
But you need to have some type of patience #2 let the adversity
fuel you, but you got to own your mistakes.
(09:58):
OK, I'll say that again. Let the adversity fuel you, but
you got to own your mistakes. I don't know who needs to hear
this but a lot of y'all. You can't move forward from the
situation because you blaming everybody else around you for
the shit that you did. You can't get over the obstacle
because you sitting there blaming everybody for putting
(10:20):
the obstacle in front of you. But it was you that caused it.
And because you cannot get past that, everywhere you go, you
make the exact same mistake overand over and over.
And guess what the fuck you do? You blame that person.
You blame that person. You blame that command, You
blame that boss. It's everyone else's fault.
(10:41):
But it's not yours. And it actually is.
It actually is your fault. When I got in JP, I spent a
month and a half blaming everybody else.
Everybody else from my shortcomings, for my lack of
judgment, for my missteps, when the reality was is that I was
(11:02):
the one to put myself in that position.
I shouldn't be in the position if I didn't want to be in it and
I shouldn't have put myself in it.
So when I finally owned my mistake, I man, when I finally
owned my mistake, brother, please understand, I became
unstoppable. But here's the thing though, is
that that adversity that comes in your life, you need to
(11:23):
understand that that can be somefuel.
All right. Every accomplishment that I had
after the after that NJP was because of the NJP.
No days off. I don't have the luxury, can't
afford to be in second place. I don't have the luxury.
I had that chip on my shoulder and it was constantly pushing me
forward. I strive for the best because I
(11:45):
knew what it was like to hit theground.
I kept moving forward because I knew what it was like to fall on
my face. So when I tell you, let the
adversity fuel you, but you got to own your mistakes #3 never
make yourself small. It's okay to be the best.
And I will say that again, nevermake yourself small.
(12:05):
It is okay to be the best. I cannot tell you how many times
I have come around people realize that they are fucking
losers. And because they are losers and
I am constantly winning, I felt bad for them.
And because I felt bad for them,I minimized my accomplishments.
I minimized my worth. I minimized who I was so that
(12:27):
way I wouldn't make them feel bad.
I turned down the lights on me so that way I wouldn't blind
them because I was shining too bright.
I don't know who needs to hear this.
It's OK to just be the best person in the world.
It's OK to be better than them. You don't got to make yourself
small so that way they can feel good.
Because I promise you this, theywill not turn down the lights so
(12:49):
that way you so you can see theyare not going to minimize their
accomplishments so you can feel better.
In fact, they will put them in your face.
In fact, they are have been secretly competing against you.
So when they do win and you don't, they are definitely going
to rub that in. So I I will say this OK because
I and when I say this please understand I'm not saying be
(13:12):
arrogant because I know it's a lot of y'all that like to say oh
be humble you know you always want to be humble.
Me personally not really a big fan of being humble.
I will always say this I am not about to make myself small so
that way you can feel better. You want to feel better than
beat me. If not then shut the fuck up and
move out of the way. It's OK to rebuild yourself and
(13:33):
fuck what they have to say. And I will say that again.
It is OK to rebuild yourself andfuck what they have to say.
A lot of y'all want to rebuild yourselves.
A lot of y'all are now in a space in your mind where you are
ready to take the next step or make some changes in your life
that would actually put you in abetter position.
But you won't because you are afraid that because of the
(13:56):
mistakes that you have previously made that you are not
worthy to make a change. You feel like people are always
going to judge you because of your past mistakes, that if you
tried to move forward with it then they were going to throw
that in your face. I will say this right now, it is
OK. You can rebuild.
Fuck what they have to say. I didn't become a podcaster
(14:18):
until I was a Sergeant. I did not become a publisher
author until I was a Sergeant. I did not get my shit together
until I was a Sergeant. OK, and what I mean getting my
shit together was IA top Marine 100%.
Was I outperforming everybody? 100%.
But I was a shitty husband, OK? I was a terrible father, all
right? I was a fucking alcoholic.
(14:38):
Behind closed doors. I was constantly falling apart.
In fact, right before I became me speaks, I had actually gotten
kicked out of a mess night because I showed up drunk and
disorderly and had to be removedbefore they even brought out the
beef. Pause.
So when I tell you that it is OKto rebuild yourself and fuck
(15:00):
what they have to say, I'm a living testament to that.
Because when I decided to get myshit together and stop doing
stuff like that, that means thatI stopped hanging out with
people that were drinking all the time.
I stopped engaging in gossip. I started spending more time
with my family. I started doing things that were
better for me that weren't better for everybody else.
A lot of people have to say havesomething to say about that.
(15:22):
When I started to rebuild myselfand I started to start putting
content out, people have stuff to say about that because they
were like, how can you say that?Well, you just got kicked out of
a mess night. How can you say that when you
out here fighting? How can you say that?
They they quit, man. And I'll say that right now
people go regardless, people aregoing to bring up what you did
wrong regardless of the situation.
(15:44):
They going to do that to rub it in your face.
They going to do that to try to hold you down.
They going to do that period. OK, One thing that you got to
understand people going to talk about you.
They going to talk about the good, they going to talk about
the bad and if they don't like you then guess what they always
going to talk bad about you. But here's the thing though, you
the one that's got to live this life, OK?
So if you are tired of doing thesame shit over and over and over
(16:07):
and receiving nothing and you want to make a change for
yourself, fuck what they got to say all right?
Because they not about to live your life.
People will let people love to talk shit about you and tell you
to and give you advice about something that they will never
do. OK, and I'll say that again,
people love to give you advice on some shit that they will
never do, tell you to do things that they will never do, tell
(16:28):
you how to live a life that theycould never be in.
So I will say this right now, it's OK to rebuild, to rebrand.
Fuck what they got to say #5 there is life after the Marine
Corps and you will always hold yourself back if you think that
there's not. It took me 2016 to figure that
(16:54):
out. I was a newly promoted Sergeant.
Well, I have probably been a Sergeant about a year at that
point. But at that point now I'm
thinking nothing but the Marine Corps, nothing but the Marine
Corps. I want to be staying in the
Marine Corps, possibly become a SAR major.
That's it. You know what I mean?
And I say that because it is so many Marines that this is all we
(17:14):
know. We ain't been to college, we
ain't we ain't been out in society.
So the fear of stepping away from the Marine Corps and
stepping into society is scary for a lot of people because it's
something that we have not experienced yet.
And a lot of people will put that off.
You know what I mean? We will put that off.
Spend 4 years not doing shit, eight years not doing shit, 10
(17:37):
years not doing shit, 20 years, you have all these military
accomplishments, but now when it's said and done, you ain't
really got shit to show for because you put that off.
And that's exactly where I was at in 2016.
I was faced with my real estate may not get approved.
I got to figure something out and that's when I realized there
(17:57):
is life after the Marine Corps, but you need to start creating
your plan now, and if you do notrealize that, you are going to
hurt yourself in the long run. I stepped away from the Marine
Corps. I started putting in job
applications. I got a call back from the
Greensboro Police Department. I also went to a job fair.
I did 7 interviews, 5 callbacks,3 offer me a supervisor role.
(18:20):
There's a life after the military.
The Marine Corps gives you way too many resources, tuitions,
assistance, your GI bill, the apprenticeship program.
What's that one thing skill bridge for you to already start
setting yourself up after the military?
To be honest with you, a lot of y'all can set it up while you're
in you family. You could already start creating
(18:41):
your exit plan while you're in. Am I promoting people to get out
of the military? No, what I am promoting is for
you to start setting yourself up.
Because when it's time for you to get out of the military, when
it's time for you to get out of the military, you need to be
stepping in, stepping away from one thing into another.
When I decided that I wanted to be a full time podcaster, that's
not something that I decided after the military.
(19:04):
I decided that halfway in my career, I wrote the book, I
started speaking, and I started putting all of my effort into
podcasting. Why?
Because this is something that Iwant to do once I get out.
And I know that if I start doingit now and I start building it
now, I start nourishing it now it can mature.
Why? I'm still in the military and
(19:25):
then I can transition out. Another reason why I say that
there is life after the militaryand if you do not realize that
it will hold you back and you will fuck yourself over is
because a lot of y'all feel likeyou have nothing left.
So you do shit that is out of desperation.
You quit to let your family down.
You quit to cut to hurt yourselfwhile you in the military.
(19:47):
And what I mean by that is, is that you will put the military
above your own personal well-being knowing that you
fucked up because you feel like there is nothing left.
I remember facing some type of adversity and saying, I'm like,
this is all I got. And my friend telling me, he
said, if this is all you got, man, like you really need to
start looking at other options. And he was saying that from a
(20:08):
space of there is life after this.
You cannot be sitting here thinking that this is all that
you got. This is a very minimum career.
The most that you're going to beable to do is 20 years.
If you're lucky, 22, If you're lucky, 24.
So there is life after the military.
Create your plan right now. And lastly, here's a bonus.
There's a big difference betweena rubber ball and a glass ball.
(20:30):
And some of y'all need to understand the difference.
So I'm driving in the car and I was listening to one of the guys
talk to the OPS chief and he wasexplaining something.
He said you know what, to be honest with you ma'am, is this a
rubber ball or a glass ball? And she's like what do you mean?
She was like is this something that needs to happen right now
or can we wait till later? And I was like, damn, that's
(20:51):
fire. And I asked him a little bit
about it and he said some thingsare rubber.
Like if you drop it, it could really, it will literally bounce
right back up. Some things are glass.
And if you drop it, that's it, it'll break.
I will tell you right now, your family is a glass ball.
Those major events in your personal life, those are glass
balls. Spending time with the Marines,
(21:14):
staying late, that's rubber. Those filled ups as rubber, some
things that you feel like you have to volunteer for, that's
rubber. They will always come back.
We hear it all the time. The Marine Corps will get their
time back. Well, if you know that they
about to get their time back, then why the fuck are you not
getting yours? So I will say this, understand
(21:35):
the difference between a rubber ball and a class ball because at
the end of the day, when you decide to EAS, when you decide
to get out, when you decide to retire, all right, you want to
have your family on the other side.
You want to have a career path on the other side.
You want to have your mental health on the other side.
(21:56):
Some things are just not negotiable.
So as we come to a close this up, So one thing that I want you
to do is take a moment and reflect on your career.
I don't care if it was a day, I don't care if it's been 20
years, but reflect on your career, the good, the bad, the
ugly things that you wish you could have changed, things that
you could change right now. And just like that, another
extraordinary thought left this ordinary mind.
(22:17):
I hope you enjoyed this episode half as much as I enjoyed making
it. Don't forget to head on over to
your favorite streaming platform, whether that's Apple
podcast or Spotify podcast, and leave this podcast an honest
review because this podcast deserves to grow just as much as
we do. Also, don't forget to head on
over to TikTok or Instagram and follow me at Meech speaks.
That's right, Meech speaks. Meech is spelled M EE Ch Stay
(22:40):
motivated, stay healthy. I'm out.
People going regardless, people are going to bring up what you
did wrong, regardless of the situation.
They going to do that to rub it in your face.
They going to do that to try to hold you down.
They going to do that period. OK, One thing that you got to
understand, people going to talkabout you.
(00:36):
This episode is sponsored by Better Help.
What's going on everybody? As we all know, mental health is
a huge piece for me. And recently, as I become a
better version of myself, I've decided that it's time for me to
go to therapy because I understand how life can be a
little overwhelming and we all need help navigating through the
trenches of military service in and out of uniform.
Better Help connects you with a licensed therapist who is
(00:57):
trained to listen and give you helpful, unbiased advice. 1st
all you got to do is go to theirsite.
Matter of fact, you can use my link right here.
Answer a few questions and Better Help will match you with
a professional who has years of experience in helping people
with struggles just like yours. You can do it all from your
phone or computer, via phone call or video chat or messaging
(01:18):
however you feel most comfortable.
It's the easiest possible way tostart talking to a therapist.
You will be matched to a therapist usually within 48
hours, so you can get started fast.
Let Better help connect you to atherapist who can support you
all from the comfort of your home.
Visit betterhelp.com/meech Speaks and enjoy a special
discount on your first month. What's going on, everybody?
(01:40):
It's that ordinary podcast with the extraordinary thoughts that
tells you to stop being great and be extraordinary.
I'm Demetrius Thigpen, also known as me speak.
So welcome back to another episode of the Talking Crazy
podcast. Now, before we get started with
this podcast, don't forget to head on over to your favorite
streaming platform, whether that's Apple podcast or Spotify
podcast, and leave this podcast a honest review because this
podcast deserves to grow just asmuch as we do.
(02:01):
All right, so I'm coming into this episode a little late right
now as we speak. I think it's about 9:30 going on
10:00 at night. Alright, I was on the phone with
Peasy and we're having a conversation and I'm telling
them like man, I'm just getting off work, you feel me?
I'm just pulling back up to the house.
I don't think I'm going to be able to drop an episode today.
And he looked at me and he said and you just don't want it bad
(02:24):
enough. And I said what?
He said you still got like 3 hours left.
And I'm like, well, I mean, it is getting late.
You know, maybe I shouldn't dropthat episode, He said, you know,
it's OK. You just don't want it bad
enough. And see that right there, right?
See that right there just didn'tsit right with my spirit.
(02:45):
OK All right. Like, I don't think a lot of
people really understand this, man.
And I'm gonna just go ahead and say this.
When somebody else wants your dream more than you do, you feel
me? Like when somebody else wants
your vision, sees the vision more than you do, that's a
problem. So when he told me that I don't
want it bad enough, see, that just didn't sit right with my
(03:07):
spirit. So here we are going into this
week with a new episode. Let's go ahead and get started.
All right, so September is actually a huge month for me.
And the reason why is because September 22nd, 2009 is when I
joined the United States Marine Corps, all right?
And I was thinking about it lastweek as I was driving home.
And if you were following me on Instagram, you got a chance for
(03:28):
me to be able to say it. But don't worry, I'm going to
say it again anyway. But I would be remissed if I
didn't talk about my accomplishments.
Let me rephrase that. I would be remiss if I didn't
really take into consideration everything that I have done.
And you know, what's so crazy is, is that it's so easy for us,
(03:49):
right? Like, you know, it's so easy for
us to sit back and reflect on the things that we've done and
kind of downplay it. You feel me like we will
downplay our own lives, our own accomplishments because we feel
like as if we didn't do enough. And that's exactly what I did.
You know, I'm sitting back and I'm thinking like, damn, man,
like 16 years, man. Like, should I be a first harm
(04:11):
by now? Should I be like a mouse arm?
Should I, You know, did I do enough in my military career?
And I realized I've done more, did enough in my military
career. You fit me.
Could I have done more? Absolutely.
But to say I haven't done a lot will be lying.
You fit me. We'll be lying if I said that I
(04:31):
haven't done a lot. And when I say this, I want you
to understand. And I'm just going ahead like I
I'm just say this exactly how I'm gonna say it.
I'm about to talk my shit. All right.
And and and when I say this, just please understand.
I'm about to talk my shit. I was born and raised in
Detroit, MI. You feel me?
The likelihood of me being successful wasn't really high.
(04:53):
All they told me was that I'm a Google either to college or I'm
a work at the factory, you know,and because I didn't want to do
either one of those, there were a lot of options.
Everybody around me did not believe that I should join the
Marine Corps. In fact, I remember one of my
counselors sitting back and telling me matter of fact she
was trying to talk me out of it.She said that the military
(05:14):
wouldn't be a good fit for me. In fact, she also said I
wouldn't do good in the militaryto begin with.
Everybody was not pro this idea and I took a opportunity and bet
it on me. And I will say this before I
even start this fucking episode is, is that if you are thinking
about doing anything in your life, all right, people going to
(05:36):
talk you out of it. People going to not agree with
you. People are just not going to see
the vision the way that you're going to.
You have to be able to see this vision.
You have to be able to see this vision because I promise you,
it's going to be a lot of debris.
It's going to be a lot of fog, fog.
It's going to be a lot of peoplenot believing in your ideas.
So you have to be able to believe in it.
(05:57):
And God damn it I did. So I beat the statistics.
I beat the odds. Coming out of Detroit, MI only
with a high school diploma. Enlisting to the 1%
organization. 10% of Americans will join the military.
Only 1% are going to become Marines.
Already knocked that out the gate going to the Marine Corps.
Start my career. I hit a roadblock, boom I get
(06:20):
NJPD. Now for those who do not
understand OK most people that get NJPD that's a career ender
for them not me. I I get I get hit with the NJPI,
keep it moving. A month later I become a martial
arts instructor. 8 months later I become a Martial Arts
instructor trainer. Now once again this happened in
(06:43):
grade. I will go on and attend 3
meritorious boards afterwards. Why?
Because they send their best Marines on a meritorious board.
Are you wondering why I was being put up on those boards?
It's because I was one of the best Marines.
Fast forward, I go on and I workat the Martial Arts and Fitness
Center of Excellence. I attend and I work with the top
(07:04):
percent of the Marine Corps. I'm training alongside these
people. But before I even did that, I
became an author, a podcaster, aspeaker.
I did all of that in my militarycareer.
I've done things that most Marines have never done or will
(07:27):
never do in their entire lives. I am the definition of what it
means to bounce back. Even when I got passed over for
promotion for Gunnery Sergeant, I took that pee and I applied
pressure and got it the next year.
I'm the definition of not letting it weigh you down.
(07:50):
I'm the definition of what it means to beat the odds.
There ain't even no published authors of my family here.
I am one of them. Let me rephrase here, I am the
first one and that meant ain't no podcasters in my family.
I'm the first one. So when I tell you a lot of
things are possible, a lot of things are.
(08:13):
So with that, I got 5 lessons that I've learned in my 16 years
of military service. Let's go ahead and get started
#1 patience. OK?
I don't know who needs to hear this, but Rome was not built in
a day. And the reason why a lot of
y'all never see the finish line to anything that you do is
because you don't have patience for it to grow, OK?
(08:33):
You don't have patience for it to to stumble around.
You don't have patience for it to figure itself out.
I say that to say this. When I was a young Marine, I was
a shit bag. You know what I mean?
I was a shit bag Marine. I made a lot of mistakes, OK?
I had a bad attitude. In fact, my attitude was so bad
(08:54):
that I remember that I was aboutto get administratively
separated because of the stuff that I was just doing.
And I remember sitting in my room and I was just saying,
like, Demetrius, if you do not get your shit together, I
promise you, brother, you're going to get kicked out of the
Marine Corps. I remember saying that and I
remember saying that night that moving forward, I'm going to do
(09:14):
the best that I can. And the next day I got my ass
too. The next day I got my ass too.
And and I've say that to say this right here, OK, is because
if I did not have patience with the plan, I would revert back to
who I was. That patience will go a long way
in anything that you do throughout your entire military
(09:36):
career. So I will say this, have
patience, OK? Because nothing was built in a
day. There's going to be missteps.
There's going to be setbacks. To be honest with you is going
to feel like it's going to crumble right in front of you.
And it feels like as if you haveto rebuild again.
But you need to have some type of patience #2 let the adversity
fuel you, but you got to own your mistakes.
(09:58):
OK, I'll say that again. Let the adversity fuel you, but
you got to own your mistakes. I don't know who needs to hear
this but a lot of y'all. You can't move forward from the
situation because you blaming everybody else around you for
the shit that you did. You can't get over the obstacle
because you sitting there blaming everybody for putting
(10:20):
the obstacle in front of you. But it was you that caused it.
And because you cannot get past that, everywhere you go, you
make the exact same mistake overand over and over.
And guess what the fuck you do? You blame that person.
You blame that person. You blame that command, You
blame that boss. It's everyone else's fault.
(10:41):
But it's not yours. And it actually is.
It actually is your fault. When I got in JP, I spent a
month and a half blaming everybody else.
Everybody else from my shortcomings, for my lack of
judgment, for my missteps, when the reality was is that I was
(11:02):
the one to put myself in that position.
I shouldn't be in the position if I didn't want to be in it and
I shouldn't have put myself in it.
So when I finally owned my mistake, I man, when I finally
owned my mistake, brother, please understand, I became
unstoppable. But here's the thing though, is
that that adversity that comes in your life, you need to
(11:23):
understand that that can be somefuel.
All right. Every accomplishment that I had
after the after that NJP was because of the NJP.
No days off. I don't have the luxury, can't
afford to be in second place. I don't have the luxury.
I had that chip on my shoulder and it was constantly pushing me
forward. I strive for the best because I
(11:45):
knew what it was like to hit theground.
I kept moving forward because I knew what it was like to fall on
my face. So when I tell you, let the
adversity fuel you, but you got to own your mistakes #3 never
make yourself small. It's okay to be the best.
And I will say that again, nevermake yourself small.
(12:05):
It is okay to be the best. I cannot tell you how many times
I have come around people realize that they are fucking
losers. And because they are losers and
I am constantly winning, I felt bad for them.
And because I felt bad for them,I minimized my accomplishments.
I minimized my worth. I minimized who I was so that
(12:27):
way I wouldn't make them feel bad.
I turned down the lights on me so that way I wouldn't blind
them because I was shining too bright.
I don't know who needs to hear this.
It's OK to just be the best person in the world.
It's OK to be better than them. You don't got to make yourself
small so that way they can feel good.
Because I promise you this, theywill not turn down the lights so
(12:49):
that way you so you can see theyare not going to minimize their
accomplishments so you can feel better.
In fact, they will put them in your face.
In fact, they are have been secretly competing against you.
So when they do win and you don't, they are definitely going
to rub that in. So I I will say this OK because
I and when I say this please understand I'm not saying be
(13:12):
arrogant because I know it's a lot of y'all that like to say oh
be humble you know you always want to be humble.
Me personally not really a big fan of being humble.
I will always say this I am not about to make myself small so
that way you can feel better. You want to feel better than
beat me. If not then shut the fuck up and
move out of the way. It's OK to rebuild yourself and
(13:33):
fuck what they have to say. And I will say that again.
It is OK to rebuild yourself andfuck what they have to say.
A lot of y'all want to rebuild yourselves.
A lot of y'all are now in a space in your mind where you are
ready to take the next step or make some changes in your life
that would actually put you in abetter position.
But you won't because you are afraid that because of the
(13:56):
mistakes that you have previously made that you are not
worthy to make a change. You feel like people are always
going to judge you because of your past mistakes, that if you
tried to move forward with it then they were going to throw
that in your face. I will say this right now, it is
OK. You can rebuild.
Fuck what they have to say. I didn't become a podcaster
(14:18):
until I was a Sergeant. I did not become a publisher
author until I was a Sergeant. I did not get my shit together
until I was a Sergeant. OK, and what I mean getting my
shit together was IA top Marine 100%.
Was I outperforming everybody? 100%.
But I was a shitty husband, OK? I was a terrible father, all
right? I was a fucking alcoholic.
(14:38):
Behind closed doors. I was constantly falling apart.
In fact, right before I became me speaks, I had actually gotten
kicked out of a mess night because I showed up drunk and
disorderly and had to be removedbefore they even brought out the
beef. Pause.
So when I tell you that it is OKto rebuild yourself and fuck
(15:00):
what they have to say, I'm a living testament to that.
Because when I decided to get myshit together and stop doing
stuff like that, that means thatI stopped hanging out with
people that were drinking all the time.
I stopped engaging in gossip. I started spending more time
with my family. I started doing things that were
better for me that weren't better for everybody else.
A lot of people have to say havesomething to say about that.
(15:22):
When I started to rebuild myselfand I started to start putting
content out, people have stuff to say about that because they
were like, how can you say that?Well, you just got kicked out of
a mess night. How can you say that when you
out here fighting? How can you say that?
They they quit, man. And I'll say that right now
people go regardless, people aregoing to bring up what you did
wrong regardless of the situation.
(15:44):
They going to do that to rub it in your face.
They going to do that to try to hold you down.
They going to do that period. OK, One thing that you got to
understand people going to talk about you.
They going to talk about the good, they going to talk about
the bad and if they don't like you then guess what they always
going to talk bad about you. But here's the thing though, you
the one that's got to live this life, OK?
So if you are tired of doing thesame shit over and over and over
(16:07):
and receiving nothing and you want to make a change for
yourself, fuck what they got to say all right?
Because they not about to live your life.
People will let people love to talk shit about you and tell you
to and give you advice about something that they will never
do. OK, and I'll say that again,
people love to give you advice on some shit that they will
never do, tell you to do things that they will never do, tell
(16:28):
you how to live a life that theycould never be in.
So I will say this right now, it's OK to rebuild, to rebrand.
Fuck what they got to say #5 there is life after the Marine
Corps and you will always hold yourself back if you think that
there's not. It took me 2016 to figure that
(16:54):
out. I was a newly promoted Sergeant.
Well, I have probably been a Sergeant about a year at that
point. But at that point now I'm
thinking nothing but the Marine Corps, nothing but the Marine
Corps. I want to be staying in the
Marine Corps, possibly become a SAR major.
That's it. You know what I mean?
And I say that because it is so many Marines that this is all we
(17:14):
know. We ain't been to college, we
ain't we ain't been out in society.
So the fear of stepping away from the Marine Corps and
stepping into society is scary for a lot of people because it's
something that we have not experienced yet.
And a lot of people will put that off.
You know what I mean? We will put that off.
Spend 4 years not doing shit, eight years not doing shit, 10
(17:37):
years not doing shit, 20 years, you have all these military
accomplishments, but now when it's said and done, you ain't
really got shit to show for because you put that off.
And that's exactly where I was at in 2016.
I was faced with my real estate may not get approved.
I got to figure something out and that's when I realized there
(17:57):
is life after the Marine Corps, but you need to start creating
your plan now, and if you do notrealize that, you are going to
hurt yourself in the long run. I stepped away from the Marine
Corps. I started putting in job
applications. I got a call back from the
Greensboro Police Department. I also went to a job fair.
I did 7 interviews, 5 callbacks,3 offer me a supervisor role.
(18:20):
There's a life after the military.
The Marine Corps gives you way too many resources, tuitions,
assistance, your GI bill, the apprenticeship program.
What's that one thing skill bridge for you to already start
setting yourself up after the military?
To be honest with you, a lot of y'all can set it up while you're
in you family. You could already start creating
(18:41):
your exit plan while you're in. Am I promoting people to get out
of the military? No, what I am promoting is for
you to start setting yourself up.
Because when it's time for you to get out of the military, when
it's time for you to get out of the military, you need to be
stepping in, stepping away from one thing into another.
When I decided that I wanted to be a full time podcaster, that's
not something that I decided after the military.
(19:04):
I decided that halfway in my career, I wrote the book, I
started speaking, and I started putting all of my effort into
podcasting. Why?
Because this is something that Iwant to do once I get out.
And I know that if I start doingit now and I start building it
now, I start nourishing it now it can mature.
Why? I'm still in the military and
(19:25):
then I can transition out. Another reason why I say that
there is life after the militaryand if you do not realize that
it will hold you back and you will fuck yourself over is
because a lot of y'all feel likeyou have nothing left.
So you do shit that is out of desperation.
You quit to let your family down.
You quit to cut to hurt yourselfwhile you in the military.
(19:47):
And what I mean by that is, is that you will put the military
above your own personal well-being knowing that you
fucked up because you feel like there is nothing left.
I remember facing some type of adversity and saying, I'm like,
this is all I got. And my friend telling me, he
said, if this is all you got, man, like you really need to
start looking at other options. And he was saying that from a
(20:08):
space of there is life after this.
You cannot be sitting here thinking that this is all that
you got. This is a very minimum career.
The most that you're going to beable to do is 20 years.
If you're lucky, 22, If you're lucky, 24.
So there is life after the military.
Create your plan right now. And lastly, here's a bonus.
There's a big difference betweena rubber ball and a glass ball.
(20:30):
And some of y'all need to understand the difference.
So I'm driving in the car and I was listening to one of the guys
talk to the OPS chief and he wasexplaining something.
He said you know what, to be honest with you ma'am, is this a
rubber ball or a glass ball? And she's like what do you mean?
She was like is this something that needs to happen right now
or can we wait till later? And I was like, damn, that's
(20:51):
fire. And I asked him a little bit
about it and he said some thingsare rubber.
Like if you drop it, it could really, it will literally bounce
right back up. Some things are glass.
And if you drop it, that's it, it'll break.
I will tell you right now, your family is a glass ball.
Those major events in your personal life, those are glass
balls. Spending time with the Marines,
(21:14):
staying late, that's rubber. Those filled ups as rubber, some
things that you feel like you have to volunteer for, that's
rubber. They will always come back.
We hear it all the time. The Marine Corps will get their
time back. Well, if you know that they
about to get their time back, then why the fuck are you not
getting yours? So I will say this, understand
(21:35):
the difference between a rubber ball and a class ball because at
the end of the day, when you decide to EAS, when you decide
to get out, when you decide to retire, all right, you want to
have your family on the other side.
You want to have a career path on the other side.
You want to have your mental health on the other side.
(21:56):
Some things are just not negotiable.
So as we come to a close this up, So one thing that I want you
to do is take a moment and reflect on your career.
I don't care if it was a day, I don't care if it's been 20
years, but reflect on your career, the good, the bad, the
ugly things that you wish you could have changed, things that
you could change right now. And just like that, another
extraordinary thought left this ordinary mind.
(22:17):
I hope you enjoyed this episode half as much as I enjoyed making
it. Don't forget to head on over to
your favorite streaming platform, whether that's Apple
podcast or Spotify podcast, and leave this podcast an honest
review because this podcast deserves to grow just as much as
we do. Also, don't forget to head on
over to TikTok or Instagram and follow me at Meech speaks.
That's right, Meech speaks. Meech is spelled M EE Ch Stay
(22:40):
motivated, stay healthy. I'm out.
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