Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test Jovon Q. Quarles on Quitting, Love & Real Connection (S2, Ep 9)

Real connection is about choosing growth, accountability, and peace, even when quitting feels easier.

In this episode of The Real Connect Podcast, Tamika Carlton sits down with Jovon “Q” Quarles. A retired Navy SEAL, public speaker, and cast member on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test for a real conversation about love, leadership, trauma, and the kind of resilience you only earn.

Jovon opens up about finding peace in his relationship with his fiancée. He shares the truth about growing up with a mother struggling with addiction, being raised by a village led by his grandmother, and how that upbringing shaped his trust, dating patterns, and identity as a man.

They also get into the moment Jovon quit during SEAL training. Why he rang the bell, how regret hit instantly, and what it took to come back and graduate not only as a SEAL, but as Honor Graduate—twice. Tamika and Jovon discuss the difference between motivation and inspiration, why humility is required to evolve, and how vulnerability becomes strength when your life is on the line.

What You Will Hear About:

1. Why men often “know she’s the one”

2. How your upbringing can shape attachment, trust, and your life in relationships

3. The moment Jovon quit during Hell Week and what it taught him about regret and resilience

4. What Hell Week is really like (and why most people still have more in the tank than they think)

5. The difference between motivation and inspiration, and how to build a vision that carries you

6. Why humility is the entry point to becoming a better leader (and why celebrities struggle with it on Special Forces)

7. The reality of the SEAL team brotherhood, trust, and responsibility

8. Why vulnerability is a core part of military culture even for the most “emotionally controlled” men

8. Tamika’s challenge to Jovon

9. Jovon’s upcoming book, Why Not Me, and the mindset behind building a life you didn’t grow up with

🔗 Watch, subscribe, and share this episode if it reminded you that relationships still sit at the center of every opportunity.

Connect with Jovon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jovonpquarles

Connect with Tamika on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamika_carltonjbp.

Join The Connect—a free weekly newsletter with real insights on everything relationships! https://www.tamikacarlton.com/newsletter

Visit Tamika's: https://www.tamikacarlton.com to stay connected.

00:00 Knowing When She's the One

00:14 Family Struggles and Support

00:34 Military Life and Brotherhood

01:20 Welcome to the Real Connect Podcast

01:53 Life in South Africa and Beyond

04:03 Engagement and Love Story

08:50 Childhood and Upbringing

14:22 Joining the Military

17:02 Navy SEAL Journey

23:13 Hell Week and Overcoming Challenges

28:52 Standing Out in Navy SEAL Training

30:42 Inspiration and Motivation

35:16 Reinventing After Retirement

37:40 Special Forces: World's Toughest Test

42:21 The Importance of Team Camaraderie

45:40 Vulnerability and Emotional Control

52:59 Personal Reflections and Future Goals

56:26 Speed Round and Final Thoughts

#TheRealConnectPodcast #RealConnection #EmotionalResilience #HealthyMasculinity #PersonalGrowth #LeadershipMindset #TamikaCarlton #JovonQQuarles