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