He had a brain tumor and got fired as Soulja Boy's cameraman. He still believes he's on a winning streak

Controlling one's mindset is one of the best skills an individual can have. Charlie Jabaley (@charlie), widely known as Charlie Rocket, is an award-winning former music executive, Nike athlete, philanthropist, and keynote speaker. He recently appeared on Julian Dorey's podcast on July 31, 2026, to talk about his "winning streak." Rocket has gone through several trials and tribulations, including being diagnosed with a brain tumor and getting fired as Soulja Boy's cameraman, but he claimed, "I've actually never had anything bad happen to me." The video received 1.8 million views, 114,000 likes, and 2,059 comments.

'I'm just human'

Rocket explained why he said he'd never had anything bad happen to him. "I had a brain tumor; it made me a Nike athlete. I got fired from being Soulja Boy's cameraman. My girlfriend broke up with me; she kind of was toxic... I found a way better one." He also spoke about personal losses, such as losing his grandparents. But Rocket's silver lining was that they're still guiding and blessing him. However, he does clarify that he's only human. "I do throw my tantrum. I am human. Let's be very clear, I'm extremely emotional."

What's a 'winning streak'?

Rocket spoke about how the majority tend to get stuck in a "perpetual vortex loop of thinking about the bad things," and sadly, some people get stuck in this thought pattern their entire lives. He compared it to a bad song. Nobody wants to listen to a bad song on replay. To get out of that mindset, he explained his thought process: "I don't want to play a bad song. Let me turn that off. What's a good song?"

Rocket further explained that he believed he's on a "winning streak." He does not need a million-dollar mansion or an expensive sports car to "win." A good cup of coffee, a loving girlfriend, healthy parents- all of these count as Rocket's "winning streaks." Even if something bad happened to him, he believed that the ability to find a win out of a negative situation contributes to his winning streak. He made two L's with his thumb and index finger, then asked Dorey what they were. Dorey responded, "A 'W.' To prove his point, Rocket concluded, "Two L's make a W. I can't lose."

Casino analogy

What Rocket said is backed by science as well. A study by Sonja Lyubomirsky revealed that happy people tend to have better relationships, higher income, and better work performance. It also showed that positive emotions helped people succeed. Another study by Lahnna I. Catalino also found that people who make room for positive experiences tend to be happier in their daily lives. Making conscious choices that would bring positivity into one's life can improve their overall well-being.

Lastly, a study by James H. Fowler and Nicholas A. Christakis discovered that being surrounded by happy people impacts an individual's happiness level. Living close (within a mile) to a happy friend can improve one's happiness by 25%. Not taking the miles literally, being surrounded by happy and positive people can attract a lot of good things into one's life. Rocket used a casino analogy to explain it. People swarm around someone who keeps winning at craps, drawn to their energy, but distance themselves from someone who loses constantly.

Mind mastery

Many were inspired by Rocket's perspective on being a winner with a winning streak. @danietheempress commented, "Change your mindset, and watch your life change." @kayla__lockhart shared, "Wise words that stood with me from my grandpa 'it’s not happening to you, it’s happening for you.' You just have to believe it and live it."

You can follow Charlie Rocket (@charlie) on Instagram for more inspiring content.

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