#UpgradeMe with Dana Leong

Dr. JT Love is back, one of the most popular guests of the whole #UpgradeMe run. He is professor emeritus at the UCLA School of Medicine, newly retired and now free to say exactly what he thinks. This time he is joined by relationship coach Rainbow Chen, who walked away from Stanford to build her own business and has run it for 17 years. Her mom still asks why she doesn't go back.This is Part 1, and it is about the family you grew up in. What Asian parents expect from their kids, why so many of us were raised to be doctors and what happens when you finally tell your parents who you are. Rainbow tells the story of asking her mom whether she really thought she was worthless, and the answer she got back. JT explains why passive aggression is the defense mechanism of choice, and Rainbow lays out her framework, Breaking Chains Without Breaking Ties: clarity, courage and confidence.Along the way: love languages, the 8 to 12 hugs a day you actually need, "knife tongue, tofu heart", Stanford's Touchy Feely class, rich people chess, kink, Burning Man and a three-way kiss that carries straight into Part 2.CHAPTERS00:00 Take your pants off slow00:41 Welcome back Dr. JT Love and Rainbow Chen01:08 Why JT came back01:38 Rainbow's path: career and relationships02:12 Leaving Stanford03:09 JT's retirement: TikTok, pickleball and reviews04:41 Free to say things after academia05:36 Cuddles, hugs and the world of kink06:51 Medical families and parent expectations07:37 "Why don't you go back to Stanford?"09:55 Being vulnerable with your parents10:57 Projection11:57 "I thought you said I was worthless"12:36 Generational patterns: knife tongue, tofu heart13:49 "My parents expected us to be doctors"14:44 JT's dad wanted him to be chair15:25 Kids nowadays16:13 Layers of communication16:40 Thinking before speaking at home18:04 Vulnerability and hypervigilance18:34 Love languages and four hugs a day19:21 Stanford's Touchy Feely and the tennis net20:30 JT's dad's Iowa study21:26 Asian vs Western parenting22:08 Passive aggression as a defense22:44 Rich people chess23:18 Living your parents' plan23:53 Breaking Chains Without Breaking Ties25:28 Your fears inventory26:19 CBT and the CCC26:53 Consistency and community27:15 Merging your parents' dream with your own28:04 What Rainbow hasn't told her parents28:58 Ethical non-monogamy and Burning Man29:55 The three-way kiss (continued in Pt 2)Guests: Dr. JT Love, professor emeritus, UCLA School of Medicine. Rainbow Chen, relationship coach.Welcome back to #UpgradeMe. It’s a podcast about the never ending self improvement journey, ideas and life hacks to help you level up and the people who make it happen! Hosted by Dana Leong, a 2x Grammy Winning Musician, a US Music Ambassador and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.Support #UpgradeMe:https://www.patreon.com/UpgradeMePodJoin our communities online at:https://www.Instagram.com/UpgradeMePod IGhttps://www.TikTok.com/@UpgradeMePod TIKTOKhttps://www.Facebook.com/UpgradeMePod FBhttps://www.Youtube.com/@upgrademepod YThttps://www.x.com/PodUpgrade Xhttps://www.Linkedin.com/in/DanaLeong LinkedInSubscribe to #UpgradeMePod:https://bit.ly/upgradeytsub#UpgradeMe is sponsored by https://www.TEKTONIKmusic.org (Harmony Heals)#UpgradeMe #Upgraders #UpgradeU #DrJTLove #RainbowChen #AsianParents #LoveLanguages #Relationships #Communication #MotivationalPodcast

The fear worth talking about is not the one in the dark room. It is the one that arrives on a Tuesday afternoon when nothing is wrong at all, the quiet voice telling you that you already peaked and everything from here is downhill.Dana Leong has faced that one twice at full size. Once at nineteen with nothing to lose, living on thirty dollars a week in Harlem after walking away from a working career in San Francisco. Once with everything to lose, taking ten thousand dollars and a plane ticket to Shanghai while every advisor he had told him he was insane. Both times the people he trusted most told him not to do it. One of those times they were right, and this is the first time he has laid out exactly where he got it wrong.In this one: the professor who told him he was the most talented person in the school and that being talented was not a plan. The 60 second business card machine on Broadway and 101st. The potato sandwich. Boys' Harbor and the who's who of Latin pop. Getting in the air on a rope with a stunt company months from folding. Filling in other people's paperwork and winning a United States Musical Ambassador title with it. Two years alone in the mountains of Japan, and the review date he never set.It ends with five moves you can use on an ordinary weekday, and one assignment that takes about ninety seconds.CHAPTERS00:00 The Mask00:22 Dana On Luther Vandross Comedy01:38 The Real Question02:48 Welcome and Thank You for 100K03:19 Nineteen Ninety Nine05:52 The Business Cards08:59 Commodities11:51 The Aerial Turnaround14:06 The Ambassador Audition16:24 Twenty Fifteen20:43 The Mountains23:08 The One I Got Wrong24:20 The Five Moves25:54 The Next Chapter26:48 Your One Thing This WeekTHE FIVE MOVES1. Buy commodities, not snacks2. Decide before the clock starts3. Do the unglamorous part nobody else will do4. If you believe in it, get in the air, do not advise from the ground5. Set a date to review the decisionMentioned in this episode: David Taylor, Josh Cohen, Steven Oquendo, Boys' Harbor, The Roots, Wetlands, Common, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Robert Glasper, the Soulquarians, Four Seasons, Christian Howes, Lewis Howes.Hosted by Dana Leong, a 2x Grammy Winning Musician, a US Music Ambassador and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.Support #UpgradeMe: https://www.patreon.com/UpgradeMePodSubscribe: https://bit.ly/upgradeytsub#UpgradeMe is sponsored by https://www.TEKTONIKmusic.org (Harmony Heals)

Welcome back to #UpgradeMe. It's a podcast about the never ending self improvement journey, ideas and life hacks to help you level up and the people who make it happen! Hosted by Dana Leong, a 2x Grammy Winning Musician, a US Music Ambassador and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.Episode 026 is the first #UpgradeMe live stream, recorded the day the show crossed 100,000 subscribers. What does it actually take to grow a show past that number without chasing every new feature that comes out? Dana opens with the milestone, takes a live Q&A, runs a full highlights review and walks through the prompt book of AI tools and tricks he actually uses day to day. He gets into the health side too: cutting back on alcohol, what sleep tracking apps taught him about recovery time and the mental side of an old touring injury that still shows up as tension. Going Tim Ferriss style, he shares recent reads including Georges St-Pierre's memoir The Way of the Fight, Robert Wright's Why Buddhism Is True, a Tupac Shakur biography by Jeff Pearlman and Arnold Schwarzenegger's Be Useful, and announces an AI prompt book of his own landing before Christmas. He reacts to creators including Lucas Popan and Claire Zou, then spends the back half on who influenced him: mentors like bass trombonist David Taylor, educator Justin DiCioccio and YouTube and Google Studios executive Dorian Stone, plus the business, creative and spiritual influences that shaped how he works. He closes with a discernment lesson: you do not need every new feature to make great work, you just need to know what you actually need. Chapters:0:00 Welcome and celebrating 100K subscribers 1:12 The "what should I ask" framework 2:03 The weekly time question that reveals everything 4:27 Dana's own health and creativity priorities 6:08 Filtering AI tools and ditching doomscrolling 7:36 Chasing consistent energy through health 8:43 Drinking less and what sleep tracking apps revealed 10:20 An old tour injury and the mind body link to stress 12:08 The Asian Joe Rogan and Tim Ferriss comparisons 14:10 Podcast pace, burnout and wanting a next gear 15:02 Catching guests at the Singapore Grand Prix 15:26 Splitting life between Taiwan and Shanghai 16:23 The struggle to keep finding world class guests 17:00 Why this episode is a retrospective, not a new interview 18:03 Life in circles, not levels 18:38 Favorite sources, Tim Ferriss style 19:07 Georges St-Pierre's The Way of the Fight 22:38 Robert Wright's Why Buddhism Is True 25:04 Tupac, Schwarzenegger and skepticism on diet books 28:14 Announcing the upcoming AI prompt book 32:02 Livestream tech setup and learning as he goes 32:35 Three creators who inspired Dana lately 40:54 Why community and guests make the show work 42:11 Mentor spotlights: David Taylor, Justin DiChiera and Dorian Stone 56:19 Business, creatives and forgiving mistakes 59:25 Michael Jackson's legacy and the Shazam habit 1:02:24 Legal mentors, spirituality and prompting AI as Buddha 1:07:43 Closing thoughts and sign off Mentioned in this episode: @timferriss @joerogan @schwarzenegger @hubermanlab Georges St-Pierre Robert Wright Tupac Shakur Jeff Pearlman Jordan Peterson David Taylor Justin DiCioccio Dorian Stone Lucas Popan Claire ZouSupport #UpgradeMe: https://www.patreon.com/UpgradeMePod Join our communities online at:https://www.Instagram.com/UpgradeMePod IG https://www.TikTok.com/@UpgradeMePod TIKTOK https://www.Facebook.com/UpgradeMePod FB https://www.Youtube.com/@UpgradeMePod YT https://www.x.com/PodUpgrade X https://www.Linkedin.com/in/DanaLeong LinkedIn Subscribe to #UpgradeMePod:https://bit.ly/upgradeytsub #UpgradeMe is sponsored by https://www.TEKTONIKmusic.org (Harmony Heals) #UpgradeMe #UpgradeMePod #100K #Podcast #LiveStream #DanaLeong #SelfImprovement #Discernment #TimFerriss #JoeRogan #GeorgesStPierre #ArnoldSchwarzenegger #AndrewHuberman #TupacShakur #RobertWright

100,000 Lessons from #UpgradeMe: 3 Seasons, 6 Truths.** #UpgradeMe just crossed 100,000 subscribers on YouTube, and this episode is Dana's unboxing of the Silver Play Button and a reflection on six truths three seasons of the show have taught him, including the real story of how the show's very first guest, Cung Le, came together over a sushi bar and a 5am text. Plus a look back at ten unforgettable moments from guests including Gene Yu, Bunty Bohra, Nathan East, Justin BUA, DJ Qbert, Eric Liu, Dr. Ta-Lin Hsu, Minami, Tan Le and Cung Le.

Why is Yuga Labs' CEO the same guy who produced Lady Gaga's Super Bowl halftime?Figge went from co-founding POSSIBLE (creative studio behind arena tours for Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney and 200 other arena shows) to a 2020 Emmy for the world's first Unreal Engine extended reality stage. Then he created WENEW with Beeple. Then four C-suite roles at Yuga Labs in under four years, now CEO of the company behind Bored Ape Yacht Club, CryptoPunks, and Beeple's HUMAN ONE.In this episode of #UpgradeMe with Dana Leong, Figge walks through the white hat rescue of millions of dollars in NFTs (29 Bored Apes and 2 CryptoPunks), leadership upgrades, why he hires for curiosity over pedigree, and transitioning to running one of the world's largest digitalized art clubs: Yuga Labs.CHAPTERS00:00 Cliffhanger cold open00:38 Welcome to #UpgradeMe00:41 Figge intro02:48 Kanye West Glow in the Dark Tour11:11 The phone might stop ringing12:07 Emmy nominations and VMAs17:49 BAYC — best club on the internet28:00 2020 Emmy for Unreal Engine XR stage34:27 The CEO paradox35:18 The $69 million JPEG at Christie's1:01:08 Films aren't finished. They're abandoned.1:03:12 White hat rescue — 29 Bored Apes, 2 CryptoPunks1:09:33 Pressure is a privilege1:11:27 9-minute mornings1:12:07 RPM — Result Purpose MapABOUT FIGGECEO of Yuga Labs (BAYC, CryptoPunks, Meebits, Otherside, HUMAN ONE). Rose through four C-suite roles in under four years. Co-founder of POSSIBLE, the creative design studio behind 200+ arena-scale shows including Lady Gaga Super Bowl LI halftime, VMAs, Coachella, and tours for Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Paul McCartney, Childish Gambino. 2020 Emmy for the world's biggest extended reality stage on Unreal Engine. Lead creative on Louis Vuitton's "Louis The Game." Co-founded WENEW with Beeple and Guy Oseary in 2021.Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/B76Z1Pqt9WsFollow Figge: LinkedIn · X @mfigge · IG @mfigge · yuga.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Welcome back to #UpgradeMe. It's a podcast about the never ending self improvement journey, ideas and life hacks to help you level up and the people who make it happen! Hosted by Dana Leong, a 2x Grammy Winning Musician, US Music Ambassador and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.Support #UpgradeMe: patreon.com/UpgradeMePodJoin our communities online at:Instagram: @UpgradeMePodTikTok: @UpgradeMePodFacebook: UpgradeMePodYouTube: @UpgradeMePodX: @PodUpgradeLinkedIn: DanaLeongSubscribe: bit.ly/upgradeytsub#UpgradeMe is sponsored by TEKTONIKmusic.org (Harmony Heals)

What does it take to go from sneaking into rumba rehearsals as a kid in Santa Clara, Cuba, to becoming arguably the greatest living drummer on earth?Dafnis Prieto is a Grammy Award winner, MacArthur "Genius" Fellow and one of the most gifted drummers alive. On faculty at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, he has three self-published books studied worldwide. Host Dana Leong has known him personally since Dana was 15 and Dafnis was 21. This is the conversation we've been waiting 30 years to have.Follow Dafnis: https://www.dafnisonmusic.com | https://linktr.ee/DafnisPrietoListen and watch everywhere:YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@UpgradeMePodSpotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7JPSb9vRaEqHt39hWXBVOYApple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upgrademe-with-dana-leong/id1751136432Patreon http://www.patreon.com/UpgradeMePodChapters:0:00 Cold open - "I'm going to become the healthiest person that ever died"2:15 Meet Dafnis Prieto - Grammy winner, MacArthur Genius, arguably the greatest drummer alive5:00 Why he always reminds himself of the reason he chose this life10:20 Inner world vs outer world - separating frustration from purpose14:45 What every world-class performer actually has in common17:00 Born in Santa Clara - only child, divorced parents, a mom who said yes22:30 From guitar to bongos - the House of Culture and a Cuban band26:00 Eight years of classical training - Santa Clara to Havana's National School30:15 The Big Bang - Carlos Masa, Hermeto Pascoal, and Ravi Shankar at 1435:40 First tour at 18 - special school permit, Cuba straight to Paris40:10 Getting paid in Cuba vs Paris - "a big whale and a sardine"44:30 The assembly line story - trains, 30 seconds, and Cuban teamwork51:20 The Village Voice era - how European bookers discovered New York artists55:00 "If Jesus Christ was in Times Square nobody cares" - social media and the fake artist problem1:00:10 Marketing vs selling your soul - the tension every serious artist lives with1:05:30 Why live music still matters - Dana's mom at 80, Taiwan's National Concert Hall1:10:00 Integrity as a total way of being1:15:20 The hidden instruments - classical guitar, flamenco, marimba1:19:45 Why Cuba produces champions - "you do twice the work"1:23:30 The 24/7 conservatory - living inside the National School of Music1:28:00 Getting out of Cuba - exit permits, bureaucracy, and the Stanford invitation1:34:20 Cuba sent one guy - and they sent the right one1:39:10 Cuban culture as the deep root1:43:00 The global political climate and what it means for artists1:47:00 "There is value in the objective but there is potential in the subjective"1:51:00 Pancho Quinto - tradition as a point of departure1:57:00 Learning English in New York - a notebook and self-teaching2:01:00 Mentorship at Frost School - Marcelo Perez, Bob Moses, the drum quartet2:07:00 Why Dafnis doesn't sign up for teaching - but gives it everything2:12:00 The frying pan on the drum kit - carnival, sneaking out, Chinatown2:18:00 Long-term musical relationships - what makes a real band2:23:00 The social media dilemma - practice vs posting2:29:00 Building character before the digital age - Coltrane, Chaplin2:34:00 "Don't wait for anyone to make yourself poor"2:38:00 Final words - if you have a dream, go for itUpgradeMe is hosted by Dana Leong, a 2x Grammy Winning Musician, US Music Ambassador and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. Sponsored by https://www.TEKTONIKmusic.org (Harmony Heals).

If you’ve ever said “I just need more time,” this episode is for you.Dana Leong shares how a weird orchestra dream, a move to Asia, and a market‑entry consultant led him to a three‑block system for his life:Health as the first priorityCreativity split into creating, editing, practice, and learningBusiness development as a weekly non‑negotiableAlong the way he pulls lessons from Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, Mozart’s morning routine, Bach’s weekly cantata grind, Steve Jobs’ walking meetings, and even Bryan Johnson’s “discipline over motivation” philosophy.This is a practical conversation about designing your days so you don’t rely on inspiration or vibes to get important work done.Listen, take notes, and build your own three‑block system.Follow / Subscribe: @UpgradeMePod

**This Episode is for entertainment purposes only, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions regarding a medical condition. **💔 Is it love? Or just dopamine with bad lighting?This Valentine's Day special hits DIFFERENT. Dr. John Tsuang aka JT Love (addiction psychiatrist / human behavior decoder) joins Dana to break down:✅ Why your "situationship" is a case study✅ The 50/50 gene-environment split on addiction✅ Why rebounds are basically relationship relapses✅ How to NOT marry the first fish you pull out of the MUDHollywood lied. Love does NOT conquer all. But compatibility? That's the real MVP.Hide your exes. This one's gonna sting (in the best way).#UpgradeMe #DrJTLove #ValentinesDay #Relationships #AddictionScience #Podcast

Dana Leong travels to Hangzhou to join NBA legend Yao Ming for his annual charity basketball weekend—and to find out how Yao turned fame into a platform for rural education, youth sports, and real opportunity. From gala stages to courtside commentary and a powerful moment with a young player on a prosthetic leg, this conversation is a masterclass in quiet, compounding impact.​​Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UpgradeMePodSupport #UpgradeMe on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/UpgradeMePod#UpgradeMe #YaoMing #Basketball #China #SportsForGood #Inspiration

AI isn’t just a buzzword anymore, it’s quietly wiring itself into every building, airport, and city on the planet. Eric Liu is one of the people actually doing it. As Founder & CEO of TwinMatrix Technologies and a World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer, he builds spatial digital twins that turn real-world spaces into living, intelligent systems.​In this episode, Eric breaks down what digital twins really are, how they helped major infrastructure like airports cut costs and improve safety, and why AI “right now is the worst it will ever be”—because it’s getting better every single day. He also shares how to stay relevant when tech feels like a runaway train, and what skills, mindsets, and habits will matter most in the next 5–10 years.​​Whether you’re a founder, student, city builder, or just AI-curious, this conversation will help you stop feeling behind—and start seeing where your real opportunities are.In this episode:What a “spatial digital twin” is in plain language and why cities and airports are racing to build them​How Eric went from NVIDIA and gaming to smart cities, simulation, and infrastructure​​Why data is the new oil—and how AI turns it into real-time decisions that save money and even lives​How to adapt when AI keeps getting better every dayWhat to focus on if you feel you’re “falling behind” in techIf this episode sparks something in you, comment with your biggest insight, share it with a friend who needs to hear it, and subscribe for more deep dives with world-changing builders.----Welcome back to #UpgradeMe. It’s a podcast about the never ending self improvement journey, ideas and life hacks to help you level up and the people who make it happen! Hosted by Dana Leong, a 2x Grammy Winning Musician, a US Music Ambassador and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. Support #UpgradeMe:https://www.patreon.com/UpgradeMePod⁠ Join our communities online at:https://www.Instagram.com/UpgradeMePod IGhttps://www.TikTok.com/@UpgradeMePod TIKTOKhttps://www.Facebook.com/UpgradeMePod FBhttps://www.Youtube.com/@UpgradeMePod⁠ YT⁠https://x.com/PodUpgrade⁠ X⁠https://www.Linkedin.com/in/DanaLeong LinkedInSubscribe to Upgrade Me: https://bit.ly/upgradeytsub#UpgradeMe is sponsored by https://www.TEKTONIKmusic.org (Harmony Heals)#TwinMatrix #Motivation #CEO #MarkZuckerberg #Apple #ElonMusk