Upbuilding The Self

One-on-one meetings are an unavoidable cornerstone of work life, yet many of us find it challenging to lead or engage in them effectively. In this episode, Michael, Rasanath, and Vipin share insights on transforming these meetings from transactional encounters into opportunities for authentic connection and enhanced productivity. They examine the transformative role of psychological safety and ego-awareness, showing how these elements lay the groundwork for strong, effective workplace relationships. Covering practical essentials, common pitfalls, and the often-overlooked power of alignment and clarity, this episode offers actionable strategies for leaders and employees to elevate their one-on-ones—and, ultimately, their workplace culture.

Links:
Upbuild Coaching Training (six-month program, starts October 19th)
Enneagram Workshop (October 4-5, 2025)
Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

My ego drives me to achieve, and if I were to give up my ego, wouldn't I also be giving up that drive and all my future successes?

With this prompt as the starting point, Vipin, Rasanath, and Michael dive into the nuanced relationship between the ego and ambition, exploring whether our quest for success is truly driven by the ego – or if there's a deeper force at play. Drawing on timeless teachings from Eastern wisdom, particularly the Bhagavad-gita, the hosts examine how the ego shapes our desires, motivations, and definitions of success. Through candid personal stories, philosophical insights, and practical reflections, they challenge the idea that surrendering the ego means surrendering ambition. Instead, they offer fresh perspectives on how aligning with the true self can lead to more authentic, fulfilling achievements.

Links:
Upbuild Coaching Training (six-month program, starts October 19th)
Enneagram Workshop (October 4-5, 2025)
Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

Time is the most valuable resource in the world. And yet, most of us are not so great at managing it.
In this episode, Michael, Hari and Vipin delve into the relationship between time management and the ego. They share the principles on which they base their philosophies for time management, along with tips and tricks for productivity. They emphasize how effective time management is deeply tied to understanding one's core values and how the ultimate goal of these practices is to facilitate the journey towards becoming one's most authentic self.

Links:
Upbuild Coaching Training (six-month program, starts October 19th)
Enneagram Workshop (October 4-5, 2025)
Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

It’s November 2010 on the Goldman Sachs trading floor in New York City. Just two years removed from the depths of the Global Financial Crisis, but you would never know it. The stock market has nearly doubled in the last 18 months, the Federal Reserve has freshly announced its second round of Quantitative Easing, and it feels like one big party on Wall Street. [from the opening paragraph of the article, Trading Derivatives and the Shame-Based Fear of Being Ordinary]. 

In this episode, Hari interviews Michael on the reflection Michael wrote sharing his experiences on the trading floor. They discuss the insatiable need for admiration, shame as a fuel, our loss of freedom, how to be humble, the movement toward authenticity, and how to overcome the shame-based fear of being ordinary.

Links:
Upbuild Coaching Training (six-month program, starts October 19th)
Enneagram Workshop (October 4-5, 2025)
Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

As Rasanath shares in this episode, “Walking through our shame is the deepest experience of authenticity.” But what does it really mean to “walk through our shame” and how does one actually do that? In this episode, Michael and Rasanath do a deep dive into the emotion of shame and how it is impacting all of our lives in both big and subtle ways. They explore the nature of shame, its origins, and its complex role in our daily lives and relationships. They shed light on how shame fuels our actions, the internal struggle it creates, and the transformative journey from shame to humility. They also share strategies to confront and carry shame—an essential step towards achieving authenticity and higher consciousness.

Links:
Upbuild Coaching Training (six-month program, starts October 19th)
Enneagram Workshop (October 4-5, 2025)
Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

Do you like being held accountable? Do you like holding others accountable? In this episode, Vipin, Hari Prasada, and Rasanath delve into different aspects of accountability. They explore the often anxiety-inducing way that accountability is viewed, how it can be misapplied,  what makes for a more empowering approach, and the need for partnership in the process. This episode will help increase your desire for accountability and counter the strong tendency toward its avoidance.

Links:
Upbuild Coaching Training (six-month program, starts October 19th)
Enneagram Workshop (October 4-5, 2025)
Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

Whether we are writing birthday cards, telling somebody how we feel about them, or giving a speech at a funeral, most of us find ourselves trying to say the “right” thing,” rather than what we actually feel. In this episode, Michael, Hari Prasada, and Rasanath discuss the importance of genuinely connecting with our emotions, the cost of saying the right things without feeling them, and the tendency to prioritize efficiency over authentic emotional expression. Through personal anecdotes and practical frameworks, they explore how to reconnect with our heart and its emotions, providing actionable steps to lead a more fulfilling and empathic life.

Links:
Upbuild Coaching Training (six-month program, starts October 19th)
Enneagram Workshop (October 4-5, 2025)
Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

At Upbuild, mantra meditation is the centerpiece of our meditation practice. In this episode, Hari Prasada leads a mantra meditation using a very simple and sacred syllable: Ram. This syllable is very absorbing, has a strong resonance in the body, and brings a deep connection to ourselves and to our source. As yogis and sages have been doing for ages, when we ground the mind with a mantra, it's incredible the treasure that can be attained. 

Links:
Upbuild Coaching Training (six-month program, starts October 19th)
Enneagram Workshop (October 4-5, 2025)
Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

At Upbuild, meditation is our core practice to help us move away from the ego and toward the self. In this episode, Hari Prasada leads a 20-minute guided meditation to help you become present with your breath and the three centers of intelligence: the head, the heart, and the body.

Links:
Upbuild Coaching Training (six-month program, starts October 19th)
Enneagram Workshop (October 4-5, 2025)
Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild

With 50 years and more than 35,000 hours of meditation experience among them, Hari Prasada, Rasanath, and Vipin, dive into the topic of meditation. They discuss the definition of meditation, why it’s so important to control the mind, why it’s becoming more popular these days, and the numerous non-spiritual benefits of meditation, including calmness, focus, clarity, and productivity. They also look at how meditation has been misappropriated and share the deepest purpose of meditation, which explains all of the other health benefits for which people are using.

Links:
Upbuild Coaching Training (six-month program, starts October 19th)
Enneagram Workshop (October 4-5, 2025)
Upbuild Website

Instagram: @upbuildnyc
Facebook: Upbuild
LinkedIn: Upbuild