#UpgradeMe with Dana Leong

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 Zou

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#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.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Cliffhanger cold open
00:38 Welcome to #UpgradeMe
00:41 Figge intro
02:48 Kanye West Glow in the Dark Tour
11:11 The phone might stop ringing
12:07 Emmy nominations and VMAs
17:49 BAYC — best club on the internet
28:00 2020 Emmy for Unreal Engine XR stage
34:27 The CEO paradox
35:18 The $69 million JPEG at Christie's
1:01:08 Films aren't finished. They're abandoned.
1:03:12 White hat rescue — 29 Bored Apes, 2 CryptoPunks
1:09:33 Pressure is a privilege
1:11:27 9-minute mornings
1:12:07 RPM — Result Purpose Map

ABOUT FIGGE
CEO 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/B76Z1Pqt9Ws

Follow Figge: LinkedIn · X @mfigge · IG @mfigge · yuga.com

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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/UpgradeMePod

Join our communities online at:
Instagram: @UpgradeMePod
TikTok: @UpgradeMePod
Facebook: UpgradeMePod
YouTube: @UpgradeMePod
X: @PodUpgrade
LinkedIn: DanaLeong

Subscribe: 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/DafnisPrieto

Listen and watch everywhere:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@UpgradeMePod
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7JPSb9vRaEqHt39hWXBVOY
Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upgrademe-with-dana-leong/id1751136432
Patreon http://www.patreon.com/UpgradeMePod

Chapters:
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 alive
5:00 Why he always reminds himself of the reason he chose this life
10:20 Inner world vs outer world - separating frustration from purpose
14:45 What every world-class performer actually has in common
17:00 Born in Santa Clara - only child, divorced parents, a mom who said yes
22:30 From guitar to bongos - the House of Culture and a Cuban band
26:00 Eight years of classical training - Santa Clara to Havana's National School
30:15 The Big Bang - Carlos Masa, Hermeto Pascoal, and Ravi Shankar at 14
35:40 First tour at 18 - special school permit, Cuba straight to Paris
40:10 Getting paid in Cuba vs Paris - "a big whale and a sardine"
44:30 The assembly line story - trains, 30 seconds, and Cuban teamwork
51:20 The Village Voice era - how European bookers discovered New York artists
55:00 "If Jesus Christ was in Times Square nobody cares" - social media and the fake artist problem
1:00:10 Marketing vs selling your soul - the tension every serious artist lives with
1:05:30 Why live music still matters - Dana's mom at 80, Taiwan's National Concert Hall
1:10:00 Integrity as a total way of being
1:15:20 The hidden instruments - classical guitar, flamenco, marimba
1:19:45 Why Cuba produces champions - "you do twice the work"
1:23:30 The 24/7 conservatory - living inside the National School of Music
1:28:00 Getting out of Cuba - exit permits, bureaucracy, and the Stanford invitation
1:34:20 Cuba sent one guy - and they sent the right one
1:39:10 Cuban culture as the deep root
1:43:00 The global political climate and what it means for artists
1:47:00 "There is value in the objective but there is potential in the subjective"
1:51:00 Pancho Quinto - tradition as a point of departure
1:57:00 Learning English in New York - a notebook and self-teaching
2:01:00 Mentorship at Frost School - Marcelo Perez, Bob Moses, the drum quartet
2:07:00 Why Dafnis doesn't sign up for teaching - but gives it everything
2:12:00 The frying pan on the drum kit - carnival, sneaking out, Chinatown
2:18:00 Long-term musical relationships - what makes a real band
2:23:00 The social media dilemma - practice vs posting
2:29:00 Building character before the digital age - Coltrane, Chaplin
2:34:00 "Don't wait for anyone to make yourself poor"
2:38:00 Final words - if you have a dream, go for it

UpgradeMe 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 priority

• Creativity split into creating, editing, practice, and learning

• Business development as a weekly non‑negotiable

Along 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 MUD

Hollywood 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/@UpgradeMePod

• Support #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

Meet Gene Yu — Green Beret, counter-terror rescue lead, and the real-life action hero behind viral headlines in Asia. Nephew to Taiwan’s former president, he led special ops across Iraq, Southeast Asia and personally orchestrated a high-risk hostage rescue in the wilds of the Philippines.
What drives a warrior to risk everything for others? Discover the secrets of endurance, resilience and leadership from a man whose life reads like a Hollywood script (and yes, there’s a movie in the making).
Listen, comment and subscribe for inspiration on facing adversity, finding your mission and leveling up your own life.From West Point to leading cyber defense, discover how military grit translates into inspiring leadership in business and life.---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://www.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)#GeneYu #GreenBeret #WestPoint #RescueMission #Leadership #endurance #upgrademepod #upgradeu #馬英九