Upbuilding The Self

Updated: 18 Aug 2025 • 92 episodes
www.upbuild.com

Two former monks, a former startup founder/CEO, and a former equity derivatives trader dive into how to be our best selves, free from the ego. Our egos are the identities we create for ourselves and wish the world to validate, but when we are not seen as we want to be, we feel insecure. This podcast lives at the intersection of leadership and spirituality. It will help you understand your ego and shed light on your inner world so that you can act with greater clarity, compassion, and the freedom to be your best self.

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18 Aug 2025 • EN

The Ego Trap of Parenting

Carl Jung famously stated, "The greatest burden a child must bear is the unlived life of its parents." In this episode, Michael, Rasanath, and Vipin explore the connection between ego and parenting, and how unresolved ambitions, unmet needs, and unconscious identities quietly influence the way we raise our children. Th

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In Part 2, Hari Prasada and Rasanath vividly share what it was like in the heat of the moment distributing books in the streets and subways of New York City. They open up more about pivotal struggles they faced, including feeling humiliation and imposter syndrome, and how letting go in the spirit of service made room f

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If you’ve spent time in New York City, or many other cities around the world, you’ve likely seen monks on street corners or in subways, holding out books and trying to spark conversations. This sacred practice is known as Book Distribution. In this episode, Hari Prasada and Rasanath share what it was like to engage in

46 min
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Each of us is wired with a specific hierarchy of three core instinctual drives, shaping how we move through the world. The Instincts (sometimes referred to as Instinctual Variants) is part of the Enneagram framework and plays a powerful role in how our personalities form. One Instinct tends to dominate and demands most

79 min
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Many of us pride ourselves on our ability to compartmentalize. We like to keep our personal and professional lives separate, push aside difficult emotions, and stay productive in the face of whatever comes our way. But what if this “skill” we value so highly is quietly cutting us off from our own hearts? In this episod

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Most of us are terrible at feedback. It’s awkward, forced, or worse, completely ineffective. In this episode, Michael, Hari, and Vipin break down why that is and how to fix it. They draw from their own journeys at places like McKinsey, MTV, Goldman Sachs, and Upbuild to show how feedback can be an act of ego…or a gatew

68 min
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