Upgrade Thought

Pre-order Raising Resilience In print https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Resilience-Children-Thrive-Uncertainty/dp/0063286564 Or audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0C4VC1DDB?source_code=ASSORAP0511160007 Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought!  In this episode, I will be speaking with Dr. Tovah Klein. Dr. Klein is the director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development (generally referred to as the “Toddler Center”), and teaches a full-year course at Barnard on toddler development. Additionally, she is a respected author of multiple parenting books: she published her first book, How Toddlers Thrive,  in 2014 and will be coming out with her second book, Raising Resilience, on September 3rd. In this conversation, we discuss the newer of these two books. Expect to learn how Dr. Klein defines resilience; whether it takes tragedy to build resilience; how children can build a sense of agency; why being a perfect parent is not only unattainable, but undesirable; why praising children might unintentionally harm their mindset; what the phrase “less is more” means in the context of parenting; what research on attachment theory has to say about how parents should treat their kids, and more.    If you like what you hear, you can preorder Dr. Klein’s book using the link in the show description. I highly recommend it, and can only imagine how impactful this information would be to someone who is actually a parent!  And now, without further ado, enjoy the show!

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought!  In this episode, I will be speaking with Shlomo Meisels. Shlomo is the CEO and founder of SM Staffing, a recruiting agency that matches businesses with potential employees, as well as providing career and entrepreneurship coaching. Expect to hear how Shlomo founded and built this business; what he considers the hardest aspect of his job; what his advice is on how to discover a career path that excites you; how to ace a job interview; how NOT to ace a job interview; what employers get wrong when evaluating potential new hires; how to become a better networker; how basketball is similar to business; what the sages say is the first question Jewish people get asked in the next life; and more.  Enjoy the show!

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! In this episode, I will be speaking with Lucas Cohen.  Lucas is so passionate about MMA that he has an MMA betting group and podcast (Counterpunch Podcast). In this conversation, we discuss these entrepreneurial pursuits, his journey growing Counterpunch to over 10k followers on Instagram, and what makes a great sportscaster. Additionally, Lucas shares his opinion on the best knockouts of all time, how he deals with the death threats he has gotten as a result of “playing with people’s money,” what he thinks is the best martial art for self defense, how the UFC should pay their fighters, and more.  Enjoy the show 

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought!  Today, I will be speaking with my good friend, Miles Segal. Miles just finished his first year at Deep Springs, the smallest college in America, with an undergraduate student body of 28. Deep Springs offers a liberal arts education in philosophy and classics literature on a cattle range in the middle of…California. Expect to learn why he would subject himself to an educational style that seems, to the average 18-year-old, like pure torture; what the experience at this school consists of; and why he ultimately chose to drop out. Additionally, we explore a variety of questions regarding the efficacy of the education system; what semiconductor chips are, how they are made, and why our economy is so reliant upon them; and last (but certainly not least), why Miles is an anarchist. Miles is one of the smartest, most intellectually curious people I know. His interests are broad and unconfined, ranging from technology, to economics, to math, to politics, to bicycle tinkering. Therefore, speaking with him is always both enjoyable and intellectually engaging. I hope you will feel the same way about this discussion.  Now, without further ado, enjoy the show!  0:00 Dropping out 6:00 Deep Springs 14:00 Doing vs Reflecting 15:20 Semiconductors 22:07 illiterate.ai 23:03 Ultrasound 23:45 Is Miles uncomfortable with the idea of dropping out? 26:45 What is going on with academia? 40:50 One way to find your passion 45:50 Going three weeks without looking at a screen 55:10 Artificial Intelligence 1:00:00 Anarcho-capitalism

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought!  In this episode, Bennett Santora and I explore the significance of small milestones; the definition of reasoning skills; the role of axiomatic “first principles” in moral/philosophical reasoning; key economic assumptions; using everyday struggles as forces that drive personal growth; and more.  Enjoy the show!

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, I will be speaking with Daniel Sokolovsky. Danny has lived in 5 countries in the last 7 years, coaching basketball at the professional level. In this episode, expect to hear all about his experiences coaching high-level athletes around the world, what it was like to take a head coaching job at age 27, his mindset for navigating the extreme pressures of coaching, the acronym he uses to stay present, how reading about seemingly unrelated topics makes him better at his job, how living in so many different places has changed his perspective on life, the sacrifices needed to become a high-performer, and more. Enjoy the show!

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! After a short hiatus, I am back with a new episode.  Today, I will be welcoming back my friends, Bennett and Manyu. In this episode, we share our thoughts on developing healthy relationships with social media and technology. We share some creative strategies for accomplishing this, before proposing an overarching framework for avoiding hedonic pleasures and embracing delayed gratification. Personally, I have found it quite difficult to figure out how to use my phone in a healthy way, allowing me to extract the benefits without experiencing the potential negative consequences. That being the case, this discussion was incredibly useful to me. I hope you will feel the same way. Now, without further ado, enjoy the show!

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, I will be talking with Justin Chong.  Tennis is often deemed a “rich sport” because many successful tennis players had access to formal training, high-end tennis centers, and world class coaches. These resources are incredible for those who have the means but can put those without that level of access at a disadvantage. In this discussion, I talk with Justin about his experiences becoming a tennis recruit with limited formal training, what it is like waking up at 4am for practice, how Justin trained in the snow during the winter, and how athletes can find meaning after their sports career ends.  Throughout the conversation, we discuss philosophical concepts like healthy perfectionism, balance, first principles, and more.  Enjoy the show!

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, I will be talking with Peter Szlivics. Peter is an entrepreneur who has been involved in a variety of fascinating business projects: he has a social media marketing agency, a private jet management business, and a BMW listing service.  In this episode, we discuss a wide range of topics, using his business wisdom as a stepping stone to speak about broader philosophical questions. Expect to hear about his various projects, how Peter approaches sales calls, how you can leverage your intuition to choose passions, the life lessons he has learned through business, what it was like to move here from Ukraine, what it was like growing up in a single parent household (for both me and him), how the war between Russia and Ukraine has made him take pride in his Ukrainian identity, and much, much more. Enjoy the show! 

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, we will be discussing two quotes… “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” - Steve Jobs  “I’m not better than you because I am rich. I am rich because I am better than you.” - Jeff Bezos With regards to the second quote, the conversation morphed into a HEATED debate as to whether people should be open about how much money they make. Nevertheless, this was an open, honest, and fun discussion. Enjoy the show!

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, I will be talking with Jon Mazer. Jon is a lawyer, who has done all different types of cases, from civil to criminal. Jon has a broad litigation background, representing a wide range of business and individuals. In addition, he studied philosophy, both in college and at the graduate level.  In this episode, we discuss what it is like to be responsible for people’s legal situations, how Jon gets his witnesses comfortable talking in front of court, the most serious case that Jon has ever worked on, Jon’s perspective on defending someone who might be guilty, how Ludwig Wittgenstein used philosophy to critique philosophy, how Jon was able to shock a witness with his niche expertise in front of a jury, what the value of being a well-informed citizen is, and much more.  Enjoy the show!

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought!  Today, I will be talking with Bennett Santora, once again. Bennett recently launched a new business venture, selling his juggling balls, which has already earned hundreds of dollars in profit. Additionally, his new Tik Tok account, “Money Mind News,” is now reaching 25 thousand followers. On this account, he discusses creative, unconventional ways to make money. In this episode, we discuss topics such as: what makes a product valuable, behavioral economics, how to think like an entrepreneur, the most ridiculous side hustle he has ever seen, an absurd business fraud, the viewer retention principles he uses on Tik Tok, how he feels about having been seen by 20% of America, and more. Enjoy the show! 

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, I will be talking with Taylor Stadden, a certified mental performance consultant. Taylor works with athletes of all levels, helping them improve their minds, in the service of elite performance. Taylor is the founder of Upper Mentality, a company that he started in 2019, which provides these services to athletes. In this conversation, we discuss what mental performance is, how youth sports can start to feel like a job, how athletes (and others) can cultivate a growth mindset, athletes’ misconceptions about mindset, what healing imagery is, mindfulness, client/consultant relationships, and more.  Enjoy the show!  Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 0:50 - What is mental performance? 1:40 - Relearning to love sport 9:00 - Misconceptions about mindset  15:00 - My favorite interview ever 17:50 - Mental struggles of injury  20:30 - Client/consultant relationship  23:40 - What is healing imagery? 25:00 - Growth mindset  31:00 - Is there a stigma?  34:30 - Tools for dealing with risk aversion  43:00 - Mental skills in entrepreneurship  45:00 - Multi-sport vs specialization in youth athletics  48:40 - Transition from HS to College sports  51:00 - Mindfulness/meditation thoughts  1:00:00 - Do our beliefs influence reality?

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, I will be talking with my good friend, Ramsey Brown. Ramsey has recently started a youtube channel discussing topics related to self-improvement and psychology. Today, we discuss comparing oneself to others, delayed gratification, what religion has to do with working out, how Ramsey records his YouTube videos with no notes, what movies can teach us about self improvement, a new metric of intelligence, being more present, mindfulness, flow, Jordan Peterson, and more.  Enjoy the show!  Check out Ramsey’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ramseybrown7891 https://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenment/dp/1577314808 https://www.amazon.com/Way-Superior-Man-Challenges-Anniversary/dp/1622038320 https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/sports/baseball/mets-psychologist-helps-players-catch-their-breath.html

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought!  Today, I will once again be talking with my good friend Abhimanyu Kumar, better known as Manyu. We begin this episode by talking about something called a worry coin, among other ways to manage anxiety. Next, we delve into some existential questions, and how a philosophy called “absurdism” may address these issues and help people who are struggling to find meaning in their life.  Enjoy! If you like what you hear, go check out Manyu's podcast:  https://www.youtube.com/@NotesofaCornellStudent

HELLO AND WELCOME TO UPGRADE THOUGHT! Today, I will be talking with my good friend, Declan Semler. Declan is a college baseball player at Wesleyan University, and previously, a three sport varsity athlete in high school: he played football, basketball, and baseball for four years. Over the last year, Declan has had an inspiring weight loss journey, as he was able to dramatically transform his body. In this conversation, you can expect to hear all about the extreme work ethic it took to achieve this, why he wants to be a football coach when he’s older, what “run for president” means to him, and more.  Warning: A quick word of warning for those who have issues with food or body image: In this episode, I speak with someone who successfully achieved a more healthy body weight, and hear how his motivation increased as he started seeing results. For him, this was a healthy process, but If you struggle with an eating disorder, negative body image, or food issues, this may not be what you need to hear. If this is the case, I recommend that you skip the first 30 minutes of this episode.  Now without further ado, enjoy the show!

HELLO AND WELCOME TO UPGRADE THOUGHT! Today, I will be talking with my good friend, Alex Thom.  Alex Thom, a man of many fascinating interests, is an impressive chef. In this episode, expect to hear all about how he is mastering the skill of cooking, and his decision to begin leveraging this skill on social media.  In addition, we discuss motivational content creators, health, longevity, why you should not keep your secret recipe so secret, and more. Enjoy the show. 

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, I will be talking with Dr Daniel Susser, a professor at Cornell. Dr Susser has devoted his professional career to understanding technology in a comprehensive way, approaching technological issues philosophically, ethically, politically, legally, etc. These are very timely topics. In this episode, we discuss technology in a relevant and understandable way. Expect to hear a refreshing perspective on artificial intelligence, as Susser explains why A.I. is just a marketing term, why he is not scared of it, and how concerns related to existential risk might distract us from more pressing issues. In addition, we discuss how much control we have over technology, gig economies, surveillance, how people can learn more about technology, and more. Enjoy!  Mentions  https://www.amazon.com/Data-Driven-Technology-Workplace-Surveillance/dp/0691175306

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, I will be talking with my good friend, Bennett Santora. Bennett is a student at Cornell who has been able to turn juggling into a successful side hustle, surpassing 100K followers on both Tik Tok and Instagram. In this episode, expect to hear all about his entrepreneurial pursuits, as well as a great conversation between two buddies about motivation, productivity, social skills, and more. Enjoy the show! Follow FlyJuggler on TikTok and Instagram https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0PcRSp0CTY https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299 https://youtu.be/VTOO_9_ECA8?si=vxwLbSsRtGsvIMeo

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, I will be releasing part 2 of my conversation with Abhimanyu Kumar, in which we reflect on one of the most moving books I have ever read, “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl. Some of the topics we discuss include: the value of weaving narrative into philosophy, how to find your purpose, actionable steps to better understand yourself, and how deep thinking can help you reframe your challenges. Enjoy the show! https://www.youtube.com/@NotesofaCornellStudent https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl-ebook/dp/B009U9S6FI

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! On this episode, I will be talking to Shari Rudavsky. Shari is a journalist at the Indiana Star, a Newspaper in Indiana. She previously wrote about healthcare, and recently stepped into a new role as the editor for the education and entertainment sections of the same paper. In this conversation, we discuss how the everyday person should go about consuming news in the most effective way possible, what the transition from print to digital journalism means for the media industry, how Shari builds rapport with interviewees, how breaking stories often start out as a series of tweets, how Shari deals with writer’s block, how readers' media consumption patterns affect the content that gets publicized, and more. Enjoy the show.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 4 of Upgrade Thought! On this episode, I will be talking to Joe Carbone; Joe is a certified mental performance consultant, meaning that he helps people in various fields improve their thought processes to perform at their best. Joe has worked with athletes of all types, but currently works for Magellan Federal (a company that delivers wellness services to the military) helping soldiers work through the psychological challenges that present themselves in the day-to-day training environment. Get ready to learn about the mindset of an elite soldier, how the story of his high school baseball teammate got him into performance psychology, what his thoughts are on mindfulness and diaphragmatic breathing, what he means by “stupidity over malice,” how performance psychology can be applied across all disciplines, how the movie "Finding Nemo" has helped his soldiers, and more. Enjoy the show!!! Mentions https://www.scirp.org/html/1-6902086_75041.htm

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, I answer all of your questions related to why I am doing this, and what the future holds for this show. Tune in for a quick preview. Instagram: @upgradethought

Today, I will be talking to the strongest man in America, Jeff Lee. A couple weeks ago, Jeff was able to win the Strongman competition, making him the top national powerlifter, for his weight class. Strongman, as you will hear more about on this episode, is a weightlifting competition, that tests competitors on a wide variety of unique, and just flat-out superhuman movements. Get ready to learn about the absurd events that take place in the Strongman competitions including lifting boulders, walking around in circles while holding a bar, carrying 400 pounds for 30 feet, and at one point, pulling trucks. Additionally, we will be learning about Jeff’s mindset, what drives him, how mental health challenges outside of the gym impact what he does in the gym, how he handles the adversity of being injured, what the parallels are between Strongman and other sports, what his favorite exercises are, whether or not Jeff is on steroids, and more. In addition to powerlifting, Jeff currently works as the athletic trainer at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in The Bronx, NY. Not only will we be talking about his journey, but the fulfillment he gets out of helping  people with theirs. Enjoy the show! Mentions - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re_WFsE8wyA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re_WFsE8wyA) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AncMbHY6b2A

We all feel an innate connection to something - whether that is a game, a sport, a subject in school, a person, a song, etc. For Manyu, it is stories. On this episode, expect to hear his thoughts on why stories are so powerful, what makes a great story, and what stories you need to hear, read, and watch.

Gus played not one, but two sports at the professional level: football, and baseball. He is currently the athletic director and head football coach for an independent high school in the Bronx, New York. Today, I was able to hear about the thought processes, traits, behaviors, and skillsets that helped him climb to the top of the athletic world.  The conversation is loaded with incredible stories, lessons, and information. Some of the topics that we discussed include the role of friendship in coaching, dealing with performance-related anxiety, building confidence, how to react to losing, teaching life through sport, addressing parents worried about injuries, and more. Gus goes in depth about his most motivational speech, the time when a player he was coaching grabbed him and yelled at him in the middle of a game, why he thinks that coaching is 95% psychology, and more.