Ep 8: The Big Quiet with Jesse Isreal

The Big Quiet with Jesse Isreal

Episode 08: Show Notes.

Today we speak about meditation, facing fear, and reaching your dreams with Jesse Israel, the creator of The Big Quiet, a collective that hosts mass meditations at the most iconic places in the world! Jesse shares his growth story with us today, taking us right from his early childhood through moments of darkness and the role meditation played in all the amazing projects he built leading up to The Big Quiet.

We hear about his early love for storytelling and his gift for leadership that got quelled by a disciplining event when he was still in school, leading to his first experiences of anxiety and self-doubt. He takes us through to being a student at New York University, starting a record label and managing a fledgling MGMT, and the massive strain he underwent around this time. This was the point in his life where he found meditation and he talks about how it led him to rediscover his gifts for leadership that were buried inside him for so long.

Jesse sketches out the projects he started to create, all driven by his need for community – a mass bike club called The Cyclone and thereafter Med Club, a guided meditation event. We hear from Jesse how around this point he quit his record label business and the role that meditation played in helping him take the plunge and start afresh. Jesse then takes us through into the genesis of The Big Quiet with the first event in Central Park as part of SummerStage.

Our amazing guest describes all of the experiences he has had with The Big Quiet since, traveling the world and collaborating with some of the hugest names out there. This is an inspirational episode about the way meditation helps say yes in the face of doubt and fears so make sure not to miss it!

Key Points From This Episode:

Jesse’s childhood, relationship with his parents, and love for making animations.
The beginning of Jesse’s struggle with mental health after getting in trouble at school.
Therapy and Jesse’s transformation at school from a troublemaker to a prefect.
How Jesse got into music, radio show hosting, and started a record label after going to NYU.
The story of Jesse and his friends meeting MGMT and managing their early career.
Mental health and body stress issues Jesse experienced at 23 due to life challenges.
Jesse’s first panic attack and recourse he took at a time this was not spoken about.
How Jesse began experimenting with meditation after learning about Buddhism from his dad.
The meditation Jesse learned from Shambhala and how he later discovered Vedic meditation from Light.
How Jesse began to face old fears and own his leadership after practicing Vedic meditation.
All the students Light got through Jesse spreading the word about how meditation was helping him.
Transitioning from tech and music into leadership, a side of Jesse he suppressed for long
The sense of community created by The Cyclones bike club Jesse created.
Difficult feelings of doubt Jesse had after leaving his business to start something new.
The role of meditation in Jesse quitting his business and starting Medi Club.
How meditation can lead to taking difficult choices; the place of discomfort in life.
Jesse’s process overcoming doubt and spreading the word for the first Medi Club gatherings.
The value of charging for Medi Club gatherings and Jesse’s conflicting feelings initially.
How Medi Club dovetailed into the first City Parks Foundation-backed The Big Quiet.
Jesse’s side hustles as The Big Quiet grew and how he started to only focus on TBQ and teaching.
The amazing achievements The Big Quiet has experienced to this date.
Jesse’s advice for people who want to dive into their lives as he did but feel afraid.