In this episode, I’m joined by my friend and inspiration, Jesse Israel — meditation leader, keynote speaker and leadership coach known for founding the mass meditation movement, The Big Quiet. Jesse shares challenging moments from his life that informed his transition from the music to meditation industry, and how an intuitive pull to create a shared experience evolved into gratitude and a collective purpose. 

Named "The Meditation Expert" by The New York Times, Jesse has led some of the largest meditations on earth — having toured arenas with Oprah Winfrey and co-hosted international broadcasts with Deepak Chopra. An Audible Originals best-selling creator and a Forbes Next 1000 recipient, Jesse has collaborated on meditation projects with Grammy-winning rappers, coached the world’s most influential entrepreneurs and keynoted at Fortune 500s around the globe. Prior to his work at The Big Quiet, Jesse ran a tech fund and record label called Cantora (acquired 2016), where he sourced seed investments in companies now worth billions of dollars and signed multi-platinum bands like MGMT.

Jesse and I discuss how he went from an NYU dorm room to sold out arenas with Oprah, the importance of listening to our bodies, and how acknowledging the progress in ourselves is vital in order to achieve things in the world. Plus, Jesse shares the concept of a “reverse bucket list” and gives tips for anyone curious about or beginning the meditation journey. 

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Topics Covered:

• Jesse’s record label while at NYU
• How Jesse’s mental health challenges led him to meditation
• The creation of Medi Club and The Big Quiet 
• The power of following intuition and community building 
• What Jesse’s black mold experience taught him 
• Jesse’s reverse bucket list and being proud of yourself
• Desiree’s healing process with her mom
• Advice for anyone interested in meditation 

Resources Mentioned:

• 1 Giant Mind

Guest Info: 

• The Big Quiet
• Jessie’s Website
• Jessie’s Instagram 

Get in Touch:

• Benshen.co Website 
• Benshen.co Course
• Benshen.co Instagram