Today we’d like to introduce you to Brad Raider.
Brad, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in the suburbs of Philly in love with movies, plays, and being an artist and later moved to New York City to study theatre and film at NYU.
I started working in TV and producing plays out of college, and after moving to LA, I co-founded a theatre company called Red Dog Squadron with my buddy, James Roday (TV’s A Million Little Things). I was sleeping on his couch when I was lucky enough to get cast in a pilot that became a short-lived series for ABC.
A graveyard of network pilots and series later, we’ve continued to produce theatre while juggling TV work — our latest effort being the West-Coast Premiere of Cal in Camo by William Francis Hoffman and directed by Amy K. Harmon, in which I appeared with Bree Turner and Tim Cummings.
Around the same time as our fourth production, I learned to meditate from a great Vedic Master who I later began apprenticing and traveling with. My training with him ultimately culminated in India and Bali with a certification as a Vedic Meditation teacher (one of only a few hundred in the world).
Today, as founder and executive director of MDT8 (short for meditate), I train individuals and companies to be completely self-sufficient in the practice of Vedic Meditation with students including everyone from CEOs to clinical psychologists to award-winning filmmakers to families. One of my greatest passions has become sharing with others the wisdom of this ancient technique and its innumerable benefits.
I’ve also continued to work in independent film and most recently released my directorial debut — Kensho at the Bedfellow, an existential drama about a guy in NYC searching for fulfillment in all the wrong places. We were honored with several festival wins, and I was given a spot in Shoot Online’s 2018 New Director Showcase at the Director’s Guild of America.
Overall, my journey as a filmmaker, theatre artist, and meditation teacher has evolved over the years into a deep fascination with consciousness expansion and its practical integration with daily life and creativity. The opportunity to share that work has truly been a gift.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have been way more obstacles, struggles, and challenges than there have been successes, but they often define the wins as much as anything. There’s a true opportunity for growth everywhere — even in failure and disappointment.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Kensho Film, Red Dog Squadron, and MDT8 story. Tell us more about the business.
MDT8 trains individuals and companies to be completely self-sufficient in the practice of Vedic Meditation. In four, 90-minute sessions over four consecutive days, students not only learn the technique (one of the oldest, simplest, and most profound in the world) but also how to incorporate it into their busy lives without the need for apps, meditation studios, or retreats.
KENSHO FILM is a production company developing and producing visionary, subversive and conscious cinema intended to both entertain and inspire.
RED DOG SQUADRON is a non-profit LA theatre company I co-founded with James Roday, who also serves as my Co-Artistic Director. Through collaborative theatre and community outreach, our mission is to provide audience and artist alike with visceral and emotionally resonant experiences, while inspiring and nurturing the next generation of young theatre professionals. In this way, RED DOG strives to create unity — connecting one another within the ephemeral moments of a darkened theatre.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
There’s no doubt a certain amount of luck plays a role in success, but I think it’s very important to cultivate the conditions by which we have a greater probability of getting lucky in the first place. Preparation meeting opportunity means for me a daily routine of training, practice, growth, and helping others.
Pricing:
- MDT8 courses are on a sliding scale based on income with private and group sessions available.
- Kensho at the Bedfellow can be rented on iTunes and Amazon for about $5
- Red Dog tickets usually start at about $25
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mdt8.com www.kenshofilm.com www.reddogsquadron.com
- Instagram: @r8r @mdt8 @kenshofilm @reddogsquadron
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