By: Jonathan Brierre

Ever wonder how a childhood hobby can shape a lifelong career? Meet Maxwell Bentley, the Founder and Executive Producer at Bentley Media. His journey from a teen YouTuber to a video marketing trailblazer with clients around the globe is nothing short of inspiring. My conversation with him revealed a story of passion, perseverance, and profound love for video storytelling.

“I was only six years old when I picked up my mother’s video camera,” Bentley began, his eyes lighting up at the memory. “I filmed everything and everyone—from Fourth of July fireworks to my parents doing household chores. I even recorded my own version of ‘the morning news’ before school every day. I was madly in love with videography. I had an extreme intuition for cameras, videos, and editing—it’s all I ever talked about.”

Bentley’s passion for video didn’t wane as he grew older. “At 8 years old, I started noticing editing mistakes in TV shows and movies and became obsessed with commercials,” he recalled. “There was something about commercials that was so captivating to me. I didn’t have the vocabulary to describe it at the time, but I was fascinated by how the arrangement of video clips, music, voice-overs, and messaging created emotions that lead to specific actions.”

Growing up in Atlanta provided Bentley with unique opportunities to explore his passion. “My family and I would frequent baseball games at Turner Field. But I never paid much attention to the actual games. I was too busy figuring out where all the cameras were in the stadium and how the shots were framed up on the jumbotron,” he said with a laugh.

In 2007, at age 13, Bentley’s father bought him a digital camera. “I created a YouTube channel to share my first edited short films and gaming videos, often including my own ‘commercials’ for my merchandise,” he shared. “I grew the channel to 30,000 subscribers and earned a few hundred dollars a month in advertising revenue. I thought I was rich…I was ready to skip school and retire.”

Bentley’s big break came a few years later when he posted a video that gained over 2.5 million views, catching the attention of Roblox, his first client. “I felt like I had the coolest gig in the world,” he said, reminiscing. “I was only 17, so my dad had to co-sign on my contract. After creating all kinds of video content for their official YouTube channel, I went on to edit a trailer for Roblox’s first iPhone app that received over 100 million views online and resulted in millions of downloads.”

At age 20, Bentley took this success and launched Bentley Media, a video marketing strategy company now serving international clients. “My video business funded my entire college education at the University of North Georgia, where I studied film and digital media,” he explained. “I often had to cut back on classes and even take a semester off due to my growing client base.”

Bentley’s journey from a one-man show to leading a global team is a testament to his dedication. “I started writing, filming, and editing promotional videos for local businesses around Atlanta. Over time, I had to hire a team. Many of my current staff members are fellow UNG graduates, and I’ve hired creative talent from as far away as South Brisbane, Australia.”

After earning his first million in revenue, he began writing his first book, “Video Marketing Secrets,” which is set to release later this year.

Discussing his philosophy on video storytelling, Bentley emphasized the power of authentic narratives. “Every brand has amazing stories to tell, and people don’t realize what’s possible with video storytelling,” he said passionately. “Brands can attract and compel specific audiences, create excitement, and even change minds with a well-crafted video marketing campaign. Hard-sell commercials are dying because there’s so much ‘puffery’ in advertising and marketing, which has unfortunately created trust issues with consumers.”

Bentley’s signature storytelling strategy involves helping clients feel confident on camera. He elaborated, “I have an obligation to create a comfortable environment for my clients appearing on camera. When they feel like they can be themselves, even with bright lights in their face, we can capture their stories and the emotions around them and edit a powerful story film that creates such a ‘wow’ factor that it doesn’t even feel like marketing material.”

Now 29, Bentley feels he is fulfilling his life’s calling. “Video production, marketing, and storytelling are passions I never grew out of. I get to wake up every day, often without even needing an alarm, and do what I absolutely love. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Published by: Khy Talara