Success and Happiness Doesn’t Always Come from the Expected Path

In this episode of Local Legends, Jess reconnects with Brennan Taylor Forster for a full-circle conversation that starts back when he was in 8th grade and turns into a powerful story about choosing your own path.

Brennan shares what it was like growing up, including his early connection with Jess and his experience in a small high school where he never quite felt like he fit in. After graduating, he briefly attended Arizona State University, but quickly realized traditional college was not the right path for him.

That is when everything changed.

Given a choice by his parents—to pay for school himself or travel the world—Brennan chose experience. He went on to visit over 30 countries across Asia, Europe, and beyond. During that time, he had a major shift in perspective, connecting with people, cultures, and ideas that helped him discover what truly interested him.

That journey led him to real estate and marketing, where he began to see opportunities others often overlook. After returning home and moving back in with his parents, Brennan got his real estate license and started building a path that was anything but traditional.

Today, he has expanded into video production, combining creativity with business strategy, and has built a career doing work he genuinely enjoys.

Brennan credits much of his growth and success to his parents, who encouraged him to think differently, invest in experiences, and focus on his overall well-being along the way.

This episode is a reminder that success does not always come from following the expected path. Sometimes it comes from taking risks, exploring the world, and trusting yourself enough to build something different.

These are the local legends shaping our communities.
Real stories, real talk, and powerful conversations.
Local Legends with Jess — where Arizona’s stories connect.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Local Legends with Jess, the Arizona Edition. I'm Jessica Benevento, your mortgage matchmaker, opening doors with ease and bringing you the stories behind Arizona's most inspiring people. From best selling authors and elite athletes to business badasses making moves across the valley. These are the local legends shaping our communities. Yet the inside scoop, real talk, and powerful conversations you won't hear anywhere else. Local Legends with Jess, where Arizona's stories connect. Welcome back to Local Legends with Jess. And I am here with maybe you're gonna be my second favorite, because my first has to be my daughter. So you're gonna be my second favorite guest ever. My daughter, my husband, I have to put first before it just to not have a marital point. Yeah, yeah. Okay. But Mr. Brennan Forster, and I'm so excited that you're here. I haven't seen you forever.

SPEAKER_00 0:55

It's too long. It's way too long.

SPEAKER_01 0:57

Okay. We need a history in our relationship. Let's talk about how you met me. Oh, how I met you. This is so fun.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

I love going back like this.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

Okay, so right now we're in 2026.

SPEAKER_00 1:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:14

I met you. You were my therapist. Yeah. In eighth grade. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

You were in eighth grade. Did I have Liz before you or after you? I you left, so I had Liz after. I was like, okay, yeah. You're my my high school therapist, but not high school, eighth grade. Eighth grade. That was it. What year was that? Because I'm so bad with time. I'm so bad with time, Jess, but probably like 20, I don't know, 2013, 2012, maybe. Really? Well, when did I graduate? 20. I don't even know. I am horrible with time. This is bad.

SPEAKER_01 1:44

I figured I'd figure out when this was with you, but you're just just so eighth grade. I counseled you. Yeah. Boarding school. We did Weight Watchers together. We did Weight Watchers together. Um your impression of me as your counselor.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

Hot babe. All the guys are obsessed with you. Oh my God. That will be a big one.

SPEAKER_01 2:11

The Hummer with the bling. I had a black Hummer with this is true story, Lise, with diamonds right around the wheel. Yeah. And you were a little bit of a bad girl still. Yeah. Jersey. I'm still a bad girl. Yeah. All right. So eighth grade, I had the pleasure of having you, and you were by far, and I could say this, and I probably said this back, my favorite. Of course. I fell in love with you. I fell in love with your family. You have an amazing family. Um and you are asked to be on local legends because you're a legend in my world. That's so cute. Um, you what really was so cool to watch was how you got to where you are right now. And you're just how old are you now?

SPEAKER_00 2:59

32. It's really scary saying. You're 32? Okay, everybody says that now. And it's I hate it. That's the reaction I get. Oh my gosh, it just doesn't. Well, it's just crazy.

SPEAKER_01 3:10

I know I'm old, but I feel like I look in the mirror and I don't feel 32.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

So that's the best part. Yeah, no, I don't look at it, I don't feel it. I can still act like I'm 15 or easily now, yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, that's not changing. I know. Just stop saying that.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

Okay, it's such a weird, it's a I hate numbers.

SPEAKER_00 3:27

Why are we doing numbers? I know. Can we just like come up with a new age concept? I would love to. Okay. I'm sure we could sit down.

SPEAKER_01 3:34

You're like 12. I feel like I'm at least 14. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. You've moved. So tell me, actually, this is what I loved about your journey and how you're where you are. Um give your story about after high school. What that what did high school look like for you?

SPEAKER_00 3:54

High school was not my thing. School was not my thing. Okay. I just like did not, I don't know. I had, I feel like I was close with my teachers and my therapist. Yep. I didn't have many friends in high school.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Yes, you did. Um, no, no, I mean I'm thinking, I'm thinking, uh, how? Weren't you in how long were you in St. Paul's for?

SPEAKER_00 4:14

Yeah, the guys would like make fun of me. They called me Arrowhead. Fuck them. Because they drank, they drank sink water. They they'd take the jug and they'd put sink water in the jug and they'd flip it over. And my mom was like, no, you're gonna have arrowhead water. So they'd call me arrowhead, so I get water delivered or whatever. In the dorms, yeah. But so they called me Arrowhead, you know. Really? But they weren't awful. No, yeah. I was thinking about some of the kids from there. I stay in touch with Max sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:43

Um, but yeah, John Deets, remember him? Yes. I don't even know where he is, but yeah, high school. I don't even know. High school's kind of I went to a weird high school. Sorry, but I did. I went to New Way after. It was weird.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

Okay. Was it just small?

SPEAKER_00 4:56

Yeah. Okay. Yeah, it was just a small school. Kids were like not, we I didn't vibe very well with the kids there. Okay. Um, there were a few, but yeah, high school was not really my thing. It's after high school. Okay. Like more fun.

SPEAKER_01 5:10

Okay. So after high school, now obviously the We became friends. Should have been me and you, right? Yeah, right after. It was like, wait, now this is legal. Be friends with her. Well, after I left St. Paul's, your mom said, Can you still counsel Brennan? Like, oh my God, absolutely. And then I worked with her for a little bit. Yes, you did. You just have an amazing family, and I just never wanted to leave you guys. Um, okay, so after high school, your journey began. Tell this is what I love, and I've repeated your story to people because what I love about you is you are extremely successful and school wasn't your thing. And I hear it more and more now, and it really is the most successful people, it's just not their thing, and that's okay, right? Like it's okay that you're not a math whiz or an English, you know, or a history buff. So what did your parents tell you after high school?

SPEAKER_00 6:12

So, I mean, I actually find it kind of crazy too, because like I really always convinced myself that I wasn't very smart because school was not my thing. Right. And like I went to special schools for kids with learning differences. I was like, Right. But uh yeah, so like I've always had in my mind that I'm not, you know, the most intelligent. I know I'm like street smart, but you know, anyways, what did my parents tell me? Well, so I went to ASU for like nine months, and then I had like a bad relationship and I withdrew because I wasn't gonna make it through. And um, and then they basically gave me an ultimatum. They were like, if you want to go back to college, you can pay for it yourself, but we'll pay for you to travel the world for a year. So I went to like 30 countries. Hold on. This is the big one.

SPEAKER_01 6:57

This is a big thing that I'm so impressed with. Like, and honestly, as parents, that's that's I I said this to my husband the other day. Like, Sophia just got into she got um a role in play. She just tried out and she got it. And I was like, we could go for acting lessons, we go for singing, like whatever you want. And I was saying this to Pop. I was like, that's why I work. Like, I'll do anything for my kids to, if they're, you know, they want to do something, like, what the hell else am I working for? But to make them even more successful, you know, give them more tools. So this is what I'm obsessed with. Your parents literally said, You're not gonna go back, then you need to travel the world. Are you kidding? That is the most badass amazing, like you need to experience life. Like, that's real shit. I know.

SPEAKER_00 7:48

Okay, it was cool, and I remember this.

SPEAKER_01 7:50

So you went to I went everywhere.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

Like I went by yourself, all around Europe, all around Asia, Australia. Yeah, I nanied like a little boy for a little bit. He's all grown up actually. We reconnected it so crazy, and then yeah, like taught English and Vietnam for a little bit and a bunch of stuff. But that was really good for me. I remember having like my aha moment. I was like at this castle in the south of France, and I was living with these older gay dudes. It was very random. I they were on Help X, this website. Okay, it just we connected on there, and they one of them was a chef from New York, but they bought this chateau and they did it up, and I was helping them with gardening and they make the most incredible dinners every night. And there's just one way I one day I was working and I wrote it in my journal. I was like, this is what I want to do. And I think it was like real estate and then like marketing the properties that I'm renting, and it was kind of inspired by what my mom did. But it's crazy how like when you're traveling and you're alone and you're out in the middle of nowhere, like you have these like aha moments. I think just through living and through I don't know, it was weird, it was a very unique experience. But yeah, I think also seeing the world, like you know, when I was in Bangkok, I saw like young kids being sold for sex. Like you see things that you're just like, oh my god, like we live in a freaking bubble, like a good bubble, but yeah, we have no idea what else is out there. Wow. So I think that was good for me because I've been very fortunate my whole life and I haven't really seen any I haven't seen anything really. So that was good for me. Um but yeah, that was part that was that part of my journey. And then I came back and I moved to Whistler for a couple of years in Canada. Did the property management thing with Bree. Yeah, and then um and then I moved back to my parents' house, and then I got into my video business like four years ago. That was where I feel like life got good.

SPEAKER_01 9:41

Okay, I love my job so much. How did you so you got your real estate license? Yeah, I got my real estate license. Okay, back up. When did you get your real estate license?

SPEAKER_00 9:49

Um, got my real estate license, I don't know, like three years ago. Like when you came back from traveling. Is that when you but I don't really like do a ton in real estate? Like I've sold I sold my parents' house in Flags, sold them their house in Arcadia. I'm gonna sell my dad's warehouse, but I haven't done anything outside of family. So it's kind of just been I love it though. Yeah. But yeah, no, I I think where the point you were getting at was like how different my path was compared to other people's and how successful I've been able to become without having the typical path that everybody else has. Because I, my brain told me you need to go to school. Like everybody else is going to school, like you're gonna be the oddball out still. Yeah, nothing's changed, you know. But that wasn't the case. And I think it's important for kids to know that. Like if you are different, you can leverage that exactly the worst person ever. You know what I mean? Like just always be a good person, a good friend.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

And I feel like this is what I loved about you from the the second I met you is you are so honest and real. And you, I mean, that school that you went to was a lot of, it was an affluent school. I mean, a lot of kids.

SPEAKER_00 11:02

Which one, New Air or St. Paul's?

SPEAKER_01 11:03

St. Paul's. I mean you had I think the tuition was like 65k a year. Like you had to have money to go there. Yeah. Like, and you get a bunch of boys that you know come from money and they're just a lot of them are just thrown in there because their parents really don't want to deal, right? That that was a lot of it. And you I don't know, you just you thrived. I I just I give a lot of credit to you for being so aware. Like you had a lot of you might not have gotten straight A's because I think it's my parents.

SPEAKER_00 11:40

My parents were great influences, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:42

Oh, absolutely. Well, you saw two parents that worked their butts off. They were so involved with you wanting to, you know, you and your so hard to make me better. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:53

Like they literally made it. My mom made it her mission right to like figure out like I mean, she spent thousands of dollars on vitamins and chelating, and you'd go to doctors and I'd get like vitamin IVs. I they'd hook wires to my head and I'd watch videos that would like pause when I'd get distracted or something. And oh my god, it was insane. And what did that do? Like, what did that tell you? Cle clean well, they did this thing called chelating, and part of it was at boarding school. Like I taking the metals outs that were there would only make me gluten-free free. Yeah, that's right. They made me take like a ton of vitamins and it was cleaning out heavy metals in my system because there's a lot of people have heavy metals. My parents say it worked. I hope it did. I don't really know. I'm definitely not the same person I was as a kid. I don't know if that's growing up in combination with what they did, but but yeah, no, I definitely they they worked their asses off to like. I mean, every morning my dad would wake me up, we'd do this dart exercise. Okay. I'd have to throw a dart at this dart. I don't even know what you call it. He would do this with my fingers all the way down. He'd do my toes, he'd do my legs every morning, and then he'd make me breakfast, a different breakfast every morning. And this was all to help. Yeah. Like they did all this in combination with the vitamins and they did sorry, they did everything. And it was like it's crazy. It really is, actually, because I know most parents love their kids to do anything for their kids, but they really went the extra mile to like I was a pain in their butt. You know, how do you like hate a kid? Like they they didn't hate me, but they were like, Oh god, I can't stand him. No, and still want to like no, you are the best.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

They were stuff, they were bringing out who you are. Yeah, that that's and they did. They did a great job. Yeah, you're so sweet. Okay, so the videography. Yeah. So where did this come from? Because you are so flipping talented. I love my job so much.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

Um, where did this come from? I was living at my parents' house that they had built up in North Scottsdale, and I just I needed to make some money. It was right after COVID, and I needed to get into some sort of a career path, and I didn't want to have a boss. That was kind of like the direction I wanted to go. And so I practiced filming their house. Yeah. And then I met Jared. That was like all good. That's right. Remember? You guys were on his videos.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

Yes, Michael was in it with stocks and doing the whole thing.

SPEAKER_00 14:19

That's so funny. We should watch that. That was such a good video. That's so funny. He got a million views on one of his videos that I did for him recently. Or not recently, like three years ago. But, anyways. Um, but yeah, so met Jared, did that, and then yeah, everything's just I hired a business coach, and I have like a team of editors now, and it's honestly like amazing to be able to do what you love and not have any problems with clients. Like I have no problems with it's such a happy job because I'm just helping people say with you. Yeah, I mean, you're in the same position. I love it. Like, yeah, it you know, there's certain things that may happen here and there, but I mean, not really ever. But um, yeah, no, it's I love my job.

SPEAKER_01 15:07

Yeah, the end result is to make people happy. Yeah, and it's pretty. I mean, your stuff is just thank you. It's insane.

SPEAKER_00 15:14

It's honestly gotten a lot better. Yeah, I just love it.

SPEAKER_01 15:16

So, are you looking for uh like what's your ideal client? Are you looking for business right now? Are you always looking for business?

SPEAKER_00 15:23

I'm always looking for business. I'm starting to get my schedule's starting to get kind of full. Okay. And so um, I need to probably figure out like hiring on somebody if I want to scale. Like I can take on more clients still, but like I'm gonna hit a point soon where I'm gonna need to hire on another videographer or whatever to help me take on more business, which I actually have somebody in mind already. But um but yeah, I am getting close, but it's so awesome that I'm even getting there. Like, I know it's amazing. And looking back at my past, like it's really crazy to think that like I have been able to become successful in my eyes. And like um, it's just it's not hard. No, it's not hard.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

Well, it's because somebody it's you you love it. I mean it's something you love and something you're great at.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

And it's but that's what everybody should be doing. I know if you do what you love and you're great at it, it doesn't feel like you're working. I literally never feel like I'm working. I don't know if you know I'm shooting with Christina now.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:21

So I feel like I'm hanging out with two girls. That's what I mean. Exactly. It's fun. They goof off. Like, yeah, I don't feel like I'm working for a second. And then my editors do the part that I don't like. Exactly. So you hire up people that do the parts you don't like, and then it's like a dream. True.

SPEAKER_01 16:37

That's when you really reached your pinnacle, I think, is when you're able to get to the point where the stuff that is like, oh, yes, you can push up because the stuff that's uh feels like work. And I never want anything to feel like work anymore. I'm with you. You are way too creative to do. That's the thing. I think there's so many creative minds out there that when you're stuck in those boxes that traditional school has you in, that's when you're like, fuck, I know. What am I gonna do?

SPEAKER_00 17:07

I don't know. What are we gonna do here? Yeah, and my parents really trained me to not stick in that traditional box. Like they're like, they always were like, you don't need to know what everybody else is doing. Yeah, and it was still so foreign to me for so long. I'm like, you guys are just saying that kind of thing, you know what I mean? Because I'm different. Right. Not because you truly believe that, but that's literally what it is. Like you should never stick within a certain box, you know, because nobody is the same at all in any aspect. Yeah, nobody's different. I know.

SPEAKER_01 17:39

So how could people get in touch with you if they want to? Who oh, who's your perfect client? You have to say that. Oh, who's my perfect client? Anyone. Do you want luxury? Yeah, luxury. You're bougie. Yeah, I like luxury. I like luxury.

SPEAKER_00 17:52

You're not cheap. I like luxury. I yeah, I'm not I'm not, I'm like a good price.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

Yeah, but I'm saying that I'm I'm saying you you need to you need to be who you are.

SPEAKER_00 18:04

Yeah, no, a hundred percent. I really like working in the luxury area. I love like my high-end clients is because it's fun shooting sexy stuff. Yeah, but I take any clients. Yeah, definitely. There is a there, yeah. I have pre I pretty much sell the same package to everybody. I work with most people on retainers. I work every single month with the same people. I don't have any one-off projects anymore, really. Yeah, so tell me how it works. Because I get to consistently work with people. We build a relationship. Exactly. I love that on and off. Yeah. And I'm a routine person, so I kind of like that in my life.

SPEAKER_01 18:37

And so, what's a package look like? So Christina and her partner hired you to do what? To video their flips? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:45

So we're doing eight reels a month. So they're doing a lot, actually. They're doing eight reels a month for um their we're doing like eight creative reels a month. They're all different sorts, like get to know me video or you know, um, funny videos or whatever. And then they're also doing a podcast too.

SPEAKER_01 19:04

Oh, awesome.

SPEAKER_00 19:04

So they're gonna be doing a podcast and we're gonna splice it up. And yeah, yeah. Okay, perfect. Um, and then yeah, I mean, I work with a skincare company, a South Korean skincare company. Okay. I'm doing a variety of content. I work with the masters, you know, that I do of doing all their restaurants, reshooting all their restaurants.

SPEAKER_01 19:21

Look amazing.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

Yeah. Um, yeah. So, um, but yeah, I don't know. I have a variety of clients. They're all different fix and flip, real estate, skincare, okay, restaurants, like anything. I really don't mind what it is anymore because I'm not editing it. Yeah, that's true. I can really focus on the strategy and the shooting. And then I can put, you know, allow other people to take care of the part that I'm they're better than me at the editing part. You know what I mean? So it's not that I'm not good at it, but they're better than me. Yeah. And so, and it frees up more time for me to focus on the important initial part, you know, like strategizing and shooting. Right. Anyways. I love it. I know.

SPEAKER_01 20:06

How do people find you?

SPEAKER_00 20:07

You can find me on Instagram. I need to like recreate my website, but Instagram is where I post an update.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

What's your name on Instagram?

SPEAKER_00 20:14

Beforester productions. Look at the camera and say which Beforester Productions. Call me.

SPEAKER_01 20:22

Well, thank you for being on here. Yes, you are my local legend.

SPEAKER_00 20:26

I love this so much. I'm so happy.

SPEAKER_01 20:30

I'm so happy you're here.

SPEAKER_00 20:31

I know. But we have to hang. We need way more time than this. We need some champagne. Like, I did not get to ask you any questions. I don't know if that's I'm not the local legend. You know, but it's so weird because I need to ask you like 5,000 questions.

SPEAKER_01 20:44

So next time. Next month we will. Okay. I'll book you next month.

SPEAKER_00 20:47

Okay. All right.

SPEAKER_01 20:48

Thank you for being on here.

SPEAKER_00 20:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:50

That's a wrap. Ciao.