In honor of Brett, Featured's CEO, and his upcoming birthday, we're putting together a special roundup of what our community appreciates most about him or Featured. Can you share your favorite memory or experience with Brett or Featured to be included?

One of my favorite experiences with Brett, which I fondly reflect upon, is when he made me feel genuinely appreciated and respected as a customer. I shared several recommendations about new functionality concepts that I felt confident would improve and add value to the already quality platform with him. Not long after, Brett sent me a friendly and affirming reply email saying, "I've created about 5 new 'feature requests' for our tech team to act upon based on your feedback." Receiving that response from him really blew me away. It made me feel good knowing he and his innovative company valued my input and that he was willing to take a few minutes out of his busy day to let me know that. Since then, I've only become a bigger fan of Featured and recommended the thought leadership service to other content creators on multiple occasions! Happy Birthday, Brett.

Working at Featured has been such an amazing experience, and that's all possible because our team is supported by a great person and CEO. Every day, it feels like our team is racing to get something new out, to innovate on our current product, and to look for ways to make the expert or publisher experience worthwhile. Brett is the one who keeps on track. This constant movement can be a lot for all of us. Yet, Brett still encourages us to chase our ideas and passion projects within Featured and to do what we think is right. One of our core values is "You Are Unique" - having a CEO who holds that value so near and dear makes for a special work culture. Featured is a super cool product in my eyes, but I think our people are even better. So, happy birthday Brett! Thank you for being the one to shoulder the weight, the one to encourage, and the one to make sure we're making the most kick-butt SaaS product there is. Cheers to another year!

My favorite memory and experience with Brett and Featured has to be on Halloween when we all printed out Brett faces and wore them on scrum. Such a unique and fun team bonding experience. Beyond that all of the times Brett as acted as a lighthouse for Featured pointing us in the right direction. One quote he's told that I still apply goes something like "There isn't a right decision, make a decision then make it right" which is such good advice.

Although I've only known Brett for a couple months, he has made a huge impact on my life. From giving me a chance to be a part of the Featured team even when I told him that I was unsure about working at a startup company, to encouraging me to take a 3 week vacation a month after accepting a full time position. The way he leads this company is nothing I've ever seen before. He truly values his team members and emphasizes the importance of a work life balance. As a recent graduate unsure of where I fit in the workforce, Brett has taken me in and encouraged me to take on new projects. Even when I struggled to trust my own abilities, Brett always had faith in me that I could make something happen with what I was given. This has had an enormous effect on my confidence and makes me feel like I'm working for a company who truly values what I can bring to the table. I'm so happy to be part of the Featured team and that I get to promote such an amazing product that helps give thousands of other people the same confidence and opportunities that Brett has given me. Happy 40th Brett!! Thank you for everything, I can't wait to see where this next year takes you and Featured!

One of the things I appreciate most about Featured is how it opened up real opportunities for entrepreneurs like me to grow. Within my first month, I was able to secure 13 backlinks, which made a huge difference in getting my content noticed. It wasn't just about the backlinks, though-it was the insights I gained. Seeing the variety of questions from different users helped me understand what the market is curious about. That early exposure was a game-changer and helped me shape my strategy in a way I hadn't expected. It's been a rewarding experience that I'm grateful for.

My journey at Featured has been quite remarkable and fulfilling, and a lot of it is down to Brett and his values. I've learnt so much about entrepreneurship from him. Brett has a knack of getting the best out of the team by challenging us to achieve ambitious goals. He has cultivated a culture of ownership and accountability, alongside providing support when needed. It has helped us create a product which is loved by many, which wouldn't be possible without his vision and expertise. Happy 40th Brett! Here's to achieving many more wins along the way!

I signed up for Featured while working on my HARO strategy, and I have to say, it was one of the best decisions I made. The platform is incredibly user-friendly, and it made getting those valuable do-follow backlinks a breeze. I remember the thrill of seeing my first few backlinks come through, and then more and more as my expert opinions started getting picked up by reporters. Watching my backlink profile strengthen felt like a win every time. I even had a chance to reach out to Brett about the plans, and he was super helpful and approachable-definitely left a positive impression. So, hats off to the Featured team! You're making life easier for us HARO users, and it shows. Keep it up!

I've had the privilege of working with Brett since the earliest days of Featured (or Terkel, for those who've been around long enough), and my experience has been great. Brett is not only a great leader, but he truly respects the team and knows how to inspire people to reach their full potential. I've had a front-row seat to his entrepreneurial journey as Featured's CEO, witnessing firsthand the highs, lows, and unexpected challenges that come with building a company. Brett has an innate ability to focus on what matters, dive in headfirst, and adapt quickly when needed. It's clear that he was meant for this role, and I have no doubt that success will continue to follow him.

I'm thrilled to contribute to this article as Brett and Featured have been so helpful for me as a CEO. My initial interaction with Featured was a couple of months ago when they reached out to me for a quote. I was absolutely flattered, so I immediately jumped on the opportunity. A couple of weeks later I was scrolling through LinkedIn and found Brett, so I asked him to connect...AND HE DID! Not only did he connect, but he sent me a message saying that he was happy to connect with me and looking forward to supporting me and my business. I thought, wow, this guy has a really successful business but he's so humble. From there I was drawn to how user friendly the Featured website is and how approachable Brett is. Every since then, I've been using Featured in my business. Happy Birthday Brett and I hope you enjoy your day!!

I truly appreciate Featured's commitment to showcasing diverse voices across various businesses. It was an incredible opportunity to engage with other industry experts and share ideas about the future of kitchen design. The insights we exchanged enriched our knowledge and fostered valuable connections. Featured's platform allowed us to amplify our voice and reach a wider audience, making our contributions to the conversation more impactful. Moments like these underscore the significance of collaboration in our industry. It lets businesses like ours share unique stories while learning from others, eventually enhancing the community.

I think that Brett has fostered a sense of genuine community and support on Featured. He seems to be the kind of CEO that cares to see everyone felt supported, both professionally and personally. I have been following him on LinkedIn, and his leadership style seems to blend empathy with clear vision, and it has always made me feel like the Featured team is more like a family than just a business. It is this personal touch that makes both Brett and Featured special to so many of us "experts" on this platform!

The thing I appreciate most about Featured is the quality of the queries and how specific and niche they are. As a cybersecurity professional, I can always find something to offer my expertise on - a relevant question, something to explain, an opinion to put forward. It makes me feel heard and I'm always happy to help someone out.

Hi there! My name is Marta Romaniak, I'm the VP of Global Branding at Avenga (https://www.avenga.com/), a digital transformation and IT consulting company. Firstly, happy birthday, Brett! I still remember when I opened Featured and saw that my quote was published. I was really honored and thought "Wow, I really contributed to something here." In the past months, I've been testing different HARO platforms, because I'm really curious about this communication format. And I have to say that Featured has been my favorite just because it is so easy. I don't have to spend hours searching for journalists, or tracking how my pitch is doing. It's all here at my fingertips. So, you are really onto something! I think HARO a prominent niche and Featured is at the forefronts of it delivering the best experience for experts. I wish you all the best!

In my first month using featured.com, I secured 47 link placements. This significantly boosted my rankings for "UGC Creator" and improved my overall free lead generation to my newsletter. The enhanced search visibility led to consistent daily sales of my UGC Creator Course and certification (ugccreator.com/course) What's more, unlike our other link-building/link buying efforts, the links from Featured have remained active and intact over time.

One of my favorite moments with Brett was when I told him how much I love the Featured platform. His response was so simple yet genuine-he just said, "Me too." That brief exchange really stuck with me because it showed how down-to-earth he is and how passionate he is about the product. It's rare to see a CEO who shares that kind of mutual enthusiasm in such a humble way, and it reminded me why Featured feels like such a special community. Here is the transcript from our convo: https://prnt.sc/Jj4LjrcgJEnA

Gotta say, Brett's dedication to empowering businesses is something I really admire. At a Featured seminar last year, he shared some game-changing strategies that've helped me streamline our house-buying process at NOLA Buys Houses. His passion for innovation is contagious - it's got me constantly thinkin' about new ways to make things simpler for our clients.

As CEO of Business Builders for over 16 years, I've had the privilege of watching Brett and the Featured team grow into leaders. Early on, Brett reached out for advice on refining their brand message. I was struck by his humility and genuine desire to connect with people. We worked through their key differentiators and distilled their mission down to build lasting value rather than generate hype. Brett took this to heart and overhauled their website to share meaningful stories from real customers. The response was overwhelming. Brett also asked how to empower his team and scale culture. I suggested giving more autonomy and highlighting team wins. Brett implemented an employee spotlight to share team experiences on LinkedIn. Morale and productivity soared. Brett's ability to listen, learn and translate insights into action has transformed Featured. His vision for community and service inspire me as a fellow entrepreneur. The future is bright when leaders like Brett build companies that change lives.As the CEO of Business Builders, I've known Brett for over 10 years. One of my favorite experiences was when Brett reached out for advice on rebranding Featured. I provided recommendations on clarifying their messaging, updating their visual identity, and revamping their website. Brett implemented many of the suggestions, and Featured's brand clarity and recognition improved dramatically. Brett's vision and drive to help businesses succeed has always inspired me. I'll never forget when Brett shared Featured's plans to build an online course teaching entrepreneurs how to leverage social media. I was impressed with Brett's motivation to empower business owners with the knowledge and tools for growth. Brett cultivates a team focused on delivering an amazing customer experience. His leadership is the catalyst for Featured's success. Brett's passion for serving businesses and communities aligns with my own mission. I'm grateful for visionaries like Brett shaping the future of business and making a real impact.

For me, I can relate to the importance of personal connection in business, even as a company leader. I recall a memorable exchange with Brett through chat in the Featured app. By chatting directly with them, I was able to understand what is the app is all about and how this will help our company. Even though my questions are simple and can be read online, he really had the time to answer those questions without hesitations. Also, he also encourages to say what is on your mind and open to any suggestions. This personal touch made me appreciate him as a hands-on CEO. Remember, in business, personal connections can be as durable and impactful. By making yourself accessible as a leader, you create opportunities for meaningful interactions that can drive your business forward.

As a writer and former construction manager, I've followed Featured's growth closely. One of my favorite experiences was meeting Brett at a industry conference. We discussed content strategy, and I was impressed by Brett's vision for using storytelling to build meaningful connections. Brett asked how Featured could share more behind-the-scenes stories from employees and customers. I suggested profiling team members, showcasing their unique experiences and perspectives. Brett implemented employee spotlights, and feedback was extremely positive. Readers enjoyed learning what motivates team members and makes Featured's culture special. Brett also wanted to know how Featured could better highlight customer stories. I recommended creating an engaging customer story series, with photos and quotes from real customers. Brett launched the #FeaturedFans campaign, where customers shared how Featured had impacted their lives. The authentic stories strengthened emotional bonds between Featured and customers. Brett's passion for innovation and community is admirable. His leadership has shaped a company culture where creativity thrives and people are empowered to do meaningful work. Visionaries like Brett are the future of business.