Brett Horton brings 40-plus years of life and leadership experiences to b3 Remarkable. Growing up on a family farm, he experienced firsthand the joys and tribulations of operating a 2,000-acre, third-generation wheat and cattle operation in western Kansas. The life lessons learned from parents, grandparents, and neighbors instilled in him an appreciation for hard work and close-knit community.”

He began his hospitality career working and serving in the finest resorts in the world. Beginning with the 700-room, union-operated Greenbrier Hotel and Resort in West Virginia. At the Greenbrier, Brett honed his ability to see everything and make appreciable changes to positively impact the guest experience. His second role was at the five-star, five-diamond Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Brett managed Spencer’s at the South Golf Club. This restaurant grew exponentially as Brett improved systems and employed the talents of his small, but energetic team.

Brett earned an MBA from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs in 1998. Working, going to school, and adding son Jay to the Horton family taught him how to achieve a work-life balance. His doctorate from Purdue in 2000 launched his passion for developing high-achieving leaders. The Ph.D. taught him to do quality research and brought the realization that perseverance is an often-underrated key to success. He went on to teach at Iowa State University and James Madison University.

At Iowa State he received the Helen LeBaron Hilton undergraduate teaching award. At James Madison, he served as the Director of the Hospitality Management Program and under his leadership grew the program from 150 to 300 students. Brett is an accomplished author with nine refereed publications centered on leadership.

Brett transitioned back into the industry in 2010 as the director of Chick-fil-A’s WinShape Retreat. This 100-acre, 80-room historic retreat with 100 team members is part of the Cathy family’s philanthropy. He oversaw a $6 million operations budget and a $2 million capital budget, increasing occupied room nights by 25%.

Brett is now back in the mid-west as CEO of b3 Remarkable facilitating talent development, business execution, and financial management for organizations such as The Cordish Companies (Kansas City Power & Light District), The City of Olathe, The K-State Foundation, and Sporting KC. He has grown the company from a side hustle during COVID-19 to an ever-growing organization that focuses on developing leaders, caring for the planet, and building successful companies.