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RealityNewsOnline: Hello, Brett, and thanks for taking the time to talk to RealityNewsOnline.

Brett: My pleasure.

RNO: Jumping right into it, why do you think you were almost completely invisible until just a couple weeks ago?

Brett: That's a great question. That's something that's out of my hands in terms of production, but I chose to play the game with a pretty heavy filter in the fact that I thought about what I said before I said it. I thought about what I said and how it might be potentially used for me and against me. If you look back, the people you see for the most part are those who are doing something a little more outlandish. I chose not to engage in those activities.

RNO: You voted for Natalie, right?

Brett: Yeah, I voted for Natalie.

RNO: Why?

Brett: Good question. Going into the end, Natalie had a similar game to myself. She played a very personalized, very strong social game, which was not entirely communicated to the TV audience. The way in which she chose to operate was to be real with people and to find a human being in each of them. She was able to connect with people in ways the others could not. She made it to the end with character and ability, which was why I ultimately decided to pick her to take home the million-dollar prize.

RNO: I had a former Survivor contestant suggest that I ask you why you (and the others) were such a bitter juror, voting for Natalie instead of the person who played the best strategic game. How do you answer that question?

Brett: I think for the general TV audience, they look at our season and they say Russell played the most strategic game, and I think I disagree in that respect. The game is such a complex system and there are so many different types of strategies that can be executed. Natalie had an excellent social strategy which is a little more difficult to communicate

to the audience. The voting, I would say, generally speaking was not out of our people being bitter or out of resentment but out of how they really felt. The majority of people going to final Tribal Council, including myself, did not know who they were voting for. It was based on the questions they were asked and moving from that.

RNO: Was it clear to you after the questioning that the jury was leaning towards Natalie?

Brett: You know, I could tell based off the dynamics created during the last Tribal Council that my hunch was people went along with my vote and voted for Natalie.

RNO: Going back to the beginning, what was your initial strategy coming into the game?

Brett: I played a pretty decent social game in the respect that it was communicated via Jeff Probst, especially later. I did have my tribe on the jury but I was able to create some pretty solid relationships, and a few of them may have said some things to you about me that may have surprised you. Going into the game it was entirely social based. I'm going to win challenges when I need to win challenges, but if I didn't need to, all that would do is put a target on my back. That was my way to operate.

My strategy was to be present, to be real with people, and to emotionally connect with people and through that emotional connection, to develop trusting relationships that could maneuver through the game. At the very end, things didn't work entirely in my favor. I knew going in I was going to have to win some challenges. I stuck to my strategy well, it was solid, but it didn't take the cake. Such is life.

RNO: As you indicated, I did indeed hear from several other players as they left the game about how they had solid alliances with you. You seemed to be a hub of allies, of sorts, yet that was something we never saw. Can you tell us about this?

Brett: My strategy wasn't necessarily black and white decision-making. I was tied with Erik, Dave, Kelly, Laura, decently close with Monica. These people were individuals I cared about as individuals. And also, if you're trying to understand why they grew an affinity towards me, I tried to make decisions in a way that catered to their personality

styles. With some people I'd be extremely personal, with others extremely strategic. I'd adapt my dynamic with each person.

RNO: Did you think Russell would be able to beat you in that final immunity challenge, given the way you'd run rampant the previous three challenges?

Brett: In the game of Survivor, you never know what's coming around. I knew the nature of that last challenge catered itself to all four of us. It could be Russell, it could be Mick, it could be Natalie - she did some pretty phenomenal things throughout the season. You've got to come in hungry and know somebody has the potential to kind of get you.

RNO: Looks like time is up for us, so before you go, is there anything else you'd like to tell readers about your time on Survivor?

Brett: It was a tremendous life experience. I talked to Russell S. about it - it felt like we were able to live an existence in two months and gain some pretty phenomenal perspective. I'm totally blessed to have the opportunity.

RNO: Thanks again, Brett!