I created a company brand in 2002: YOU Photography & Makeup Studio.

I created a personal brand in 2009: Sue Bryce – Photographer, Speaker, Educator.

This became a company brand in 2016: Sue Bryce Education.

In 2021, this was sold, and I became a personal brand again: Suebryce.com.

Personal brands are typically 6- or 7-figure businesses. Most brands, when they first start, struggle to reach 6 figures—I did too. I had to learn how to sell and value myself. Six figures is $100,000+, and seven figures is $1,000,000+. The definition of a personal brand is a solopreneur or sole operator—your name, your face.

Company brands are typically 7- or 8-figure businesses. Seven figures is $1,000,000+, and eight is $10M+. Company brands have business partners, staff, or virtual infrastructure. They are often built to grow and sell.

The reason it’s hard for personal brands to reach 8 figures is that they need a growth structure around them, or you need to merge your personal brand with a company brand. They say the ultimate marketing strategy is blending a strong personal brand with a company brand.

A perfect example: Michael Jordan & Nike or Steve Jobs & Apple.

I created all three—let me show you my income growth in all three areas.

When I started freelancing in 2001, I earned $25K, which was exactly what my wage was. That’s when I learned what a “wage mentality” is. I created a company brand—a photography and makeup studio in my garage—and I grew fast. This was a physical service and physical product, so I was trading money for time. It took me three years to break through to sustainable sales, and once I did, I was unstoppable.

Those first years were brutal but provided the most growth I have ever experienced. I grew fast and learned self-value, confidence, money and people management, how to create service and experience for my clients, how to make profitable products and sustainable systems, how to create an offer and a product of value, and I learned how to sell—myself, my time, and my product.

In Year 5, we reached $920K in gross income. I had eight staff members, a business partner, and a commercial lease in the city. This was phenomenal growth from the outside looking in; people were in awe of what I had achieved. But look at my personal income 50 – 100k per year —15 hours per day, big overheads, wages—burnout was imminent. It was 2008, and there were no digital products yet.

Did this business exceed $1M in revenue? No. Could it? No. In 2008, I knew the only way I could grow was to franchise this business model. After 2008, the world changed with the explosion of online content. After exploring franchise models, I decided to go with online education, and in 2009, I created my first personal brand—I was finally Sue Bryce.

But first, in 2009, I hit rock bottom. I moved to Australia to start a new brand, and I was suddenly paralyzed with fear. I had to finally put my face, my voice, and my name out there—everything I had avoided by creating a company brand, even when I had already proven I could be successful. In a company, I had people all around me. I hid behind them. I was in a new country, a small fish in a big pond.

When I finally stepped up to my personal brand, I was already offering a physical product and service as a photographer. So I worked smarter, not harder. I got a live/work lease and worked more remotely. I hired contract or 1099 employees instead of part-time or full-time employees, and I doubled my prices.

In 2010, I added physical education products (guides & cards) that I mailed out. I started speaking on stage in my industry, which took me around the world. This also 10x’d my business—I was fully booked! I started teaching in-person workshops and traveled the world teaching this workshop.

In 2012, I was ready to teach my first online workshop on CreativeLive. Between 2012 and 2014, I created three workshops on CreativeLive, and they have been a regular source of income for 10 years. 

Let me break that down—as a provider of physical products and services, I could get my personal income to $280K as a personal brand. To get to $500K, I added digital products and coaching.

To get to $1M, I created a platform with a library and a subscription. I ran this platform with one part-time assistant through 2015, and it was my conscious decision to grow again and become a company brand again. 

So, if you are a personal brand at 5 figures trying to break through to 6, or at 6 and want to get to 7—can you see the path to the next step? Or are you still struggling to connect all of this and feel that connection?

I am a perfect case study of a personal brand that went from 0 to $1M. When I first read that personal brands don’t become 8-figure brands without a next-level structure, I am also the poster child. In 2016, I merged with a growth team—Craig Swanson, George Varanakis, and Aaron Andersen. They 6x’d my business for 50% equity, and I became a company brand again. But this time, it was my name on the door. 

FACT: Personal brands make big money when they’re corporatized, and companies make big money when they’re personalized.

If you want to take the next step in your brand, join me for this workshop on September 10th & 11th.