Personal Branding Masterclass: How I Made $10M+ On LinkedIn - Chris Donnelly | 088

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Jul 31, 2025

In this conversation with Chris Donnelly, a formidable entrepreneur who built a $10M-a-year business purely through content and personal branding, listeners uncover the secrets of rapid growth on LinkedIn. Chris shares how he skyrocketed from zero to over a million followers in just two years. He emphasizes the power of consistent, high-volume content creation, the benefits of focusing on LinkedIn over other platforms, and his innovative approach to running a lean team. Plus, he unpacks strategies for transforming attention into sustainable income and the importance of personal branding in today’s business landscape.

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ANECDOTE

Consulting High Demand Without Ads

Chris Donnelly sold consultancy slots at $750 to $2,000 per hour without marketing.
Demand for his time grew just from having a booking link on his LinkedIn profile.

ANECDOTE

Early Sales Spark Entrepreneurial Journey

Chris started entrepreneurial activities young by selling products at school and online.
He built digital skills by creating websites, eventually launching a web agency making more than conventional salaries.

ANECDOTE

COVID Hit and Big Comeback

Chris's agency faced a near-bankruptcy during COVID, losing 80% revenue.
Post-COVID, he worked intensely to revive it, doubling size and winning major luxury brand clients.

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In this episode, I sit down with Chris Donnelly to break down how he built a $10M-a-year business with no sales team and no paid ads—powered entirely by content and personal brand.

We dive into how Chris grew from 0 to 1M+ LinkedIn followers in two years, his system for publishing high-quality content at scale, and why creating more volume (not perfection) can unlock massive growth.

Chris also shares his approach to building a lean team, running high-ticket cohorts, and leveraging attention into stable, long-term income.
If you’ve been waiting to go all in on your personal brand, this episode shows you what’s possible.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:20 How Chris grew to 1M+ LinkedIn followers in 2 years
06:16 Choosing LinkedIn over Instagram and YouTube
10:35 The early experiments that validated his model
14:45 Selling his first agency and starting again
19:34 Building an audience without spending on ads
24:26 The structure behind his cohort business model
28:07 Why personal brand leads to better business opportunities
33:37 The content formats LinkedIn prioritizes today
38:12 How Chris structures his content team and systems
43:26 Lessons from growing a $10M business with no sales team
50:02 Advice for creators and entrepreneurs going pro

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I read every single one.

Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/show

Follow Nathan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry
X: https://twitter.com/nathanbarry
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshow
Website: https://nathanbarry.com

Follow Chris:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnellychris
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisdonnellyofficial
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chrisdonnellyofficial
Wake Up With Chris (Podcast): https://open.spotify.com/show/4sFHI1CMPuKWa1brhhY9RB

Featured in this episode:
Wake Up With Chris: https://www.youtube.com/@chrisdonnelly