In the world of entrepreneurship, there are a few stories that stand out because they defy expectations and inspire others to rethink what’s possible.
One of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs has to be Simon Beard, the mastermind behind Culture Kings — a retail empire that grew from Beard starting with a humble market stall on the Gold Coast to creating an international brand and achieving a jaw-dropping $600 million exit.
Beard’s journey isn’t just about scaling a business. It’s about understanding the fundamentals of business, marketing, and personal branding in today’s fast-paced world. I sat down with him recently to talk about the success of Culture Kings, what helped him scale, and what he learned when building his empire.
Following our chat, I walked away with five key insights that I believe every entrepreneur, marketer, and business owner should consider.
Here’s a breakdown of those takeaways:
Beard’s business journey began in the markets with a small stall. Fast-forward to today, and he has built a retail empire worth hundreds of millions of dollars. One of his core principles is the idea of relentless evolution.
He said: “You could put me back out on the street with $50 in my wallet, and I’d build this back”.
This quote hit home because it highlights the importance of skills and mindset over circumstances. It’s not the challenges that determine your success — it’s the resilience and adaptability you bring to the table.
My key takeaway: Don’t let any obstacle define you. Learn to adapt, evolve, and always push forward, no matter how hard things get.
In the early days of Culture Kings, Beard didn’t think he was “cool enough” to build his personal brand. He was wrong. Once he got over that fear, he realised personal branding isn’t about fitting a mould or being cool — it’s about being real.
People follow people, not just brands.
“The future is all about personal branding. This is the window to do it now. 90% of the content we see on social media will soon be AI-generated, but the connection that a person brings to the table — the trust and authenticity — will always be more important. Back in the day, I didn’t think I was cool enough to build a personal brand, but I soon realised it wasn’t about that,” said Beard.
“It’s about showing up authentically and building trust with your audience. You can’t be afraid to take that leap.”
Once he embraced the power of personal branding, the results were undeniable. Personal branding is all about building trust, offering insights and sharing your journey. It’s a way to show up authentically and connect with your audience on a deeper level.
My key takeaway: Personal branding isn’t about being perfect or “cool”. It’s about showing up authentically and creating value through your story.
If you are an entrepreneur or someone interested in starting a business, it’s likely you’re being driven by the pursuit of freedom.
Beard explained that, despite his massive success, he still craved the freedom entrepreneurship promised. However, he learned that true freedom doesn’t come from stepping away from work. It comes from having control over your time and decisions.
“Entrepreneurship for freedom… but so much of it is, you’re in the trenches every day making it happen,” Simon said.
My key takeaway: Entrepreneurship isn’t a 9-to-5, and it certainly isn’t a ‘set it and forget it’ deal. True freedom comes when you’re working on what you’re passionate about, not running away from hard work.
One of Beard’s most brilliant marketing strategies was empowering his team to be content creators. Rather than relying solely on influencers, he turned Culture Kings’ store staff into brand ambassadors, which proved to be a game-changer in building brand awareness.
As he puts it, “Your store staff is your biggest unlock of content creators”.
This tactic isn’t just about posting product shots. It’s about using your team to tell your brand story and engage with your audience in an authentic way. When you empower your employees to share their experiences and insights, they become an extension of your brand.
My key takeaway: Your team can be your best brand ambassadors. As a leader, it becomes your job to empower them to create authentic content that resonates with your audience and drives engagement.
A common mistake many businesses make is not clearly defining their mission. Beard explained that any brand, including your personal brand needs a mission — a guiding principle that sets you apart and gives direction to everything you do. Without a mission, your brand risks becoming just another “general store”.
“If you don’t define your mission, you’re at risk of looking like a general store,” he said.
My key takeaway: Don’t just focus on what you’re selling, focus on WHY you’re selling it. A mission helps guide everything from marketing to customer interaction and fuels long-term growth.
In our fast-evolving world, entrepreneurs and businesses must be adaptable, authentic, and mission-driven. Simon Beard’s journey offers invaluable lessons on how to build not just a successful business, but a lasting brand that resonates with audiences and stands the test of time.
After speaking with Beard one thing that was clear to me is that the future of marketing is personal branding. It’s no longer enough to sell a product; people want to connect with the person behind the brand.
With so much content being generated by AI and corporations, the human element — authenticity, trust, and transparency — will always set you apart.
His approach to personal branding shaped how Culture Kings engaged with its customers and helped build brand clout and value. By using social content and empowering his store staff to become content creators, Beard built a community around his brand, not just a customer base.
In an age where 83% of millennials don’t trust traditional ads, building a personal brand is more crucial than ever. People want to hear your story, understand your values, and connect with you on a human level.
The future of marketing isn’t about selling products; it’s about selling people’s stories.
As Beard said, “The future is all about personal branding. People want to connect with real individuals, not faceless corporations”.
It’s time to step into the spotlight, share your story, and make your mark.
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Matt Purcell is the founder of Kyu Media and Social Kung Fu and the co-founder of The Business Academy.
