Your brand represents your own company as long as you can deliver your products perfectly, brand is the greatest asset someone could have because it represents you in your absence and that it speaks of your integrity and reputations in the society.
For the social media content creators and influencers expressing their lifestyle while the same creating themselves as brand where they attract everything that's meant for them.
Brands doesn't make you chase, everything chases you and wants to deal with you, it paves more way than working for company.
Yes ,I believe that building your brand first gives you a standard that attracts companies to contract you to help their business get visibility so personally it good to invest more on your brand because your efforts and it's outcome would be a reflection of the growth of whatever company that contracts you for their business,also loyalty and consistency is another key factor in building a brand because looking at the aspect of content creators and influencers once you're inconsistent with what you do it defines you on a low esteem,and it chases companies away because there's obviously no hope for the future but once they see how meticulous you are and dedicated to your brand it attracts them to chase you to invest such efforts in their companies as well to generate a bigger audience which results to more income.