His Company Made Over $100 Million in Revenue and He Decided to Rebrand. Here's Why. The CEO of Infusionsoft discusses the business and psychology behind a company rebrand.

By Eric 'ERock' Christopher

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Clate Mask was afraid. He knew he was about to endure a critical confrontational conversation.

He knew the stakes were extremely high. Having been at the helm of Infusionsoft for just a few years, he knew the outcome of this next meeting would literally make or break his company. The future of his relatively new startup at the time rested upon an intense negotiation that was about to take place.

He was asked, "So, did you look for a real job today?"

"No," said Mask, uneasily. Suddenly, he realized this meeting could dismantle his dream and ultimately his company...

Intrigued? Get the inside details of this conversation by checking out my exclusive video interview with Clate Mask, CEO of Infusionsoft. Mask tells a compelling personal story of both struggle and triumph that has led to the company's decision to completely rebrand their business that generated over $100,000,000 in revenue in 2017 alone.

Related: The 8 Must-Follow Rules for Rebranding Your Company (Infographic)

After 17 years of success, Infusionsoft just announced their decision to rebrand the software company as Keap. Concurrently, a new product has been launched, also called Keap, which bills itself as "smart client management" software.

I asked Mask why his company felt the need to launch a new product and rebrand, especially with their track record of success. Few companies ever generate $100M annually or raise over $125M in funding from major investors like Goldman Sachs and others. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

"We heard the market for a long time telling us, 'Hey, we love Infusionsoft, and we want a lighter, easier version of that.'" Mask explained, "That's essentially what we did with Keap. We created a much lighter and easier way for people to do smart client management. That's what we refer to it as because most small businesses don't call it CRM software. Keap is smart client management software."

Related: 5 Signs It's Time to Rebrand

Mask believes that many entrepreneurs face dark moments when the struggle to grow a business is overwhelming and causes them to consider quitting. During our conversation, he revealed his personal story of turmoil and how he nearly quit on his own dream of building a successful business. It's a story that I believe almost every entrepreneur can relate to and most have experienced a version of it themselves.

In the video above, he shares how that intense confrontation that took place years ago ultimately determined the fate of his company's future today.

Want to hear more from other successful entrepreneurs and executives? The BizFamous Show is coming soon, so feel free to subscribe to our brand new channel!

Wavy Line
Eric 'ERock' Christopher

Entrepreneur Leadership Network Writer

CEO of BizFamousTM Media Group - Executive Producer - Entrepreneur

Eric Christopher, also known as ERock, is an innovative marketing strategist and respected business consultant who's a featured contributor on Entrepreneur.com, Business.com, Thrive Global, Huffington Post, and other major media outlets.

ERock has been a successful entrepreneur for nearly 2 decades. He graduated from Arizona State University with a 4.0 GPA, granting him Summa Cum Laude honors. 

He started his first brick-and-mortar business as a strength and conditioning coach, working with amateur athletes to Olympic gold medalists. He then started a part-time marketing business, which generated multiple 6-figures over the next half-decade. 

This experience ultimately evolved into a career as a branding, marketing, and media expert.

ERock is an accomplished writer, award-winning speaker, business strategist, and media consultant. He's described by his peers and clients as innovative, vivid, and quick-witted. 

His philosophy is that ALL branding and marketing must be educational, engaging, and entertaining in order to succeed in today's competitive business world. His passion is to invent unique and creative branding and media strategies that generate exceptional ROI and PR for clients.

He's consulted with a wide range of enterprises, including local business owners, national franchise chains, respected cryptocurrency companies, and world-renowned brands, including Shark Tank companies and an original Shark Tank investor.


ERock is also an accomplished business coach, having mentored thousands of entrepreneurs around the world, teaching them how to run successful businesses themselves.

ERock is the founder and CEO of (BizFamousTM Media Group - link: https://www.BizFamous.com), a media consultancy designed to promote large brands and enterprises and (Local Business Rockstar - link: https://LocalBusinessRockstar.com), a company dedicated to empowering small businesses in their markets.

Want to learn from the Sharks and other successful entrepreneurs? 

ERock is the Executive Producer and host of The BizFamous Show that is launching soon, (so feel free to subscribe to this brand new channel now - link: https://www.youtube.com/c/BizFamous?sub_confirmation=1)!

Editor's Pick

She's Been Coding Since Age 7 and Presented Her Life-Saving App to Tim Cook Last Year. Now 17, She's on Track to Solve Even Bigger Problems.
Lock
I Helped Grow 4 Unicorns Over 10 Years That Generated $18 Billion in Online Revenues. Here's What I've Learned.
Lock
Want to Break Bad Habits and Supercharge Your Business? Use This Technique.
Lock
Don't Have Any Clients But Need Customer Testimonials? Follow These 3 Tricks To Boost Your Rep.
Why Are Some Wines More Expensive Than Others? A Top Winemaker Gives a Full-Bodied Explanation.

Related Topics

Growing a Business

How Embracing Your Inner Artist Skyrockets Your Business Success

Here's how engaging in an artistic outlet benefits business leaders.

Marketing

How to Effectively Utilize Video in Your Franchise Brand's Marketing Strategy

Knowing where to focus your effort will help you in many ways.

Science & Technology

How AI Is Transforming the Accounting Industry — and What the Future Will Look Like

It's time to harness the power of AI and transform bookkeeping.

Business News

'I'm Not a Very Good Businessman': Kevin Costner Is Risking a Ton of His Own Money on New Project

The "Yellowstone" star discussed how he bankrolled his new epic movies — and his accountant isn't happy.

Business News

California Colleges Are Flooded With 'Ghost Students' Attempting to Steal Financial Aid

About 20% of applications for California community colleges are fraudulent, according to the State Chancellor's Office.