Why I Left Infusionsoft

January 20th, 2012 was my last official day as an Infusionsoft employee.  It was a bitter-sweet day for me.  For the last four and a half years I’ve dedicated the majority of my life to building Infusionsoft.  I’ve spent far more time there than with my family who I love dearly.  Surfing has become something I do only occasionally.  I missed many fall & spring breaks with my wife & kids.  I burned the midnight oil on far too many occasions – trying to meet deadlines, trying to get stuff done, trying to make a difference. 

Was it all worth it?  Absolutely!  I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart.  I’d just never found the right time, the right opportunity, or had the guts to go out on my own.  Before I started at Infusionsoft Clate told me that if I wanted to own my own business there was no better place to learn how to do that successfully than at Infusionsoft.  He was 100% right.  The things I’ve learned at Infusionsoft and the experiences I’ve been blessed to be a part of could not have happened at any other place.

Infusionsoft is special.  The company is special.  The people (both employees and customers) are special.  The product is special.  Does that mean they’re perfect?  No way.  But there is more passion, integrity, attitude of service, love, and entrepreneurship at Infusionsoft than any other place in the world.  All of that is creating a winning combination.

So, if it was so great, why did I leave?  Many people have been asking me that question.  Many people have been shocked that I left.  Many long-time Infusionsoft customers and employees think synonymously of Infusionsoft and Tyler Garns.  So, my leaving causes strange assumptions and paradoxical thoughts.

I was not forced out.  I was not fired.  I was not unhappy working at Infusionsoft.  I left voluntarily.  I left on good terms with everyone I’ve ever interacted with (I hope).  I’ve put my heart and soul into Infusionsoft for the last few years, so the decision was not easy, and I did not make it lightly.   I’m keenly aware of the sacrifices that Clate, Scott, Eric and others made in the early days to get Infusionsoft to where it is today.  And, I’ve always felt indebted to them for providing me the opportunity to come experience something so wonderful, to learn so much, to be blessed by so many other people’s lives, and to be able to bless many lives.  The experience has been unique and I’ll treasure it my entire life.

Early this year I became aware of that fact that I had learned what I needed to learn to feel confident in going out on my own.  I knew it would be hard and bring its own set of challenges.  But, I was up to the challenge.  My wife, for the first time, also became supportive of me leaving.  She’s always been my biggest support, but she also likes the idea of security & stability which she associates with a job and a steady paycheck.  She’s now seeing the stability that we can create for ourselves.

I also became aware of the fact that one of the main reasons I hadn’t made the jump yet was because I felt obligated to finish projects that I was a part of.  I don’t enjoy letting people down.  In fact, I do everything in my power to not let people down.  So, since I’ve always been involved in things at Infusionsoft that I felt were crucial, I didn’t feel I could leave.  A friend of mine said, “That sounds like prison”.  Of course, I’ve never felt like working at Infusionsoft was prison-like in any way, shape, or form.  But it did cause me to realize that as long as I worked to be valuable to the company, there would never be a time when I wouldn’t be in the middle of something I felt was important.

It hit me.  It was time.  I have big life goals.  I have big plans for my family.  I have ideas on how to make the world a better place.  It was time to get moving towards those things at a faster rate.

My experience at Infusionsoft has prepared me for this next stage.  I’ll be forever grateful for that experience.

I’ll still be part of the Infusionsoft community.  In fact, I feel very protective of Infusionsoft customers.  Since I left, many have reached out to me seeking help.  I’ve heard unsettling stories of Infusionsoft customers being burned by other “consultants”, not getting what they need out of the software, and other disturbing stories.  I wish I could personally help every Infusionsoft customer.  Unfortunately I can’t.  But, I’ll do everything I can to do good.  To help as many people as I can.  And, in a certain sense, to a be protector of the community I’ve grown to love so much.

I’m out on my own.  But I haven’t left the Infusionsoft community.  I’ll be more a part of it than ever before.

I’m looking forward to many great things to come in the Infusionsoft world.

P.S. Important update on my exclusive event after InfusionCon:  I’m taking it to a whole new level by offering a way for you to get a $10,000.00 check from me.  Check it out.

About Tyler Garns

Tyler Garns is best known for his work as the Director and VP of Marketing at Infusionsoft, where he led the marketing efforts that produced massive results between 2007 and 2012. But he’s also been the “go-to” Infusionsoft guy for many of the top marketers and Infusionsoft users out there. His combination of technical skill, Infusionsoft expertise, and marketing experience make him one of the most reliable sources of business breakthroughs for Infusionsoft customers.

6 thoughts on “Why I Left Infusionsoft”

  1. Hi Tyler,

    It’s very inspiring and encouraging to read this as I made a similar decision at the beginning of the year to jump in head first in order to move towards my goals that much faster. It can be scary, but well worth LIVING:) Thanks!

  2. Hi Tyler,

    Good luck with your future endeavors! It’s a coincidence that I made the same move two weeks ago, after 4 years at a successful marketing agency. Definitely bittersweet. Looking forward to hearing your presentation at UG8 meeting you in person.

    Myles

  3. Hi Tyler,

    I’ve learned so much from you over the past few years and I wish you the best of luck in your new business. I’m really happy that although you’ve left Infusionsoft, the company, you’re still going to be an active member of the community.

    As an entrepreneur, you’ll still have a hard time spending as much time as you’d like with your family, maybe even a harder time than before. But one of the true blessings of having your own business is that how you structure the business is totally up to you. So if you look back on a month, quarter, or year and feel that you didn’t spend as much time with your family as you would have liked, you can adjust how you do things in the upcoming period.

    Thank you so much for all the great stuff you’ve done for us over the past four and a half years! I’m looking forward to seeing you at InfusionCon!

    -Chris Austin

  4. Hi Tyler,

    Our business looks forward to working closely with you at your upcoming conference.

    We plan on being yet another one of your Success Stories! Let’s make it happen 🙂

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Scroll to Top