Varsity Gripz — $0 to 7-Figure Revenue in Under 12 Months

The Challenge

Varsity Gripz was a brand-new DTC sports accessories brand launching from zero — no revenue, no customers, no existing store infrastructure. The goal was to build, launch, and scale a Shopify store as fast as possible while also establishing a separate B2B channel.

My Role

I joined Varsity Gripz at Day 0 as Founding Ecommerce Lead. I owned end-to-end Shopify execution across both the DTC and B2B channels, working directly with the CEO on launches, promotions, and growth strategy.

What I Did

CRO Implementation — Built the store with conversion-first architecture from day one. Optimized PDPs, cart flow, and checkout experience. Implemented mobile UX improvements and trust signals throughout the purchase funnel.

AOV Growth — Designed and implemented bundle strategies and Starter Kits that increased average order value by 20–30%. Configured Rebuy Smart Cart for intelligent upsell and cross-sell logic.

App Stack Integration — Set up and configured Rebuy Smart Cart, Okendo (reviews), Klaviyo (email), Loop Returns, and Gorgias + Zendesk for customer support. Achieved 35–45% faster support response time.

B2B Channel Launch — Launched a parallel B2B store on a separate domain with wholesale pricing logic and catalog management.

Catalog Architecture — Managed pricing, variants, and licensing logic while maintaining 100% licensing accuracy during rapid catalog scaling.

Results

  • $0 → 7-figure annual revenue in under 12 months
  • 15–25% CVR improvement through PDP and checkout optimization
  • 20–30% AOV increase via bundles and Starter Kits
  • 35–45% faster customer support response
  • 100% licensing accuracy maintained while rapidly scaling
  • Successfully launched DTC + B2B dual-channel strategy

Key Takeaway

Varsity Gripz demonstrates what happens when CRO is built into a store from Day 0 — not bolted on after the fact. Starting with conversion-first architecture, proper analytics, and a systematic optimization process meant the store was built to scale from the beginning.


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