Pit Viper isn’t for everyone. And that might be the secret to its success.

It starts with a guy on a ski trip. His sunglasses break. So, naturally, he walks into a military surplus store, finds an old pair of ballistic glasses from the early 90s, and thinks, these are perfect.

Fast forward a few years, and those surplus shades—once traded for beers and ski lifts—have turned into Pit Viper, a brand worth millions.

But here’s the question: how do you build a business that doesn’t just sell sunglasses, but sells attitude? A brand that’s loud, weird, and completely unignorable?

Today on the show: Chris Garcin, CEO of Pit Viper, explains how they took what should have been a joke and turned it into a cult phenomenon.

Links & Resources
🔗 Shop Pit Viper: www.pitviper.com
🎧 More stories like this: The Unofficial Shopify Podcast

Work With Kurt
🚀 Want to grow your Shopify store? We help brands like yours increase conversions, improve UX, and drive more sales.
📩 Let’s talk: ethercycle.com/apply
🛠️ See how I’ve helped other brands: ethercycle.com/work
💡 Join my newsletter for no-BS ecommerce insights: kurtelster.com

Connect with Kurt:

💬 Twitter: @kurtinc
📩 Newsletter: kurtelster.com

Sponsors:

📈 Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
🔥 Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
📬 Viralsweep – Create sweepstakes, contests, and giveaways.

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Leave a review on iTunes—it helps more Shopify merchants find the show!

Using Agile as a Lifestyle with @MariaMatarelli: Episode 80