How Sticking to One Core Product Drove Project Repat’s $12M eCommerce Success, with Nathan Rothstein (episode 591)
Nathan Rothstein is co-founder of Project Repat, who turn your favourite old t-shirts into quilts. Founded in 2012 they now sell via a Shopify site and do $12million a year.
Returning to the podcast a decade after his first appearance, Nathan shares how staying focused on one core product, building trust, and adapting to challenges like COVID and iOS changes have powered their long-term growth – while continuously refining their marketing and operations.
Listen now for free:
Powered by RedCircle
Subscribe on your Favourite Podcast App
Dive in:
[06:00] “T-Shirts Into Memory Blankets”
[07:19] “Turning T-Shirts Into Memories”
[10:48] Remote Team Dynamics.
[15:40] “T-Shirt Prep & Deadlines”
[18:30] Women Athletes & Trust Building
[20:46] Listen to Nathan’s Top Tips!
Focus Beats Constant Reinvention
Many eCommerce brands chase growth by launching new products or pivoting too often. Project Repat took the opposite approach. They stuck with one core product and kept improving it year after year. This focus helped them refine operations, messaging, and profitability. The lesson is simple: find what works and go deeper, not wider.
Trust Is Your Biggest Conversion Lever
When customers are asked to send in personal or valuable items, trust becomes critical. Project Repat invests heavily in building that trust at every step. They use clear communication, tracking systems, and user-generated content to reassure buyers. This reduces hesitation and increases conversions. If your product has any friction, trust-building should be a top priority.
Your Marketing Must Match Customer Behavior
Customers don’t always buy right away, especially for products that require effort. Project Repat knows their buyers often delay action. So they use email and ads to gently remind and re-engage them over time. They call it “nice nagging,” and it works. Understanding how your customers actually behave helps you design better marketing flows.
Systems and Tech Create Competitive Advantage
This business is not a typical eCommerce setup. Customers must send products before fulfillment can begin. To manage this, Project Repat built custom systems on top of Shopify. These systems improve tracking, communication, and operational efficiency. Investing in the right tech can unlock growth and reduce complexity.
Adapt Fast, But Stay Grounded in What Works
The business faced major disruptions, from COVID to Apple’s iOS changes. Instead of chasing every new tactic, they adapted while staying focused on their core strengths. They improved their ad creative, leaned into email, and adjusted their approach to Meta ads. This balance helped them stay resilient. The key is to evolve your tactics without losing your strategic foundation.
eCommerce Book Top Tip
- Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working by Dan Heath
eCommerce Traffic Top Tip
- Email marketing
Tool Top Tip
- AI and ChatGPT
Carbon Top Tip
- Turn production waste into profit: upcycle leftover fabric scraps into new products (like socks) instead of paying for recycling or sending it to landfill.
Interview links
- Check out Project Repat
- Exclusive Offer: Get 30% off with code MASTERPLAN (available in the US & Canada only)
- Nathan on LinkedIn
- Listen to Nathan’s first appearance on the show talking about email sign-ups and doing $4M in sales in 2015
Related Episodes
- Building a sustainable loungewear brand with PR and Community – it’s Krisha Kotak from Tula+Tye (episode 385)
- Why PR is a the Ultimate Stakeholder for Fashion Brands with Christina Dean, The R Collective (episode 462)
- How Flotsam Flo Grew through Creativity, Community, and Sustainability (episode 484)
- Why Focus is Wunderbrow’s Key Growth Strategy with Diego Mandelbaum (episode 524)
Without the sponsors the podcast wouldn’t be possible – please do check them out:
Have you yet downloaded our ebook?
To celebrate reaching Episode 500 we’ve created an EPIC eCommerce success-focused ebook.
Packed with FIVE HUNDRED Top Tips about how to make your eCommerce store more profitable.
Featuring the advice of many, many past guests, alongside industry experts and many from you – our listeners.
Chloe has checked every single tip, and organised the whole thing into sections for you.
Making is super easy to dip and dip out and take inspiration as and when you need it.
This ebook needs to be sat on your desktop – or (even…) printed and sat on your desk.
Download your free copy right now
Full transcript to read & download:
Like to be a guest? Apply Here‘