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What started as a simple intention to earn $5,000 to buy a French Bulldog in 2013 eventually became the foundation of Passionfruit, a brand built by Liz Bertorelli.
Passionfruit began as a side project. After five years of dedication and enthusiasm for online print-on-demand t-shirt design, she achieved her goal even faster than expected. In 2018, Passionfruit officially evolved into a full-fledged LGBTQ+ apparel brand using print-on-demand.
This is the story of how Passionfruit overcame personal and professional challenges to grow into a brand that celebrates pride, inclusivity, and identity through fashion. It serves as a powerful source of inspiration for anyone dreaming of starting their own million-dollar business.
The Driving Force Behind Passionfruit’s Success
Passionfruit started as a personal pursuit. Liz devoted just a few hours each week to it, balancing her full-time job and spontaneous travels. But what kept her going was the social impact behind each product – a sense of purpose that pushed her to share Passionfruit’s mission and the emotional stories coming from the LGBTQ+ community.
Unlike many larger brands out there, she wanted to build something that felt real – a brand shaped by people who actually live the experience, where queer creators were designing queer products. That belief became her driving force. Some days started as early as 5 a.m. and ran long past sunset. She wouldn’t sleep until every task she set out to do was done.
Balancing Passion and Everyday Life
For Liz, maintaining a balance between her passion and the rest of her life has always been a priority. She never let herself choose between growing her brand and being present for important moments with friends and family.
To make that possible, she relied on fulfillment services that allowed her to run the business remotely without needing a large upfront investment. As she put it herself, she would’ve gone crazy trying to ship everything on her own.
Even more impressively, Liz has been able to run Passionfruit in just four hours a week alongside her full-time role at Shopify. Through careful planning and smart tools, she’s kept the brand running smoothly while still carving out time for spontaneous adventures and personal joy.
The Inspiration Powering Passionfruit Forward
Although Liz operates Passionfruit on her own, she views it as a collective effort driven by the entire community. On social media, customers often step in to answer questions, share their personal stories, and show support for the brand.
By integrating a powerful print on demand platform with the Shopify App, which is crucial to Passionfruit’s operations, Liz has been able to automate processes. This has freed her up to focus on design and community engagement. With the support of on-demand printing services like Merchize, Passionfruit not only upholds product quality but also spreads its message worldwide, proving that a small idea can create a significant impact.
Liz often shares that she frequently receives thank-you emails from customers, one of whom came out to their family on Thanksgiving while wearing a Passionfruit shirt, unable to speak the words themselves. Another story involves a humorous t-shirt that sparked a relationship and led to a beautiful wedding. These moments highlight the power of a product that carries a message of inclusivity.
A memorable milestone was when actor Don Cheadle wore the “Protect Trans Kids” shirt on Saturday Night Live, spreading the message that Passionfruit has been championing for years. Although this wasn’t the current version of the shirt, the event raised awareness of the values Passionfruit stands for, something that made Liz “smile all week." This event not only boosted sales but also reinforced Liz’s belief in the brand’s influence.
Valuable Lessons from Real-World Experience
Passionfruit was not the first brand Liz Bertorelli built. In the beginning, she launched a business with her partner, but their personal relationship ended up deeply influencing the direction of the company. From that experience came a tough but valuable lesson: “Never go into business with someone you’re dating.” That turning point, however, also gave Liz a new chance to start over, both in business and in her personal life.
The transition was anything but smooth. For nearly a year, they had stopped running the brand altogether. While Passionfruit still existed and the community remained supportive, Liz felt unsettled. The brand had once been her creative outlet, a space where she could express herself and feel free. Stepping back to deal with personal matters took away the emotional escape that had meant so much to her.
Eventually, Liz chose to continue on her own. Passionfruit was no longer a shared project. It became her personal voice, one that was free, confident, and full of character. Even with a packed schedule, Liz made space for herself, often through spontaneous getaways that helped her reset and recharge.
“I absolutely should book a trip to Chicago, eat a ton of damn pizza, check out some art galleries, then fly home” she said, reaffirming her belief that passion and personal life can thrive together – as long as you are in control of your own journey.
How the Shopify App Helped Passionfruit Achieve Breakthrough Success
The Shopify App has become the foundation that allowed Passionfruit to grow from a simple idea into a thriving print-on-demand brand, spreading LGBTQ+ messages to tens of thousands of customers and generating impressive revenue. Liz Bertorelli has done an exceptional job by integrating print-on-demand solutions like Merchize to:
- Automate the entire fulfillment process, from production to delivery
- Increase sales through an improved customer experience
- Custom branding and cost efficiency
- Amplify the brand’s community-driven message
Thanks to the Shopify App and reliable print-on-demand platforms, Passionfruit has not only exceeded its original $5,000 goal but also built a loyal global customer base. This system proves that with the right technology, a single individual like Liz can build a POD brand with meaningful impact – both financially and socially.
Passionfruit proves a small idea can create massive impact with the right tools. Ready to scale your POD brand like Liz? Join thousands of sellers using Merchize Shopify App to automate, customize and grow. Start now and take your store global!
“This article is inspired by and references the success story of Passionfruit on Shopify”.
