What I Learned in My First Month Building a Dad Hat Brand

When my son was born, something shifted.

I remember looking for a hat that actually said I was proud to be a dad, without being cheesy or loud. I wanted something that represented fatherhood the way I see it: showing up, protecting, providing, and keeping it moving, even when you are tired.

I could not find it.

So I decided I would have to create it.

As someone with a sports background who already loves wearing hats, a dad hat brand felt natural. From a practical side, starting with caps made sense: one main product, fewer SKUs than tees and hoodies, and a chance to get the brand right before expanding.

This is what I have learned in my first month of building that brand.

1. Why a Dad Hat Brand (and Why It Actually Matters to Me)

This is not just merch for me.

The whole idea started with my firstborn. Becoming a dad made me want something I could wear that felt like a badge of honor. Not a loud “WORLD’S GREATEST DAD” type of hat, but something subtle that still carries weight.

For me, being a dad means:

• Protecting your kids

• Providing as best you can

• And just keeping going, even on the hard days

That is where the “protect, provide, repeat” mindset comes in. It is not just a tagline; it is the job.

Before launching, a part of me really thought the brand might just take off right away. You see all these stories about overnight success and viral brands. I have heard the other side too, the brands that were “years in the making.”

This time, I made myself a promise:

I am seeing this all the way through.
No half trying. No quitting after a month.

I have started other projects before. This one means something to me, so I am willing to be patient and put my all into it.

2. The Design Process Took Longer Than I Expected (In a Good Way)

It took me about six months to really nail down the look and design of the hat, especially the logo.

I knew I wanted:

• A simple, clean mark

• Something you could wear anywhere

• A hidden detail in the negative space, like a little Easter egg for people paying attention

That is where the Papa Bear in the “P” comes in. I did not want a big “DAD” in block letters across the front. I wanted it to feel like a team logo. When you see a real sports team cap, you do not always see the full name. You see a symbol that represents something.

That is what I wanted for dads.

Right now, my colors lean toward sports team vibes, but I am already pivoting. I want to create more seasonal and everyday dad wear, caps you can wear to:

• School drop off

• Date night

• The gym

• Weekend games

As a soon to be girl dad (expecting my second daughter), I am also working on a girl dad hat. That part of the story is still being written, but it is already influencing the brand.

3. Embroidery Taught Me to Respect the Details

I learned quickly that what looks good on a screen does not always work stitched onto a cap.

A few big lessons from embroidery and stitching:

• Legibility is everything. Small text that looks fine in a design file can become unreadable on fabric.

• You cannot cram in too many words or tiny details just because they fit in a design tool.

• Giving the text and logo breathing room makes the hat feel more premium and easier to read at a glance.

My first sample was not perfect. But honestly, I would not change it.

It taught me a valuable lesson:

Samples are there to show you what does not work, so you can move toward what does.

4. Manufacturing Is a Patience Game

Manufacturing was a whole different challenge.

I had to deal with:

• Time zone differences

• Back and forth communication

• Waiting on shipping timelines

It took a couple of months before I even had my first shipment of hats in hand. That taught me something important.

I have to think ahead.

If I want to stay in stock, I cannot wait until I am almost sold out to place a new order. I need to be proactive, watch the inventory, and accept that there is a built in delay between making a decision and holding a box of hats in my hands.

There are a lot of moving pieces behind one cap on a shelf.

5. Marketing Is the Real Uphill Battle

This first month made one thing very clear:

It does not matter how good your product is if nobody knows it exists.

I have been using everything I have:

• My personal Facebook

• Instagram

• A business Facebook page

I have even experimented with paid ads. The thing with ads early on is that they can get you views, but if your brand, trust, and content are not there yet, they do not always bring real value.

Right now, I see more value in:

• Building trust

• Showing up consistently

• Sharing the story behind the hat and the meaning of the brand

I am treating this first phase like a long game. I am learning what content connects, what brings traffic, and what does not. The answer might change in a few months, but for now, consistency beats chasing quick wins.

6. Pricing From a Dad’s Perspective

Pricing felt straightforward, but only because I looked at it through “dad eyes.”

I asked myself:

• “What would I realistically pay for a premium hat?”

• “What price respects the quality and still respects the fact that dads have budgets, kids, and responsibilities?”

I made sure the price on my shop sits in that sweet spot, high enough to reflect the quality and all the work behind it, but not so high that it feels out of reach.

The more I have learned about manufacturing, shipping, and materials, the more I understand how important it is to price correctly if you want an actual business, not just a hobby.

7. Balancing Dad Life and Building a Brand

The balance of dad life and building this business has actually been fun.

My son gets involved. He will give me ideas and feedback in his own way. One of his favorite ideas is that he wants me to create a Ninja Turtle inspired hat, specifically Michelangelo.

If things work out the way I hope, I would love to get into brand licensing down the road and work those influences into the side patches and little details on the cap.

Moments like that remind me why I am doing this at all.

It is not just about hats. It is about:

• Building something my kids can see

• Letting them watch the process

• Showing them what it looks like to create something from scratch

8. My Biggest Lesson So Far

If I had to sum up month one in one big lesson, it would be this:

It does not matter how good your product is if you do not know how to market it.

You can have the best hat, the cleanest embroidery, the deepest meaning, but if you do not learn how to:

• Tell the story

• Drive traffic

• Get in front of the right people

then you do not have a business.

So my advice to any other dad thinking about starting a brand:

• Just start. You will learn more from doing than from overthinking.

• Pay attention to marketing early. Do not wait until “later” to learn it.

• Be patient. The first month is just the warm up.

I am still early in this journey, but I am committed to seeing where it goes.

If you have made it this far and you are a dad who wants something on your head that actually means something, you can check out the caps here:

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Protect. Provide. Repeat.