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Key Takeaways The co-founders listed 100 A-frame snapback hats and saw immediate demand.
Dad Gang leaned into organic social media growth to build a robust community.
The business has sold one million hats, and Gary Vaynerchuk just joined the team.
Bart Szaniewski, Grant Eastey and Ejay O’Donnell didn’t set out to start a big business. But their quick friendship and overlapping interests led to one that just celebrated its fourth anniversary: the apparel and lifestyle brand Dad Gang.
Image Credit: Dad Gang. Ejay O’Donnell, left; Bart Szaniewski, center; and Grant Eastey, right.
Szaniewski and Eastey met while attending Washington State University. Around the time they graduated in 2012, they connected with O’Donnell, who had a company making stickers for major brands like Nike.
When Szaniewski and Eastey launched a T-shirt brand for fun, O’Donnell helped them print the apparel. Naturally, a group chat was born — and, as three dads with kids of all different ages, it wasn’t long before the texts veered beyond business.
“We started talking to each other and venting to each other about dad stuff, looking for some support, telling funny stories, needing tips and tricks on how to do this whole dad thing,” Szaniewski tells Entrepreneur.
Soon, commiserations over diaper blowouts and sleepless nights were sealed with some version of this supportive signoff: “You’ve got this. Dad Gang.”
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