06/10/2026
One of my favorite parts of running Island City Designs is helping turn ideas into real products.
What starts as a conversation, a sketch, or even a random text message can become hats, shirts, tumblers, coaster and other merchandise that help build a brand. It’s been awesome working with The Average Dad and watching his ideas come to life.
If you’re a creator, small business owner, organization, or just someone with an idea you’ve been thinking about, I’d love to help bring it to reality.
A year ago, I was scrolling Facebook and came across a post from Island City Designs. I don’t even remember if it was a hat, a keychain, or something else, but I remember thinking, “I should go talk to this guy.”
So I did.
I walked in with an idea and a whole lot of uncertainty. I told him about The Average Dad, what I hoped it could become, and all the things I wanted to make someday. Shirts. Hats. Tumblers. Cutting boards. The whole deal.
His response?
“Yeah, brother. Let’s make it happen.”
The very first thing we made was a cutting board with my logo on it. He engraved it right there, then personally delivered it to me because I only lived a couple blocks away at the time.
What stands out isn’t the cutting board. It’s the belief.
He believed in this channel before there was any reason to. Before the growth. Before the views. Before any proof that this thing would become anything at all.
When I told him I wanted merchandise, his answer wasn’t, “Let’s wait and see.” It was, “Let’s get it on the website.” He even built a dedicated Average Dad page so people could find everything in one place.
And here’s the truth: we haven’t exactly been flooded with orders. People ask about the stuff, they say they like it, and sometimes it falls through. That’s part of the process.
But every time I show up with a new idea, his answer is still the same.
“Sounds good. Let’s do it.”
That’s the kind of person you want in your corner.
The people who believe in you when it’s easy are great. The people who believe in you when there’s nothing in it for them are rare.
So this is my appreciation post for Island City Designs.
If you need custom shirts, hats, tumblers, water bottles, laser engraving, gifts, business items, or pretty much anything else you can dream up, go talk to him. He supports small businesses, small orders, big ideas, and people chasing something they’re passionate about.
I hope one day we have so many orders coming through that he’s scrambling to keep up.
Until then, I just wanted to say thank you.
Your support has meant more than you probably realize.