Oak Drive Monthly Update - June

You’re reading Oak Drive’s Monthly Update — a newsletter about me and my brother building a clothing brand from scratch. Each issue shares honest updates, real thoughts, and the actual numbers behind creating something high-quality and sustainable.

No playbook. No overnight success. Just two brothers trying to do it right — one misstep at a time.

Let’s get into it.

— Nick

If you've been following along for a while, you've probably heard Johnny and me talk about these shirts more times than you can count.

Well... they're finally here.

After months of me waiting patiently and Johnny waiting... considerably less patiently, our first Oak Drive t-shirts are officially available so go check em out!

We also somehow reached the point where I had to model the shirts for the website. I'm fairly certain my friends will never let me live that one down. But these are just some of the things that you have to do when you’re the better looking brother.

From day one, our goal wasn't to make just another t-shirt. We wanted to create one that we'd actually reach for every time we opened our closets—a heavyweight t-shirt made from 100% organic cotton, built to hold up and last for years instead of months.

It's a simple product, but we obsessed over the little details because we believe those details matter.

If you'd like to support what Johnny and I are building, we'd love for you to check them out at oakdrivebrand.com. Every order helps us continue investing in better materials, better products, and the next chapter of Oak Drive.

Whether you decide to grab one or simply continue following along, thank you for being part of the journey.

If you had asked me two months ago which would arrive first—the t-shirts or the hats—I would've confidently told you the hats.

Well... I was wrong.

What we thought would be a relatively straightforward project somehow turned into five rounds of revisions. The most recent—and thankfully final—hurdle was getting the design on the front of the hat just right. We wanted "Oak Drive" embroidered while keeping the rest of the artwork screen printed. It sounded simple enough to us, but it took two revision rounds before they even attempted it.

At one point we were even told it couldn't be done.

Turns out... it can.

After five rounds of revisions, the hats are finally in production. Hopefully the next time you hear from me they'll actually be here... but given my recent track record with delivery estimates, I probably shouldn't make any promises.

Our next sweater sample is currently in transit from Peru.

We're excited to see how the revisions turned out and will be sure to share an update in next month's newsletter.

The truth is... Johnny and I know just about nothing when it comes to running a high-quality social media account. I'm more of the backend guy, and Johnny... well, I'm still trying to figure out what exactly he's good for.

Thankfully, my good friend Raven recently reached out and said she'd be interested in helping with the social media side of Oak Drive as a way to build her experience and get a data point for her resume. Needless to say, we were more than happy to have her join us.

So if you suddenly start seeing actual content on our Instagram... you'll know who to thank.

Welcome to the team, Raven!

As always, thank you for following along.

Oak Drive is slowly growing, and we're incredibly grateful to everyone who's chosen to be part of the journey—whether that's buying a shirt, helping behind the scenes, or simply reading these monthly updates.

We'll see you next month.

— Nick