Exploring Life & Business with Troy, Dana, Jacob, And Carter Portis of 2BUnited

Today we’d like to introduce you to Troy, Dana, Jacob, And Carter Portis.

Hi Troy, Dana, Jacob, and Carter, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
2BUnited (Two Brothers United), a custom tee shirt, sweatshirt, and hoodie brand, didn’t start because we had a perfect business plan.

It started with a question a lot of parents wrestle with: How do we raise kids who genuinely care about other people? Not just kids who say the right things, but kids who live it. Kids who look for ways to give, serve, and show up for their community without being asked.

We’ve always believed the most important lessons aren’t the ones we say… they’re the ones our kids see us live. Because more is caught than taught!

So instead of just talking about hard work, generosity, and purpose… we wanted to create a real-life way for our boys to experience it.

Through a lot of intentional family conversations (some surprisingly deep for an 11- and 7-year-old), 2BUnited was born. From the beginning, we’ve involved them in age-appropriate ways so they can learn, grow, and take pride in what they’re building.

What started as a simple idea has turned into a purpose-filled journey centered on faith, service, and community. Our boys are learning firsthand what it means to work hard, be creative, and give back… not just in business, but in life.

Giving back is a big part of who we are. A portion of what we do supports our church and other charitable causes, especially St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. We have also recently started making donations to local food pantries. We want them to understand that what we have is meant to be shared.

We create custom apparel based on customer ideas and have been honored to serve police departments, local teams, schools, healthcare workers, and small businesses. We love helping bring designs to life that represent unity.

But more than anything, this isn’t just about shirts. It’s our classroom, our mission field, and a daily reminder of the kind of people we’re trying to raise.

2BUnited is about purpose, people, and bringing community together.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road, and we’ve learned to embrace that.

There’s been a real learning curve in teaching our boys, being patient, and finding the balance between guiding them and allowing them to grow in independence. We’ve had to slow down at times, adjust expectations, and meet them where they are. But through that, they’ve started to take pride in what they do and become more confident and effective in how they communicate and contribute.

We’ve also had to navigate the challenge of time. As two parents working full-time, we’re intentional about making sure this business never takes away from what matters most, which is our family. That balance isn’t always perfect, but it’s something we’re committed to protecting.

The truth is, we don’t see these things as setbacks… we see them as part of the process. We know that challenges are shaping us. They’re making us stronger, more resilient, and more resourceful as a family.

We truly believe that adversity and even failure aren’t things to avoid, they’re necessary parts of growth.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
2BUnited (Two Brothers United) is a family-driven custom apparel brand built on faith, purpose, and community. What sets us apart is that every design is part of a bigger mission, which is teaching our 11- and 7-year-old sons the value of hard work, service, and giving back. We don’t just create custom shirts… we create meaningful designs that bring people together and represent something bigger.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
The favorite childhood memory for our boys would be taking family vacations. They love the time we get to spend together outside of our normal routines, especially places where they can swim and go out to eat at cool restaurants. They love having family movie nights and also going to local metro parks to play and hike.

Pricing:

• Short Sleeve T-Shirts: $20 (Adult S-XL), $25 (2XL+)
• Crewneck Sweatshirts: $30 (S-XL), $35 (2XL+)
• Hoodies: $40 (S-XL), $45 (2XL+)
• Custom designs: available upon request
• Bulk/team orders: discounted pricing available

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2bunited_
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/JC-Portis/100076250156169/