About
Founder. Operator. Sales leader.
I'm Drew Cleaver — founder, operator, and sales leader based in Austin, TX. I built Higher Hangers from a patented dorm-room idea into a seven-figure global brand, sold direct to 30,000+ customers across 40+ countries, and managed enterprise energy accounts with $200M+ in annual revenue at Baker Hughes and Weatherford.
My background sits at the intersection of physical product, enterprise sales, and digital operations. I understand how to build things from zero, how to sell into complex organizations, and how to architect the systems that make both sustainable.
More recently I've focused on AI workflows, digital strategy, and helping founders own their stack rather than rent it. I'm open to the right full-time role — particularly where operations, sales, and technical product thinking intersect — and available for select consulting engagements.
Consulting philosophy
One-time over recurring
Retainers create dependency. I prefer engagements with a clear end state: you own the output, you understand how it works, and you can maintain it yourself.
Own don't rent
Whenever there's a choice between a SaaS subscription and a self-hosted or open alternative, I default to the one you control. Speed of setup is not worth long-term fragility.
Simple and durable beats clever
A static site on GitHub Pages that works in 10 years is better than a complex CMS that requires constant updates. I build for longevity, not impressiveness.
Document everything
Handoffs only work if there's documentation. Every engagement ends with written instructions, so you're never blocked by not knowing how something was set up.
Focus areas
- Physical product & D2C
- Enterprise sales
- AI workflows & automation
- Shopify / e-commerce
- Digital strategy
- Founder ops systems
Experience
-
2015 — 2026
Founder & Inventor
Higher Hangers ↗Built a patented seven-figure D2C housewares brand from scratch — 30,000+ customers across 40+ countries via Shopify, Amazon FBA/FBM, and wholesale. Top 1% all-time Kickstarter campaign. Owned full P&L, GTM strategy, and a fractional ops network of 10+ experts delivering enterprise-grade execution at startup cost. Consulted early-stage founders on GTM, positioning, and sales motion.
-
2012 — 2015
Account Manager, Enterprise Energy Services
Weatherford International
Opened Rocky Mountain territory from zero. Closed $75M+ in long-term service contracts. Grew territory net profit from <$1M to >$10M in one year. Won global Salesforce utilization competition.
-
2011 — 2012
Account Manager, Enterprise Energy Services
Baker Hughes
Managed $200M+ annual revenue across 20+ enterprise accounts. Closed $25M+ in new multi-product projects. Built most profitable cementing customer in Texas from $0. Graduate of Baker Hughes Sales Academy.
-
2010 — 2011
Technical Sales Representative
Stewart Tubular Products
Custom CNC Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG).
-
2008 — 2010
SMB Account Executive
Fastenal Company
Energy and industrial OEMs, Houston TX and Northwest Arkansas.
Education
BS Business Management
John Brown University, 2009
Winner, 2009 D.W. Reynolds Governor's Cup Business Plan Competition ($40,000)
Notable
- — US Utility Patent: Compact Clothes Hanger (US7404503B1)
- — Winner, 2010 Bed Bath & Beyond Innovative Dorm Room Product search
- — Winner, 2009 D.W. Reynolds Governor's Cup Business Plan Competition ($40,000)
- — Press: Washington Post, NBC, Wall Street Journal, Designboom
- — Called for ABC Shark Tank casting
Open to the right opportunity.
Full-time roles and select consulting engagements. 30 minutes, no pressure.