Elliott Phear

Co-Founder, CEO

About

I've spent 20 years building consumer brands from scratch - as a founder, operator, and agency owner.Today I'm CEO of Ass Pocket Whiskey, the DTC-first whiskey brand I co-founded with Derek Trucks. After building a strong direct business in year one, we’re now opening retail across four states. Before that I co-founded Four Walls Irish American Whiskey with the cast of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, where I built the business from scratch - structured the company and partnership, developed the product, built the supply chain, led the raises, brought on the distributor, built the team, and launched it across the US.Both started as a blank page. I wrote the plan, built the team, raised the money, and ran it.That operator instinct came from two decades before it. I started in production at MTV, writing and producing shows like TRL, then founded my own creative agency - Phear Creative, later Night After Night - and grew it to $7M ARR over years of running new business, client relationships, hiring, finance, and celebrity partnerships. We worked with Jameson, GM, Tory Burch, Jägermeister, Asics, Kings of Leon, and Lancôme, and during that stretch I helped grow Jameson U.S. from 1M to 4M cases.I bring three things most operators don't have together: brand and creative instinct, commercial and P&L rigor, and the experience of actually building the machine. If you're scaling a growth-stage consumer brand and the growth system isn't built yet - or isn't running the way you want - that's where I do my best work.

Country

United States

City

Brooklyn

Industry

Wine & Spirits

Skill

Cross-functional Team Leadership, Partnerships, Venture Development, Revenue & Profit Growth, Operations Management, Sales & Marketing Leadership, Partnership Activation, P&L Analysis, Development of Strategy, Creative Agencies, Corporate Partnership Development, Customer Acquisition, Start-up Ventures, Omnichannel marketing, Omni-Channel Marketing, Performance Marketing, Capital Raising, Go-to-Market Strategy, P&L Management, Strategic Planning

Experience

Co-Founder, CEO

Ass Pocket Whiskey

2024-3 - Present · 2 yrs 7 mos

New York City Metropolitan Area

Co-founded a DTC-first whiskey brand with musician Derek Trucks, offering limited-release, small-batch bourbons in 200ml ‘Ass Pocket’ flasks. - Built the brand from the ground up: naming, identity, packaging, and voice. - Designed and managed full eCommerce operating model: owned P&L, optimized margins (>50%), and delivered >21% repeat purchase rate. - Led integrated funnel strategy—combining Meta campaigns, national PR, and festival activations with Shopify/Klaviyo automation—to amplify awareness, drive strong ROAS and sold-out releases. - Oversaw product sourcing, supplier negotiations, operations, marketing, and sales. - Each release sells out within days, establishing a loyal consumer base and national reach.

Co-Founder, CEO

Spirits of the Night

2021-6 - Present · 5 yrs 4 mos

New York, New York, United States

Venture studio developing and launching culturally relevant brands. - Ass Pocket Whiskey (2024–Present) – Designed and managed full eCommerce operating model: owned P&L, optimized margins (>50%), and delivered >21% repeat purchase rate. Implemented funnel strategy (Shopify/Klaviyo), launch calendars, and scarcity/PR tactics that sold out 3 consecutive releases in days. - Four Walls Whiskey (2022–2024) – Oversaw supply chain, brand identity, packaging, omnichannel distribution, and GTM launch with the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Built national awareness through a 360° program including Welcome to Wrexham partnership. - Capital & Partnerships – Raised investment and structured celebrity/artist partnerships; managed ownership, rights, and GTM alignment. - Leadership & Systems – Recruited and led cross-functional teams (creative, growth, operations, finance) and installed processes to scale multiple ventures simultaneously.

Co-Founder, CEO

Four Walls Irish American Whiskey

2022-1 - 2024-1 · 2 yrs 1 mo

New York, New York, United States

Co-founded and served as CEO, overseeing both business operations and brand/marketing to take Four Walls Whiskey from idea to multi-market launch in 18 months. - Achieved a successful multi-market launch in October 2023 across PA, NY, CA, FL, and national e-commerce. - Led brand identity, packaging design, and creative storytelling, ensuring cultural relevance and premium positioning. - Built and executed launch marketing strategy across eCommerce, retail, influencer, PR, and experiential activations, including a brand partnership with Welcome to Wrexham. - Recruited and led an integrated team to build Four Walls Whiskey from the ground up in 18 months. - Drove all business development: corporate structure, financial model, fundraising, partner deals, and key talent hires. - Directed product development: sourced whiskeys and dry goods, negotiated supplier contracts, and oversaw production. - Managed industry operations: permits and licenses, brand registrations, importing, and compliance (including CBMA filings).

Co-Founder, CEO

Night After Night

2010-5 - 2024-1 · 13 yrs 9 mos

Greater New York City Area

Built and led a multi-million-dollar creative agency from a three-person shop into a 25+ person team serving global brands in spirits, lifestyle, and entertainment. - Scaled revenue to $7M+ with ~15% profit margins, fully self-funded through reinvested profits. - Led a full agency rebrand that positioned us as “the agency that thrives in the after-hours”, fueling growth in entertainment and beverage sectors. - Built and ran an in-house “always-on” content studio powering storytelling platforms across clients. - Managed P&L, service development, marketing, sales, and team culture with long-term retention (10+ years for core staff). - Directed integrated campaigns for clients including Nike, Jameson, Jägermeister, GM, Tory Burch, Jeep, Kings of Leon, Bronx Brewery, MTV, and ASICS.