Before becoming a successful businessman, Drew Davis was just a kid growing up in a small town in southern Missouri, struggling to fit in. Born with cerebral palsy, he said it was hard being different, especially at a young age.

By high school, he weighed 300 lbs., and his doctor told him he needed to lose weight, but he doubted Drew could because he used a wheelchair.

That moment sparked a change in Drew.

“No matter what I want to do in life, it all starts with me,” he said.

Determined, he lost 150 lbs. in a year and gained confidence—and a love for hot sauce.

The following year, he had a school project to create a mock business and present it to his class.

“I love hot sauce, and I love making fun of myself, so let’s create Crippling Hot Sauce,” Drew said. “So, I built this whole plan about how we’re going to reshape the perspective around the disabled community through humor and donate 5% of the funds to cerebral palsy research.”

Drew was underwhelmed by his grade for the school project, so he talked to his teacher about it. He told Drew he thought it was unrealistic and not something he could pull off.

He used that as motivation and turned Crippling Hot Sauce into a real business.

“I’m on a mission to show that no matter your situation, anything is possible,” he said.

Thanks to a lot of hard work, a great sense of humor, and an inspirational story, Drew became a social media sensation on TikTok, launching his business into success. Drew said last year alone, Crippling Hot Sauce sold over 200,000 bottles.

Then his cousin Josh joined to help scale the brand into something bigger.

Josh reached out to entrepreneur and early-stage business investor Chris Robb, of The Angel Group, on LinkedIn to pitch The Crippling Company. Chris said when he first connected with Drew, he was inspired by Drew’s story because Chris has spinal muscular atrophy.

“I know how tough it is to build a successful career when you’re also up against stuff that can stress you out daily that other folks don’t necessarily have to deal with or contend with. But I also know that’s a superpower,” Chris said.

They teamed up, and now The Crippling Company is working toward becoming a platform to help people with disabilities realize they can do anything. They are striving to make a lasting impact and to serve as a representation for people with disabilities in business, investment, and entrepreneurial spaces.

Through The Crippling Company, Drew and his team are breaking down stereotypes and proving that having a disability is not a limitation – it’s a different kind of strength. Their message is clear: the path to success might look different for everyone, but hard work, determination, and a little bit of heat can take you further than anyone thought possible.

Learn more about Drew and his company at https://thecripplingcompany.com.