KANSAS CITY - A Missouri entrepreneur with cerebral palsy is ready to see his hot sauce products go nationwide.
Almost three years ago, KMOX had on a 17-year-old named Drew Davis, who had launched a line of hot sauces called 'Crippling Hot Sauce'.
Davis previously told KMOX he launched the business after one of his teachers gave him an 'unsatisfactory' grade on a business project.
"I thought I deserved better than an 82," said Davis Thursday on 'Total Information A.M.' "Looking back on it, well I think I did. I'm just entirely grateful I did get that grade, because I wouldn't know where I'd be if I got a 100."
Since that interview, the brand has seen phenomenal growth. Bottles feature a chili pepper in a flaming wheelchair.
"We sold over 200,000 bottles just last year alone," said Davis. "We've seen some phenomenal growth online, and thankfully, getting the story out and inspiring hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people to show no matter the situation, anything is possible."
Davis says when he first starting making the hot sauces, it was a family operation out of his kitchen. Now it's commercially produced.
"A lot of my family is still involved. I hired my best friend since third grade so that family aspect is still very important to me, no matter what stage we're at," said Davis.
Davis says 'Crippling Hot Sauce' is now ready to go nationwide, but says it's not as easy as it sounds.
"For somebody who started with $3,000 that I saved up from Christmas money, it just takes a lot of hard work," said Davis. "Even though we have done super well, it's a process because it's all about reinvestment into the business."
"I haven't taken a dollar yet. I've been focused on the mission and making sure that's done right. I won't take a dollar until I feel I've gotten to a point where our mission is heard."
Davis says a portion of the proceeds from the business go to charity. Some the charities Davis supports include UCP Heartland Foundation and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.
Davis says the name 'Crippling Hot Sauce' is not a way to poke fun at the disabled community, but rather to poke fun of himself.
"I was poking fun of myself and the fact I'm disabled," said Davis. "This kind of why we've generalized the names (of the sauces) like 'Just For The Parking' and 'Life's a Beach' because it's names everyone can get behind."
Recently, 'Crippling Hot Sauce' has launched news flavors, including 'Ghost Pepper Palsey'.