Business growth takes more than a great product. It takes strong teams, thoughtful reinvestment, and a CEO willing to evolve alongside the company. Are you building the capabilities your business needs for its next stage of growth?

In this episode of The CEO Project Podcast, Jim Schleckser welcomes Drew Allen, President and CEO of Grace Technologies, to discuss building strong teams and reinvesting for success. Drew shares how a costly product launch failure changed his approach to customer validation, engineering capabilities, and product development.

Learn why Drew hires curious, adaptable people who can work across disciplines, and how that approach reduces handoffs and helps ideas reach customers faster. Discover how reinvesting in employee skills, prototyping tools, and manufacturing capabilities supports growth. Jim and Drew also explore how strong teams benefit from leaders who remove bottlenecks, welcome feedback, and approach challenges with greater resilience.

Listen to the full episode for practical lessons you can apply to your business. Consider where an investment in your people, tools, or capabilities could remove a barrier to growth.

Check out:

• 05:00 | A $450,000 lesson in customer validation: Drew shares how a failed product launch changed his approach to testing demand before committing money and engineering time.
• 08:00 | Reinvesting in people and tools: Learn how upskilling engineers and bringing prototyping capabilities in-house helped Grace develop products faster.
• 26:00 | Building strong teams with adaptable generalists: Drew explains how people who work across disciplines can reduce handoffs and accelerate development, with specialists refining the results.

Drew Allen is the President and CEO of Grace Technologies, Inc. Under his leadership, Grace has become a recognized leader in electrical safety and predictive maintenance solutions. Drew is passionate about building intelligent technologies that protect lives, optimize industrial operations, and help facilities achieve zero downtime and zero harm.

He is also the founder of Maple Studios, an industrial venture studio that helps early-stage companies scale from prototype to production. Drew believes in empowering the next generation of industrial innovators through collaboration, entrepreneurship, and a belief that the world needs better leaders.