What Innovation Really Feels Like: A Story of Craftsmanship, Courage, and Heart

These days, “innovation” gets tossed around like confetti. Flashy, high-tech, world-changing, sure.

But when Kris Forrest, marine, diplomat, and now co-founder of C&D Tools USA, thinks about innovation, it looks a little different. Simpler. Braver, even.

For Kris, real innovation isn't about inventing something new just for the sake of it.

It's about rolling up your sleeves, looking at what’s already good, and asking yourself: how can I make this better?

And let me tell you, that one small question led him down a road paved not with venture capital and TikTok buzz, but with American steel, stubborn craftsmanship, and a whole lot of heart.

If you’re picturing a slick startup boardroom, stop right there. This story starts thousands of miles away, in the heart of the Congo.

Instead, he found a graveyard of flimsy, soulless products. No craftsmanship. No pride. Just disposable junk.

He ordered the "best" one he could find. It leaked. It felt cheap. It broke his heart a little.

Most people would’ve chalked it up to a bad Amazon order and moved on. Kris and his colleague Rebecca? They grabbed that frustration and ran with it.

And as glasses clinked and laughter filled the air that night, there was an unexpected spark: "What if we made a shaker like they used to make things, built right, built to last?"

Not because the world was begging for another cocktail shaker. Because it deserved a better one.

There were moments, plenty of them, when they were told it couldn’t be done. In fact, one big industry player even laughed them out of the room.

But here’s the thing about these two: when someone says "you can't," they hear "just watch us."

And when their first 50 handmade shakers sold out practically overnight, and when The New York Times published an article about them, it wasn’t just about sales.

It was about proving something bigger:
That craftsmanship still matters.
That people still care.

Spend five minutes talking to Kris, and you'll realize something. For him, innovation and craftsmanship are one and the same.

It’s not about being the newest. It’s about being the best.

He talks about companies like Apple, not because of the tech, but because of the experience. The way an iPhone box feels when you open it. The intention behind every curve and detail.

That’s the bar Kris set for C&D Tools:
Every curve of the shaker.
Every ridge in the steel.
Even the way it feels when you open the box.

It all had to say: "You matter. This was made for you."

Because true craftsmanship is a love letter.
And love, at its core, is the real engine of innovation.

Now, don’t get it wrong. Choosing integrity over shortcuts doesn’t mean the road gets easier.

There were critics. The ones who scoffed at the price.
The ones who couldn’t understand why anyone would care where a shaker was made.

Kris will tell you, it stung. When you pour your soul into something, criticism cuts deep. Because it is personal.

But here’s the part that matters: Kris didn’t back down. He let the hurt sharpen him, not stop him. He doubled down on his mission. 

If Kris could sit down across from every young entrepreneur, maker, or dreamer out there, he’d tell you this:

Nobody has it all figured out.
Not the tech giants. 
Not the billion-dollar brands.
Not even the ones who look like they do.

Innovation isn’t about having the perfect plan.

It’s about the grit to start, the heart to keep going, and the courage to believe it matters.

It’s messy.
It’s emotional.
It’s uncertain.
And it’s so worth it.

At the end of the day, innovation doesn’t live in skyscrapers or Silicon Valley headlines. It lives in small workshops. In late-night work sessions. In stubborn dreams that refuse to die.

It lives in people like Kris Forrest and Rebecca Beardsley, people who dare to believe that making something better, even by a fraction, is an act of rebellion worth fighting for.

Because innovation isn’t just about what you make. It’s about what you stand for.

And if you ask us? That’s the kind of craftsmanship, and courage, the world needs more of.

Think about something you love, a tool, a ritual, a tradition. Ask yourself: How could I make it even just a little better? Your next great innovation might be waiting right there.

🎙️ Listen In: Want to hear more about Kris’s take on innovation straight from the source?

Catch the episode  "Innovation is not 'newness'" on the What is Innovation? Podcast , you’ll walk away thinking differently about what it really means to build something that lasts.