Myles Powell is a food entrepreneur who traded his career in civil engineering for a passion that truly fed his soul. After graduating from the University of Delaware with a degree in civil engineering and a business minor, he briefly appeared on the Food Network before launching his first venture, 8 Myles. While completing his MBA, he built the brand around premium, clean, frozen comfort foods—most famously mac and cheese with moxie. In 2021, Myles left engineering behind to focus fully on growing his company. Today, his dedication and vision continue to drive expansion as he pursues his bold goal of building one of the only Black-owned CPG companies valued at over $200 million.

In this episode, Brad and Myles discuss:

• Transitioning from civil engineering to food entrepreneurship
• The Food Network experience and how it sparked his first food business
• Shifting from barbecue sauce to premium frozen mac & cheese
• Challenges of consumer psychology, co-packers, and retail distribution
• Lessons learned from Target shelves, Shark Tank, and building a $200M brand vision

Key Takeaways: 

• Myles realized early in his journey that true fulfillment comes from chasing passion rather than clinging to stability. His decision to leave engineering for food entrepreneurship highlights the power of aligning work with purpose.
• Not every retail shelf is the right fit for a product, and name recognition alone doesn’t guarantee success. Finding the right market placement can make or break a brand.
• In food CPG, consumer psychology is often the invisible battlefield. Entrepreneurs must anticipate behaviors and pain points better than customers can articulate.
• Growth doesn’t always mean getting bigger fast—sometimes the smartest move is to stay lean. Strategic spending and efficiency can protect a business when rapid scaling leads to high burn rates.
• Resilience, support systems, and the mindset of saying “Why not?” fuel long-term entrepreneurial success. Each setback becomes less of a failure and more of an opportunity to move forward stronger.

“Remember that people will try all products, but they'll consistently buy brands.”  - Myles Powell

Connect with Myles Powell:

Website: https://www.mylescomfortfoods.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myles-powell-5b529025/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MylesComfortFoods 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mylescomfortfoods/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mylescomfortfoods 

Email: [email protected] 

Connect with Brad Foley:

Website: https://www.hrvaluepartners.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradfoley/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hrvaluepartners/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hrvaluepartners/ 

Email: [email protected] 

Show notes by Podcastologist: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.