Saucy Beginnings

I have vivid memories as a kid when my dad made homemade BBQ sauce. At that point in my life, I was a pretty picky eater—ketchup on everything type. But one small taste of the smoky, yet sweet concoction that my dad had whipped up in our kitchen, and I was absolutely hooked! From that point forward, I became fascinated with everything homemade.

Fast forward about ten years later, and it’s the summer before my senior year in college. I had just landed my first full-time job. I actually had some money in my pocket! And you know the first place I went with that paycheck? The grocery store. I was on a mission to create my own homemade BBQ sauce. So I rounded up all of my ingredients, and on a hot June afternoon, I created my own Jack Daniels BBQ sauce…with the help of Google, of course. It was delicious! From that point forward during my senior year, I would expand my passion for cooking like never before. I developed a strong urgency for recipe exploration and culinary creation. It was only right that once I graduated from college and began my professional career, the passion only continued to grow. Only this time, it accelerated at a rapid rate.

I started my career as a civil engineer with a utility company in Harrisburg, PA. My Friday nights were spent binge-watching the Food Network, and my Saturdays were spent in my tiny kitchen developing new creative recipes. Everything from duck grilled cheese to bacon-wrapped lasagna—nothing was off-limits. But one item I always loved to tinker with was homemade BBQ Sauce. After visiting a local BBQ spot and being inspired by the array of sauce selections, I decided that I wanted to truly try something different. And so I began testing out a BBQ sauce that used Raspberry as its base. At that time, I didn’t even really like Raspberries! But the idea seemed unique. So I went for it. And on the first trial of the sauce, I am here to tell you, it was absolutely terrible. Possibly one of the worst sauces I have ever tasted.

But I knew there was potential. So for the next 2 months, I adjusted and added ingredients. Until one day, I coated some wings in my latest Raspberry BBQ sauce installments, took a bite, and my mouth sang. I had it. I was so thrilled about the outcome but was even more excited about sharing it with friends and family. So I bought some plastic bottles off of some random plastic wholesale account (Amazon wasn’t the Amazon of today), printed out some random funky label that I made on Microsoft Word, and shipped out samples. The feedback was incredible. It was being called the greatest sauce in their pantry! Talk about putting a battery in my back.

While all of this is occurring, I am scratching the entrepreneurial itch. I knew owning a business was in my future plans, but now I felt I had a product that would lead me towards actually moving forward with starting a business. The journey had begun. And over the next 3-4 years, I introduced a number of other sauces, including the #1 seller Pineapple Buffalo Sauce, a Mango-Based BBQ sauce, and Peach-Based BBQ Sauce. The “sauce story” was born out of a 900 square foot apartment in Harrisburg, PA. Those humble beginnings put me on an unforgettable entrepreneurial path that is still being forged today.

Leap of Faith

Imagine summoning the courage to leap off a cliff with a bungee cord attached, your heart racing as you anticipate the exhilarating plunge. You take the leap, only for the cord to snap mid-fall, leaving you injured and shaken. Despite the pain and uncertainty, you find yourself pondering: would you take that leap again, knowing the risks and challenges that lie ahead?

I faced a similar dilemma in 2017. As I watched the DC fireworks illuminate the night sky, surrounded by friends and laughter, I made a pivotal decision that would alter the course of my life. With a sense of determination burning within me, I resolved to pursue my entrepreneurial dreams with unwavering commitment. The next day, I took a leap of faith, resigning from my stable job and embracing the uncertainty of entrepreneurship. It was a decision fueled by passion and a desire for autonomy, yet tinged with apprehension and doubt. Little did I know, this leap would lead me down a path fraught with challenges and setbacks, testing my resilience and resolve in ways I could never have imagined.

In the ensuing months, I found myself navigating the turbulent waters of entrepreneurship, grappling with the harsh realities of building a business from scratch. Despite pouring my heart and soul into the venture, success remained elusive, and I soon faced the stark truth of financial strain. Within a mere nine months, my once-promising endeavor teetered on the brink of collapse, plagued by mounting debt and dwindling resources. Faced with the stark reality of failure, I confronted the need to reassess my priorities and seek stability through conventional employment.

During this juncture in my journey, I experienced a myriad of emotions—disappointment, relief, and above all, determination. Despite depleting my savings and plunging into significant debt, I gleaned invaluable lessons on what pitfalls to avoid. Returning to full-time employment served as a catalyst for personal growth, fostering a heightened sense of focus on business development while relegating social pursuits to the sidelines. I honed my time-management skills, striving to achieve more with limited resources, all the while harboring a steadfast resolve to eventually re enter the realm of full-time entrepreneurship from a more advantageous vantage point.

And you know what? Three and a half years later, that's exactly what happened. I had been working my full-time job from 7 am to 4 pm, then dedicating my evenings and weekends to the business from 5 to 11 pm. My relentless dedication was paying off, evident in the milestone achievements of landing our products in Whole Foods and Target, with plans to expand into 350 additional locations. However, juggling both roles became untenable. Once again, I found myself standing at the edge of uncertainty, grappling with doubts about potential failure. Yet, fueled by hope and vision, I confidently walked into my boss's office, not with trepidation but with excitement and a sense of accomplishment. I was ready to propel the business to unprecedented heights, unaware of the challenges that still lay ahead.

From Engineer to Entrepreneur

When I was growing up, I excelled in math and science, so naturally, engineering seemed like the ideal career path for me. After earning a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Delaware, I landed my first full-time job. However, despite achieving what many would consider success, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.

It was during this period of introspection that I stumbled upon an unexpected opportunity in the food industry. As a self-proclaimed food enthusiast, I found myself increasingly drawn to the culinary world. This intrigue led me to explore avenues beyond my engineering career, ultimately leading to a pivotal moment: competing in a Food Network competition series called "America’s Best Cook."

Despite my limited experience in the kitchen, I seized the opportunity with an open mind and a willingness to embrace the unknown. The experience was both exhilarating and humbling, as I navigated the challenges of cooking under pressure on a nationally televised stage. While my journey on the show ended sooner than I had hoped, the impact it had on me was profound.

Following my stint on "America’s Best Cook," I embarked on a new culinary adventure: crafting my own line of BBQ sauces. Drawing inspiration from my love for unique flavors and a desire to create something truly distinctive, I dedicated myself to perfecting recipes that would captivate taste buds and ignite culinary creativity.

Balancing my burgeoning passion for food with the demands of my engineering career and graduate studies was no easy feat. Yet, with unwavering determination and a relentless pursuit of my entrepreneurial dreams, I forged ahead. From branding to trademark laws, I immersed myself in every aspect of building a business from the ground up.

In May 2015, after months of meticulous planning and preparation, I proudly launched my company, 8 Myles LLC. Starting with an Etsy shop and producing sauces in the evenings after my day job, I embraced the challenges and opportunities that came with entrepreneurship. The journey was filled with ups and downs, but through it all, I remained steadfast in my commitment to turning my passion into a thriving business.

As I reflect on my journey, I'm often asked about the connection between my engineering background and my foray into the food industry. For me, the answer is clear: my experiences as an engineer instilled in me a sense of resilience and problem-solving prowess that have been invaluable on this entrepreneurial path. Today, as I continue to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of business ownership, I draw upon these foundational principles to guide me forward with confidence and determination.

Why Not? How a Simple Question Changed My Life

I distinctly remember the moment my brain concocted a phrase that would alter the course of my life indefinitely.

At 22, fresh out of the University of Delaware with a civil engineering degree, I found myself in my one-bedroom apartment in Harrisburg, PA, at 11 pm on a Friday night. Engrossed in a binge-watch of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" on the Food Network, I felt inspired by the delicious meals being prepared and envisioned the culinary experiments I could undertake in my tiny, ill-equipped kitchen.

This routine of culinary exploration led me to start a food blog, "OMG You Can Cook," sharing recipes concocted by my bachelor brain. Despite the occasional far-fetched creations like a French Toast and Duck Grilled Cheese Sandwich, the engagement with my audience fueled my passion to refine my culinary skills, reminiscent of my childhood curiosity watching my family cook.

One day, I decided to pursue recipe contests as a means to promote my creations on a larger scale and eventually publish a cookbook. I stumbled upon a casting call for a new TV show on ABC and hesitated until a single reply to my tweet echoed in my mind: "why not?"

Taking a leap of faith, I applied, anticipating at the very least to network with industry professionals. To my surprise, two months later, I received a call from a Food Network casting director, initiating a whirlwind of interviews over the next few weeks. Each interview left me wondering if it would be the last.

Then, in the fall of 2013, during an MBA Marketing class at Penn State, I received a voicemail from the same California number. "We want you to be on our show!" it exclaimed. Overwhelmed yet emboldened by the mantra "not why, why not," I embraced the opportunity.

That phone call marked the beginning of an incredible journey that would forever change my trajectory.