Meet Dr. Richard D. Myles Sr.

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Richard D. Myles Sr. a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Richard D., looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

“We always dare to be different.” I was always one to feel that I am different than most people. It’s always been a feeling inside me. I always felt that I could “will” things to happen and that would eventually happen.

I have always been a hard worker, and I felt that no one will out work me. I am not the type of person who believes that it “can’t be done.” Some people wonder “why” but they don’t work hard. There are no shortcuts to success. I don’t wait for something to happen, I make it happen. I do everything I can.

This is what success looks like for me.

It has enabled me to be an entrepreneur for over half my life, after leading a somewhat successful professional football career that was cut short because of injury. So I had to change things up and reevaluate myself, to keep growing and improving. I still push forward.

This mindset came from my parents. My father was a sergeant in the Marine Corps and my mother always worked hard. Failure was never an option.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

The MFL is the “laboratory of change.” The MFL works to bring players from the field to the front office, and we want to make the playing field leveled, bringing former players from the field to the front office. This includes head coaching jobs, general manager positions and franchise ownership.

The MFL caters to learning and development for marginalized communities, helping to educate communities on economic development and generational wealth. The Minor Football League also helps to showcase what entrepreneurship looks like in sports.

I am a native Washingtonian, who starred in football at Cardozo High School in Washington, D.C. where I was All-Met, All Inner-high and All-American. I played middle linebacker, running back and did kick and punt return. I went on to Arizona State on a football scholarship and had an opportunity to play professionally in New England. Today, I am the CEO/Chairman and Founder of the Minor Football League and Minor Football League Foundation. I am also a chaplain, helping to mentor young student-athletes and returning citizens.

Prior to the MFL, I owned a successful nightclub in D.C. called the Onyx and I had a cleaning service called Myles Pro Cleaning Service. As an entrepreneur I have been awarded for my business acumen by a variety of organizations, earning honors like Businessman of the Year and the Sports Icon Award, as well as being named one of America’s “Best and Brightest Businessmen.”

I am also a radio personality of two shows on DC Radio as presented by the DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment. The first show being “Inside the MFL,” the official sports talk show of the Minor Football League and “Game Time,” a weekly sports show highlight D.C.- area sports.

Building on my legacy, I am also a proud father of five adult children, and a grandfather to 21 grandkids and three great grandkids.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Don’t give up, keep the course.

Honesty, keeping true to me and faith in God have ben the qualities that have propelled me throughout life.

Be true to who you are. You can only be you. When you try to be something you’re not, it never pans out. No matter what, don’t give up.

Be honest and have integrity in all you do. This commitment to yourself will pay off in the long run.

Faith has keep me motivated throughout the journey even when times get tough. As a city boy, growing up in the most powerful city in the world it has its ups and downs. I’ve had more ups than downs and I realized I don’t have all the answers. But with God, I know there’s a solution to every problem.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

The Spook Who Sat by the Door by by Sam Greenlee is the book that has had the most influence in my life. It did and has continued to motivate me.

The book showcases a sad reality. It goes to show you, that because of your color, even with an education and strong qualifications, some people will still find a way to hold you back.

The author that wrote the book took everything he learned within the CIA and about central intelligence, though they would never put him in the field which he was qualified for and use those skills to form his own successful detective agency and became a best-selling author.

I’m not going to let color or anything else hold me back.

Failure is not an option with me.

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Image Credits

Some photos by Joy Washington and Jeff Brooks.

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