Posted on June 17, 2016 by Joanna Carver
Featured most recently as a marketing expert in Forbes magazine, D. Anthony Miles, ’92, has built his career on assessing start-up companies and finding gaps in industry.
D. Anthony Miles
“Entrepreneurship correlates to marketing,” said Miles. “If you are not a good marketer, you are not going to be a good entrepreneur. Marketing is truly a science.”
As the chief executive officer and founder of Miles Development Industries Corporation, a consulting and venture acquisition firm in San Antonio, Miles credits his success to the strong business foundation that he received from the UTSA College of Business.
“You can’t find a better or more rigorous business program than UTSA’s,” he said. “I had some great professors including Dr. William Mitchell, Dr. Joel Saegert and Dr. Rick Utecht. Those three professors showed me the art of marketing.”
Since earning his degree at UTSA, Miles obtained his MBA and most recently a Ph.D. in entrepreneurship from the University of the Incarnate Word. As a doctoral student, Miles was one of 17 doctoral researchers nationwide in the field of entrepreneurship to receive a fellowship from the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. And, his dissertation was published into an award-winning book, Risk Factors and Business Models: Understanding the Five Forces of Entrepreneurial Risk and the Causes of Business Failure.
Miles is working on his third book now, How to Get Away with Murder in Marketing, which looks at the emerging field of forensics marketing.
“Creating investigators out of marketers, it is a step-by-step approach on how to dissect a company and tell you how it is performing in terms of product line, distribution channels and competitors.”
When he is not writing or providing expert commentary, Miles works with high-net-worth individuals who need start-up advice, consults on economic development projects or conducts statistical analysis.
“I’m the guy between the lawyer and the CPA,” said Miles, who was inspired to start a business from his UTSA course in Small Business Management and mentorship with entrepreneurship faculty member Dr. Jude Valdez. “I look at the business model and tell them what I think.”
Admitting that he was not academically prepared when he came to UTSA, Miles credits his professors with challenging him to step up his game. And, he provides these three tips for both students and alumni.
“First, perfect your craft,” he said. “Learn the ability to spot opportunities. And, do not be afraid to take chances. Sometimes you have to get uncomfortable and be willing to step outside of your comfort zone to succeed in life.”
Wendy Frost—
Please send your comments to: wendy.frost@utsa.edu
— Joanna Carver
