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Long before starting his business, Dillard Calais was thinking like an entrepreneur. 

“I remember as a kid — summertime, maybe in second or third grade — asking my cousin if he wanted to open up a lemonade stand with me,” Calais says. “I drew up a whole plan and told him about it, but he ended up just saying, ‘No thanks, bro. It’s too hot for that.’” 

“It didn’t work out then, but it flipped a switch in me and made me want to pursue owning a business later in life.” 

At the end of his senior year of high school, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a halt, presenting an opportunity for 18-year-old Calais. 

“I was bored, so I started detailing my car and posting pictures of it on social media,” he says. “People started reaching out asking if I’d come detail their cars, and it just took off from there.” 

“It reached a point where I realized I didn’t need to go get a job. I was making good money on my own.” 

After attending community college for several semesters, Calais transferred into the ������ο��Ƶ of ������ο��Ƶ at Lafayette’s online B.S.B.A. in Management program, gaining the tools and knowledge he needed to take his business, Calais Auto Detailing, to new heights. 

Gaining Business Insight 

As Calais completed his degree, he had the chance to apply what he was learning in real time to his business. Coursework in areas outside of management, like marketing and finance, helped him become a well-rounded entrepreneur. 

In MKTG 425: Negotiations, for example, Calais learned how to be a better communicator during high-stakes negotiations. 

“That class helped me the most and gave me a lot of insight on closing business deals,” he says. “I learned how to prepare for a negotiation, how to maintain good body language and eye contact during a negotiation, and how to really find middle ground so that both you and the other party can call the deal a win.” 

Most importantly, the online management program taught Calais how to lead a team effectively. 

He currently manages two employees, who have helped his business serve more customers and expand its reach in the community. 

Using the knowledge and skills he gained in the management program, Calais maintains a streamlined system for delegation, giving them their assignments each day through a centralized online platform. 

“One of my biggest takeaways from my management classes was learning how to delegate,” he explains. “I can’t be in four locations at one time, but I can send people to be there for me.” “I have it structured so that all my employees have to do is log in each day to see what clients they’ll be working with and access specific instructions for each client.” 

Staying Disciplined — Now and in the Future 

Completing the management program while managing his business required Calais to stay disciplined. 

Each morning, he began his day with a 7 a.m. workout, followed by business-related tasks from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the evenings, he shifted his attention to school. 

“The biggest thing for me was writing everything down physically in a calendar,” he says. “It really helped me balance everything out.” 

As he seeks to expand his business, he’s confident his ability to stay disciplined will serve him well. 

His next goal? Moving his business into a brick-and-mortar location. 

“Right now, we’re mobile and meet our customers where they are,” he says. “There’s an old gas station in my hometown that I’m looking into acquiring.” “I’m hoping to fix it up and hire more employees so that I can have a physical location in addition to the two mobile units I have.” 

As Calais reflects on his journey, he leaves his peers in the online management program with a few words of wisdom: 

“Be intentional and purpose driven. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s all about how you plan and go about your day-to-day life. Be structured and just know that if I can do it while juggling a business, so can you.”

Gain the core business skills you need to thrive in any field with an online management degree from UL Lafayette. 

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