Remembering Lani Lowrie Kretschmar ’77
October 22, 2021
Chronicle of a Collapse Fortetold
October 24, 2021
Due Diligence
Alum and gym owner Devonte Dillion ’17, MBA ’19, combines lessons learned at AIC with his entrepreneurial acumen to improve the health of his community
BY J. DAVID OSBORNE :: PHOTOS BY LEON NGUYEN '16
D evonte Dillion ponders what makes his gym special. The gym, Dilligence Training, is growing despite the challenges presented by the pandemic. “And at the end of the day,” he says, “there are only so many exercises you can do.” This kind of thought comes naturally to the humble entrepreneur, who maintains a calm and clear presence over the phone. Over the course of the conversation, we discuss Dillion’s backstory, his history with athletics, and his new business venture. It becomes clear to me as we talk that Dillion knows exactly what makes his gym special. It has to do with his team.
Dillion was born on August 4, 1995, to first-generation Jamaican immigrant parents. “My parents work extremely hard,” Dillion says. “My dad works for the state. My mother works in childcare and education. They’re grateful for everything they get.”
Growing up, his parents taught him the values of hard work and humility. “Humility, to me, means you don't put yourself on a pedestal. You never let a title dictate who you are.” While he prefers to not be the center of attention, Dillion carries himself as a leader. “My parents instilled in me the power to stand firm in my values and to never change my character for anyone or anything. And that's something that I can say I’ve been consistent in from a young age.”
In high school, Dillion played running back and cornerback for the Windsor (CT) Warriors. He served as team captain. He graduated Windsor High School in 2013, earning the all-Courant selection for Most Promising Senior.
When it came time to select a college, he was offered scholarships from several schools. One of them was AIC.
“I had an amazing college experience starting from my freshman year,” he says. “I received a lot of guidance. One person who comes to mind is a man named Terrence O’Neill, the point of contact for the AIC program for first-generation students. He made sure that we were prepared for our experience. It allowed me to start off on the right foot and say to myself, ‘I can step away from this four-year program with a valuable education.’”
Dillion graduated in 2017 with a degree in communications and a minor in marketing. He went on to earn his master’s in business administration in 2019.
He also played in every single football game throughout his AIC career, racking up over a hundred tackles as a defensive back. By the time he reached his senior year, he’d been named to the Northeast-10 All-Conference First Team. He even saw one of his interceptions make national television on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
How did he maintain his grades and a demanding athletic schedule? “There’s a different culture at AIC. A different attitude and approach,” he says. “They focus on finding that balance. I surrounded myself with people who also had that same mindset. ‘We’re here to do well in sports and get a degree.’ I had a very close group of friends who held each other accountable.”
After his time at AIC ended, Dillion founded Dilligence Training, a fitness facility in East Hartford, Connecticut. “This is about helping others,” he says. “I have a direct impact on my community. If I can encourage people to improve their health, their quality of life will improve. They leave this facility feeling more confident. The fact that I’m able to do that means that every day I make a difference. I can leave work every day with a full heart.”
I WANT TO BUILD UP MY TEAM AS LEADERS.
D illion was able to take what he learned from his degree program at AIC and apply those strategies to his business. “People like to see quality,” he explains. “They like aesthetically pleasing products. People wouldn’t buy Coke if the bottle looked sloppy. I took classes to understand how to line up high-quality images. When I’m developing any sort of marketing, I make sure it puts the brand in the best light. People want to wear your brand with pride, and there’s not going to be any pride if it's not of a high quality.”
Dilligence Training has been in business since June 2019. Soon after opening their doors, they faced the same challenges people across the world have faced for the past year and a half. “We had to close down from March ’til June 2020,” he says. “Thankfully, we were able to grow in the midst of the pandemic.”
When ask how business is going, Dillion remains upbeat. “Business is going well, but not to the degree that it could have been pre-Covid,” he says. “But as an entrepreneur, you have to understand that it’s all part of the process. It’s forced us to become more innovative and more proactive in our approach. We don’t know if we’ll have a full lockdown again, and if we do, we have to have a plan. Small businesses are largely on their own.”
Dillion played in every single football game during his AIC career as a defensive back, from 2013 to 2017. Photo credit: RJB Sports
W hat plans have helped them prepare for potential further pandemic policies? “We put our clients and community first,” he says. “We invested in products to ensure that our customers felt safe. We spent a lot of money for advanced air filtration systems. That alone allowed our clients to feel secure. On top of that, we’ve kept a mask policy in place. Once every other month, a third party comes in and sterilizes the facility. We take temperature checks on everyone. There are sanitization stations around the facility, and we spray down all equipment before and after use.”
The road to entrepreneurship is full of hurdles. Even so, Dillion prefers this approach. “As an entrepreneur,” he explains, “you have direct quality control of your business. If you’re working for someone else, they can shut down or undermine your ideas. As long as you’re in it for the right reasons, with the right morals and values, running your own business fills your heart. I am appreciative of everyone who comes through the door.”
As Dillion’s business progresses, he will face new challenges. But by applying the humility and through implementing the attention to detail and business strategies learned during his time at AIC, he is well-equipped to overcome them, and grow. “I want to build up my team as leaders,” he says. “When a new client comes into my gym, I don’t want them to know who the boss is.” As Dillion said at the beginning of our conversation, it’s true that there are only so many exercises. What matters is the people with whom you do them.
