Viral car detailing videos take Detroit man’s business to the next level

A Detroit man has gone viral after showing the tips and tricks he uses to detail cars. 

As reported by the Detroit Free Press, Daviant “Dae” Palmer, 27, the founder of Dae’s Detail in the Motor City, located at 8141 Gratiot Ave, developed his love for cars at the age of three. His wife encouraged him to turn that life-long passion into a profitable business. 

Palmer quit his cable installation job in April 2020, and that same year he embarked on a new career detailing cars. He started Dae’s Detail in his driveway, cleaning cars for family and friends. When his mother, marketing professional Typhany Jones, started filming him at work their videos went viral and to their surprise, the business quickly boomed. 

Dae’s Detail has since become a family affair as his mother continues to give the business exposure by posting videos on social media of Palmer’s before-and-after cleaning techniques.

According to the report, Palmer and Jones are a viral sensation, gaining more than 238,000 followers on TikTok. Their most popular video reached 16 million views, and Jones, 45, said she was “blown away” by the numbers.

“That was huge for me,” she said. “He’s even kind of inspired me a little bit,” Jones told the Detroit Free Press.

“It definitely changed my life,” Palmer said, whose hard work earned him a sponsorship with car care company Turtle Wax. “I learned a lot about business because I had no clue. It was something that I wanted to do. I just didn’t know how to and then I was just thrown into it.”

Services at Dae’s Detail include, “a full interior and exterior cleaning, along with a UV protectant inside and a wax outside,” per the Free Press. Pricing ranges from $145 to $185, depending on the size of the vehicle, with a quick wash and vacuum starting at $45. 

The lucrative business has allowed the family to take Palmer’s detailing skills out of his driveway and into a building they purchased last October. The space was previously a Black-owned dry cleaner, according to the report. Palmer now shares the building with his father who operates a plumbing company. 

Palmer and his family now work full-time for Dae’s Detail. Jones is the marketing guru and Palmer’s uncle, Stevon Ferrell, who has 15 years of experience in the detailing business, is a partner in the company.

“It’s always been a dream to do something like that and it feels awesome to have people working with me — people that I know and people that I can trust,” Palmer said. 

“I really want to give back to this community,” Palmer added. “I really wanted to see Detroit come back to what it used to be back in the day, and I want to help that.”

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