In this episode, Dave Hataj tells us what it was like to shift the culture at Edgerton Gear. He also sees where other entrepreneurs are stepping up and leading change. In addition to culture change, employers are wondering how to get involved in other ways. Business owners are curious about what Dave has created with Edgerton Gear and why he doesn't have a problem with employee retention, turnover, and recruitment as other companies seem to be struggling with those issues today.
Dave Hataj is the second-generation president and owner of Edgerton Gear, Inc., a Wisconsin-based custom gear manufacturer, where has worked for over 30 years. He is a Journeyman machinist, has a BA from the University of California, Irvine, a Masters of Christian Studies from Regent College in Vancouver BC, and a doctorate from Bakke Graduate University, developing a curriculum called Craftsman with Character. The course introduces high school students to the trades and manufacturing as an excellent career path, while developing character and soft skills.
Email Dave about his gift offer - dave@edgertongear.com
He is the author of Good Work: How Blue Collar Business Can
Change Lives, Communities, and the World. (Moody Publishers April 2020): email
Dave about his gift offer - dave@edgertongear.com
Jaime White00:00
Hello, and welcome to the Believe Crew Podcast; The Business is You. I'm Jamie White Founder of Believe Crew and your host, let's jump right in. This is Dave Hataj with Edgerton Gear, out of Wisconsin, and I met Dave, he was a speaker at an event. And originally I wasn't planning on, you know, staying for the speaker portion. And Dave just really spoke to my heart. Its a good thing, my video was off because I was ugly crying in the background. And so I've really enjoyed getting to know him a little bit better and seeing what his business is about and the impact that he's making. And so I would love for all of you to hear a little bit more of his story. So Dave, welcome. And I know we've kind of been talking back and forth here about everything. Usually I ask people, you know, how did you get started in this so you can start wherever you'd like. Because the other thing we've been talking about is your Craftsman course, and where that's going. So start wherever you'd like.
Dave Hataj00:53
Well, I think a good place to start is and thanks for having me, by the way, it's always fun to talk to you. You know, my story goes way, way back when I was I was a struggling teenager, grew up in a home where my my father, great business guy, but struggled with alcoholism, he was an atheist. My mother was a very devout believer. So I grew up in this home that was kind of split in and very challenging to understand what I believe and why. So I followed my dad's footsteps for quite a while, drank a lot, and had a radical conversion experience when I was 19. And then everybody says, Well, gosh, if you're this zealous for faith for the Lord, you must you're gonna go into the ministry, right? What's the ministry, define the ministry and everybody, you know, oh, you're gonna go to church work. And so I was one of those kids, that would probably have been one of them voted least likely to do anything. Go to college, go to anything. And it's funny, you look back, and 40 years later, you know, I ended up going to college, I end up going to graduate school end up getting a doctorate end up writing a book and all this stuff, but the one place I swore, and if you knew if you know me, no, I'm not an academic person. My real identity is, in a big way, I'm a machinist, I'm a gear maker. And I got challenged, God called me back to the family business, which was incredibly dysfunctional. Quarter barrel of beer in the lunchroom fridge, pornography everywhere. And my wife and I thought, well, we'd come God's calling us back here for maybe two years, five years at the most. And this year, we celebrate year 30.
Jaime White 02:36
Oh, my goodness.
Dave Hataj 02:37
Yeah. And it's been incredible faith journey to see how the way I put it as my hole in my faith was, could God work in a blue collar business? Could he help my family?[KW1] And when I was in California, I was actually a youth pastor didn't large mega church went on a lot of mission trips, we've been involved in Honduras, Mexico, number of different places. And I could see God at work and all these really cool things, inner city, LA and in Tijuana, and these different countries. But could God actually work in my family? Right? I think that's, that's the challenge a lot of us have, it's easier, easier often to go out away from, from these places that that wounded us so deeply. Which, right? And so I often say that, that I think God brings us I had a mentor who would say that God often returns us to the scene of the crime. I like. And right, and you look at scripture, though, and you see it, you see Moses, you see Apostle Paul, you see these instances over and over where God brings people back to where he really grew them up. And it was painful. And he wants us to be back in those situations too.
Jaime White03:55
And oftentimes, when we're trying to run away, especially, like, what is it that we need to deal with? Who is it that we need to become to be able to be back in those situations, and I know, I've been working through a lot of forgiveness myself, and just being able to say good morning to someone is actually, you know, a big accomplishment and when it doesn't, when it doesn't feel like I have to try where it's actual forgiveness, it's like poof, it feels much better.
Dave Hataj04:21
And I still have those situations I'm dealing with, you know, whether it's extended family or people in our in our own city and that we grew up with times I have to forgive myself. Right it so yeah, I think it's easy, easier. Let me qualify that. When we can get out of our home places, you know, but when we have to deal with the people that knew us so many years ago it's so it's been a fascinating journey that I'm still here. And now it's to the point I can't ever imagine leaving because this has become such a happy, safe place. For us to see the growth.
Jaime White05:02
Do you think that when you felt you and your wife felt that it was that two to five year journey? Do you think that in a way that was God's way of being like me to kind of protect you from the reality? Like, would you come back? If you knew it was 30?
Dave Hataj05:16
Oh, my gosh, no, I think I think he totally baited us. Yeah, right. Yeah, and I think a lot of it had to do with. I didn't want to even admit that it could be longer. I had no interest in the family business. Right. And, and I couldn't see the possibilities One of my life verses I've been camping, really on, especially the last year, but for quite a while as in Ephesians. Three, when Paul says now to him was able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or even imagine. That's pretty powerful, but the part that we always leave out, according to his power at work within us, he's going to do phenomenal things. But it's got to be through us. In order to get to that point. There's often a lot of growth, a lot of healing, a lot of stuff that needs to grow and change in us. So that's why back then I couldn't imagine being here for 30 years now. I wouldn't run even further away as already in California.
Jaime White06:26
So then, after you came back, what happened, what changed?
Dave Hataj06:30
Well, I actually did my master's project, as a field study to come back. If you bring kingdom values into a very dysfunctional business, family business, there's a lot of different interact inner, inner, overlapping systems, you know, there's not only my parents and my sister, there's employees, I'm the youngest of four children, I'm the only boy. So it was this experiment, I don't have much power in the family as the youngest, but as the family business manager, I can set the values, I can set the culture, right. And anytime you try to change a culture, systems theory says you're gonna get a lot of resistance, you're gonna get sabotage, it's going to, it's going to be hell. And I often say the two first two years were hell, and then it got worse. Because everybody wants you to be the way they remember you. And everybody has, you know, a way of relating to you that fits their, maybe their dysfunction, their agenda. And when you change that threatens that. So out of the 17 employees, I think, only one didn't tell me off, and either didn't explode at me accused me. We had three employees that tried to, they did start their own business by stealing computer records and just being incredibly unethical. So it was excruciating. The stress, the frustration, the depression, the anger, it just brought up all this junk in me that I didn't know was there, brought up stuff and my wife that we didn't know was there. So at the 10 year mark, just to give your audience a little snapshot. We finally took a real honeymoon at 10 years. And Tracy my wife, she was going to tell me later, she told me later that she was going to announce on this trip that she was leaving, that she couldn't tell it couldn't take any more. We had three we had three long young boys at the time. And that was kind of a low point, you know, of of the journey. But if you look back, it was downhill. I mean, literally for 10 years, then we kept thinking how this has got to turn around, it's got to get better. And there's little victories in the midst of that, but not to a point where I'm like, Oh, my gosh, this is great. I just love being here. Took a long time to get to that point.
Jaime White09:05
So was the business profitable during this time, and like the stress wasn't necessarily financial stress? It was other things that were just in conflict in conflict with your core values and conflict with where you saw the potential for the business to be? Is that what I'm hearing?
Dave Hataj09:21
Yep. Correct. We were blessed with profitability. We're custom gear manufacturer. So we're not a big production shop. And there's a huge market for what we do. So the values that my dad built the business on quality, value and service, were rock solid, and we had a great customer base. The business model was wonderful. But like a lot of businesses in the trades and manufacturing huge labor crisis for literally 20 years or more. I mean, even going back even further. So we had plenty of customers. We have plenty at work, but to get people to work together and to put systems in place where it was open communication and honesty and integrity, commitment to excellence and treating each other with respect, getting rid of the quarter barrel, getting rid of the pornography. All of that was just excruciating. And, the work actually compounded it because we had so much work.
Jaime White10:15
Right, right.
Dave Hataj10:16
Does that make sense?
Jaime White10:17
Yeah. So I'm trying to envision this because really, you weren't just creating culture change in your company, you are changing. I mean, this would have been more typical back then. Right? Like, if if people were to go from your shop to somebody else, it would have been like culture shock, if you changed that, because really, this was the way you did business.
Dave Hataj10:42
Correct.
Jaime White10:44
So people are looking at you like, why, why this is working. It's what everyone else does. Why?
Dave Hataj10:50
Well, and even give you a little bit more insight into it every day, my dad would go out to the local bar for lunch. And a few employees would go with them every Friday, I think three quarters of the shop would go with them. And so they would drink in the local bartender had the beer set up on the on the bar, they come down for lunch, drink four beers, get back to work at one, you know, even after having four beers. And then at 2:30, the day would typically be over for a lot of them, and they party, literally from 2:30 to 5,6,7 o'clock. And you'd go to tool shows, machine shows and there'd be the young ladies scantily clad and people are going to strip clubs. And that was a lot of the culture for a lot of the shops back in the you know, if we go back to the early 80s, and 70s 80s and early 90s. So you're right, changing that I it's been 30 years, and I still get people every once a while to come like yeah, I remember coming in with your dad, you guys still got the quarter barrel. Like, dude, that was a long time ago. But no, but you're right. There's been a great a tremendous cultural shift just to help people do business today, which I think is fantastic. And a lot of ways, because integrity and excellence has to stand better.
Jaime White12:04
Yeah. So you were leading that for the company. But it would have I mean, the amount of resistance.
Dave Hataj12:11
Well, and couple of my dad's his closest employees where his drinking buddies. So I think back then more than half of our staff were alcoholics. So they were not happy that we got rid of a quarter barrel. I mean, yeah, free beer and all that. So yeah. And I think that as believers, we are called to be on that cutting edge, just setting culture. You know,
Jaime White12:37
I love that. Love that idea. I mean, could you even imagine where the business would be today, if you hadn't gone through that level of resistance?
Dave Hataj12:47
Well, my wife and I are convinced my dad would have sold the business. He was trying to sell it at the time anyway. Because he started to have some health issues. But I don't I wouldn't be here for sure. I don't think at Edergerton Gear would exist at all. And I question it. And here's the really interesting thing, because I was so frustrated and angry for so long. And I've had to go through a lot of healing myself with great mentors, and so on. My wife and I both went through a lot of counseling to help us sort through all this. But one thing we realize that I'm so grateful for the whole experience and the pain and the journey is, you know, my dad's dad died, a homeless person on the streets of Chicago. Right. And so his, my dad's experience of a father was, he just didn't have much of a dad. And so my dad was trying to figure out what that look like. And so he did better than my grandpa. He took us to another level, but that, that generational alcoholism, which is, which is prevalent on both sides of my family, it needed to stop, it needs to end. And so, what I'm grateful for is again, coming back to the scene of the crime, God had to intervene and say, Is it going to stop with you or not? Right? And I think a lot of us who grow up in dysfunctional situations, have to make that decision. Will it stop with me? Is it going to am I going to continue this legacy of whatever addiction and dysfunction? So the really cool thing is we have I have three sons who are all grown. All three are believers, married great gals, and are grandparents now. But we openly talk as a family, what's our legacy going to be now? Right? And I don't know what God would have done. If I didn't come if we didn't come back, we would have been obviously doing something else. But could we have really gotten in touch with our dark side of our family? If we weren't here facing it?
Jaime White14:44
It's huge stuff. Change the legacy. And then I know, I mean, really, we haven't had much time to dig into the craftsmans creed that you have and that course and so is that part of what your kids look at as part of the legacy or is that really your calling?
Dave Hataj15:01
So, oh, all three of my sons are into it. So just for your audience that the crafts, we started a craftsman with character course, where we had a, again hiring crisis and 10 years ago, we started a course because we're struggling with how to get young people into the trades and manufacturing. And I was up at our local high school one day and they're, they're doing a referendum and they said, Could you help us, you know, upgrade our tech ed department. And while I was up there, I saw I feel like God spoke to me and said, Take a look at these kids you know, they're what I call, the lost shop kids right, that the kids that don't fit in a lot of the traditional classrooms. But they really are great working with their hands. And we tend to overlook those students. And I felt like God said, take a look, those are those these kids are you and where were they going to go? And what other opportunities so the idea came to develop this course, that brings them into our shop four days a week for an hour and a half where they job shadow. And then one day a week, I developed this curriculum that works on character development and soft skills and kind of deconstructing their worldview of what they believe and why and, and it's, I had to take out all the religious language because it's accepted by the public schools. And that course has done more to change our company than anything I've done in 30 years. We've taken 10 students at a time, at the end of the course, maybe one or two of them are interested in staying at Edgerton Gear, we put them through internship youth apprenticeship, but the cool thing we got a number of businesses involved in the community now so when the kids come in, they get to job shadow in an auto mechanics place with plumbers with HVAC guys, and, and really just kind of set them on a course and to explore where they might want to go in life. And now the course is expanded where I'm teaching at Frito Lay plant in Beloit, with the foundry and a couple other places. And I think everybody's looking at this generation saying how do we help them? How do we help these kids find a place?
Jaime White17:08
Right, exactly these, these kids want to work? I am I have a totally different perspective. I'm not the, you know, sure, maybe they are ghosting, you know, maybe they do show up for an interview and then goes, but to be honest, if we've created a space where they're like, you're not even worth my time. Or I know I'm not the right fit, why should I even bother showing back up like, maybe we could develop their communication to the point where they can say to us, Hey, thank you for the interview, I'm not interested. But they're kind of like, it's not worth my time, just give me a text back. That doesn't mean they're all bad. You know, we've got this, like, let's develop the character of those that are interested in working and help them in ways that they haven't been helped in.
Dave Hataj17:54
You're right, and I think our society is so broken. And years ago, a lot of the tech departments were shut down. And we don't know how to reach these kids. And we don't know how to introduce them to what opportunities are out there. And what my and you know, millennials have always been ripped on but what I found in my shop, if you put them in the right environment, and you give them the tools, they are so much better at communication. And they're so you know, community and relationally there's so much healthier. They need mentoring, they want to be mentored. They want to, but it can't just be well, I want to I want to mentor you just so I can make money off you they want. They need to know that you really care. And when they know you care, once they understand you cared, they're phenomenal.
Jaime White 18:39
100% agree with this, this is my experience. And I feel like we can make just such a small difference in the world when there's so many that are crying and not physically crying maybe but just internally not even knowing that this is what they're looking for, because they don't know where to find it.
Dave Hataj 18:55
Exactly. And that's where our craftsman course is so exciting to be because we're finding businesses literally all over the country who have this heart. And this is where I think from a faith perspective, I really believe that, that the Holy Spirit is moving in a lot of blue-collar folks. And, and I'm going to be honest, I think the church has not been as impactful as it needs to be. Schools are struggling. And I think God looks at like, Okay, who are the unsung potential heroes, right? Who are the unsung potential heroes that could really change our culture?[KW2] And I am meeting so many on fire business people who are saying, just tell me what I can do to get for kids. And they're not wanting it. They don't want a mentor just to solve their hiring crisis. They say I don't care if I get kids out of this program or not. I just want to help kids I want to do I want to be able to do something that helped this next generation and that's just awesome to me.
Jaime White19:45
I'm so in love with what you're presenting because I've always believed that business is an amazing vehicle to create, you know, some amazing things. I have some kind of a sentence around here somewhere. I can't remember what I wrote down but it's along those lines of like Business is a vehicle that could be used as a tool to create this culture change and to create the shift in people's lives and really to help people empower them. And as so as leaders grow in companies, they can turn around and help other people. And really, this is the best leadership that we're seeing.
Dave Hataj20:19
I look across our landscape, and I literally in my mind's eye, I see an army of untapped potential of folks who really want to do something significant for these kids. And so one of my messages when I, when I speak, I spoke at a University recently and the title of they want to be a talk on how do you build a sustainable workforce? And the answer is, we need to develop mentoring cultures within our businesses, right. And my, and I just spoke again last week to a group. And I said, you know, when I started this course, 10 years ago, our average age in our shop was in the mid 40s, mid or mid to upper 40s 10 years later, they'd all be in their 50s, middle upper 50s, like a lot of shops are, since we started this course, our average age in our shop is now 28.
Jaime White21:09
Yeah, it's appropriate, right?
Dave Hataj21:11
Yeah. And it was kind of funny that the one guy who hosted the event, he said, So Dave, at the end, he said, So tell us, do you have a bunch of job postings, you know, for all your positions in your shop? And I looked at him I like, no, he's like, so do you have like a waiting list of people that want to work there, and I go, and then I clued in what he was saying, I go, Yeah, we actually do. And he just sat back and he went, Hmm, they just let it hang there. And you see all these other business owners like what you have, you're fully staffed, you have a waiting list. And that's where a lot of people are at a lot of businesses, they're just in crisis mode. And there's no silver bullet, we need to we need to develop mentoring cultures and bring these kids into development,
Jaime White21:53
I want to throw a lot of stuff at you that's been rattling around in my head. And maybe it's not a lot, but it feels big. So and get your feedback and your response on this, because so right now you're in alignment on this. And the idea right now that there are so many people that can't find employees or that are struggling to find employees, I get it, it's not working to put an ad out there to bring people in, or if you are bringing people in, or if you are getting a lot of interviews or resumes, you know, either they're not the right fit, or they're ghosting, you know, after they show up for a day. But then I was talking to somebody who was involved in the local Tech College. And she said that business owners are that she's hearing from business owners that they want the schools to create more structure, because they think that that's what the kids are missing is more structure. And that's how they're going to show up better is if the school systems present more structure. And I was like mind blown, because I'm like, these kids need more freedom, in terms of like they already have so much to give. And are we really showing up in a way that is built for them? And I feel like there's this business owner mentality sometimes of like, I'm the one providing the job, you know, I'm paying you should show up, because you should just be happy that there's money. And that's not what's motivating people. Okay, again, this is my perspective, that's just like bottled up inside right now. Because I really see this younger generation that's like, I can turn that computer on faster than you can and I can fix your problem. And you want me to show up the way you want me to show up? And then you want to change the education system? Based on what do you think the problem is? Are we asking the right people? Are we asking the right questions?
Dave Hataj 23:41
Not even close. Because as you obviously know, I have an opinion about everything. I often say that no matter how old you are, no matter where you live, no matter your race, your ethnicity, your religion, everything. We are all wired, purposely to need two things. And that's a sense of purpose, no matter how old we are, right? You look at people that retire, they still need a sense of purpose. These kids need a sense of purpose they need, we need to know that we can make a contribution to the world. And the other thing and along with that, we need relationship, we need healthy community, we need to have quality friendship, that people that care for us. [KW3] So when you put those two things together, and you look at this generation, that's feeling so lost, and our society is so broken, which even heightens that awareness that or that need for relationship and purpose.
Jaime White24:37
Right belonging, a sense of belonging.
Dave Hataj24:38
Yeah, it's even greater than ever with the shutdown and so on. So if you have kids that are so broken in this environment, and you pull them in and make them adhere to your structure, without them knowing that you really care there they are so desperate to fit in somewhere in a really good It's funny when I teach the class, I always ask the kids, you know, this is year nine. It's always the same answer. I said, guys, if you have a tremendous sense of purpose, you could cure for cancer or some great, incredible invention or whatever. But you have no one to share it with. What do you say? They said, what's the point? They get that? Right? What's the point? I need? We need to have that friendship. So I said, now, flip it around. What if you have incredible friends, you just have a blast with them. People care for you, but you have no sense of purpose. Just imagine that you're with your friends, you have no sense of purpose. For nine years, it's always the same answer what I said, What do you have? Trouble? We get in trouble. And that's from that saying that they get it. They know they need that sense of purpose. And being in a healthy relationship. great trouble. Yeah. So back to your question. Structure? Well, yeah, but they need to know we care. Right. And when we bring the kids in, and we do shape them, we do demand that they adhere to our values. And often say it's my house, my rules, and take your hands out of your pocket, take pull the hoodie off. Look us in the eye, be respectful, but they respond to that, because they know we care. I've had kids who say that our graduates through our program, we turn them into youth apprentices and other adult apprentices and 22 years old, as in why would I ever leave here? Because this is family to me. And I think as in the schools and the businesses are struggling, because we're looking at skills, we're looking at apt not even really aptitude. It we're just looking for them to be workers. They need to know we care. And so that's where I'm coming from is when these kids know, you care, you got to earn that right to be heard. Right. So I think that's, that's, that's it, it's not that hard. Apprenticeship has been around for 1000s of years. But somehow, in our high tech, rapid paced culture, we've lost that sense of connection and friendship with these kids.
Jaime White27:06
So interesting. I was just talking to another young person that's, you know, putting the current job and then looking for what's next, and you'd like to move into the trades. And he doesn't even know where to start. He doesn't even know how, you know, he puts in a couple applications at a couple of the places that seem a little obvious, or maybe the ones that have the job postings, the structure that's missing is how do you actually get a job in real life? That's not just, you know, go to college. But then what's next?
Dave Hataj27:39
Well, it's we're missing the on ramp, right? Yeah, yeah. So and So when, when and actually I just had a long talk with a friend of mine yesterday that works with vets getting out of military when they're 22, 23, 24. And he said, Could we use your there's got to be overlap, because we're seeing the same thing these kids get out of the military, they get out of high school, no idea what's out there, no idea what opportunities where they went, might fit. So the Craftsman course, there's this job shadowing element that allows them to see all different trades, all different opportunities, all different businesses. And, and we're in the youth apprenticeship. We love youth apprenticeship. We love adult apprenticeship, but often, but often say that we're throwing the businesses and the kids together, like a blind date. You know, we don't kids don't know if they're gonna like that big businesses don't know if they like if they're going to like the kids. So by allowing people to explore the opportunities while we're working on their character, and showing them the soft skills that they need to be successful, by the time they finish the course going, oh, yeah, I want to be a heavy equipment operator, I want to be a machinist. And then we can guide them into those careers without spending 200k on a college degree that might be very useless for what they're interested in compared to what they're interested in. But we're so focused on test scores, and four year universities and so on, that we're not looking at the kids as individuals saying, where would you best fit, you know, in the world, and how in the world needs you? That's one of our, that's number four in our craftsman code. The worlds need me needs me,which I haven't gotten into, but you are craftsmen code. Number one is I'm not the center of the universe, right? Make the kids
Jaime White29:15
And number four is the world needs me. I love it.
Dave Hataj29:17
Yeah, and number two is I don't know everything nearly as much as I think I do. And it's not a smackdown for the kids. It's just it's helping them understand that our society and our industries are built on the shoulders who came before us. So have some respect for the past. And always be a learner. God's made you with very unique skill sets and an aptitude that only you can fulfill. We just have to figure out where you fit.
Jaime White29:44
So and then three, what's three?
Dave Hataj29:47
There's dignity and purpose and knowing my trade because again, we look at jobs, some jobs, we have this hierarchy in our mind that some jobs are more prestigious rather than others. No, we I think COVID has showing all of us that every job is essential. You take one peg out of the supply chain, the whole thing crumbles. And so helping kids and you know, in our society, we always make fun of the plumbers and other people, the blue collar, folks, we're just I go back to, you may remember the old, the Roseanne show with Roseanne Barr, something's blue, the way they put media and TV, and Hollywood portrays blue collar folks is disgusting. But that's what the kids grow up on. So we have to re you know, kind of retrain them that man, there's dignity and being a truck driver, a lumberjack. I mean, there's so many different jobs. So it's restoring that sense of dignity,
Jaime White30:41
I use to hire for so many of those positions. And they, the people that were applying, they did respect their roles, you know, like, maybe the outside perspective, and like you say, society and media is portraying them as not, but within the community, they have so much respect for each other. And I love to see that it doesn't matter if you're carrying a hammer or you know, like, you know, how to use a toolbox, or if you're getting in the truck, but so I want to go back to the comment that you made about, like this vision that you have of all these business owners, and they are wanting to step up and help and solve some of this. Where do you see yourself in that now?
Dave Hataj31:21
Well, for me, I'm, I'm turning 60 soon. And my last phase of life the way I see it as if How can I facilitate that? How can I help other businesses and schools implement a program like this? So that's where I'm spending a good part of my time right now is helping businesses like Frito Lay, for instance, when they decided down here in Beloit, Wisconsin to take it on. They said that they have 1300 Maintenance mechanics nationwide in their 31 plants, right? They said a full two thirds of those could retire in the next five years. So that's just one corporation. Right. So there is a tremendous crisis, you know, nationwide, if not globally. So they said we they took on the course my gosh, we have to put this everywhere. So my passion is how can we help other businesses and communities replicate this? The interesting thing is when I talk to businesses, everybody's all in, guess who's reluctant? Can you guess where the roadblock is?
Jaime White32:22
The schools?
Dave Hataj32:23
Schools. I would say over and over and over. They think they got their own thing? Yeah, we do apprenticeship we do this, we do that? I have one community I'm working with now. I have four large businesses within three blocks of each other. They're saying we want this, we need to do this. How do we do it? We've gotten a hold of the superintendents in their district. Nah, we're good. We got stuff going on. But why am I getting calls then from your for businesses in your school district, if you're if you've got it, if you're doing fine. And I don't, I don't want to come down too hard on the schools. They have a lot going on they a lot of the stress. It's so driven by test scores, finances and so on. But if you took an honest look at the data, how many of your youth apprentices are actually completing that? Right? And I think in a lot of areas, it's less than 50%. How connected? Are these kids really getting into your communities? How well are these finding their career path instead of just shoving them off to a four year university? But then we find a school like Beloit Memorial, and they're just like, oh my gosh, this is great. Because not all kids are meant to go to four year university. Right? So it's so yeah, I'm just kind of waiting for God to keep. And the funny thing is, I'm not advertising. I'm not looking for opportunities, but I'm getting, you know, at least a call or email every week. Hey, can we do this? You know, I got two courses starting in Houston in January. We're trying to several places in Milwaukee, the Green Bay Area. Beloit, obviously, in our own county, we'll probably have three different courses going on.
Jaime White34:06
So who's facilitating the courses then is it the business owners or how is that working?
Dave Hataj34:11
So the way it has to happen is because we know the schools are reluctant we looked at business that has credibility in the community that can get other businesses on board. And then ideally, that business hosts the course and kind of helps coordinate with the school district where the kids get the job shadow. But we got to get the kids off the school campus because if you remember back when we were teenagers, you know you get the Charlie Brown voice going on with your parents with the teachers but you get to you step into a professional manufacturing or a trade environment with older adults. You're all ears and you're respectful, you're intimidated, you want to learn and that's where the final part of the magic is, is that you hosted at one of the businesses and then the job shadowing part of it. That's the other magic the kickstart dealt with developing relationships with these wonderful people that really want to make a difference and invest in these kids.
Jaime White35:04
This is amazing. So when you're thinking about what's next and sharing this message, and is there anything else that you would love for people to know, that we haven't expressed already?
Dave Hataj35:16
I think we covered a lot of it. I think the big thing to me is that the blue collar segment of our society doesn't grasp how impactful that we really are, how important that we are to our communities. The media doesn't give us a lot of props, we're often taken for granted and overlooked. And even on our churches. I mean, I think a lot of times working people are looked at as just the checkbook for our churches, and I don't mean to be too negative about it. But that's been my personal experience. And in reality, you know, the pastors and so on in the churches, they're supposed to equip people like us, were the bedrock of our communities, we are the change agents in our community, we really are the ones that, quote, do the work of the ministry, of bringing the kingdom in every aspect of our community. So whatever job you have, wherever your God's got you planted, I think we totally underestimate the power of God's goodness in our lives, to change our businesses and not have to be a business owner, just a person working in the business, we all have this incredible sphere of influence that we can be incredibly impactful, but we just don't believe it. Right? I think we tend to overlook it and realize, well, what can I do? I'm just one person.
Jaime White36:29
Yeah, I think you're absolutely speaking truth there. And we recently dug into the life languages, personality assessments, I know, you're, you've done some I don't know if you knew that one. But,
Dave Hataj36:40
you know, I was actually on Gary Chapman's podcast last year,
Jaime White36:44
just thinking about the different voices and the different languages that people speak and recognizing that when you said, you know that the blue collar sometimes isn't, because if we're given a voice, or they don't speak up and have a voice, you know, there's some professions that it's easier to hear them, you know, maybe there's more of a sales, sales profession, or someone that's out there in the community, because they're more of a relationship based business and financial advisor or something like that, you know, if they were a suit, or if they're a professional, you know, considered an expert in your field, versus this quiet force, that's the doers, you know, just quietly making things happen, or contemplators, you know, that are thinking about all the things that could be changed, but just not speaking very loudly. And so I love to see everyone's gifts and talents and how they can be used. And I do agree that there is there are so many that are just not as vocal, and yet have a presence. And that presence is very impactful. Yeah.
Dave Hataj37:45
Well, even in our course, when I started at nine years ago, I asked within my own shop, hey, do I have any volunteers that would want to be mentors, just to have a kid looking over your shoulder for 90 minutes a day? And I had one gentleman, just really rough, broken life. I mean, he really, he really has been through it on a lot of levels. And he timidly came up to me after he goes, Well, I'd like to be but I have nothing to offer. Right?
Jaime White38:11
Right.
Dave Hataj38:12
Well, for nine years, guess who's one of the kids favorite mentors? Right?
Jaime White38:16
So awesome.
Dave Hataj38:17
He’s an introvert, he's very much just one-on-one very, very quiet, right? But when he but that one-on-one interaction is which you know, that's where relationships really happen. And that just reminds me of it doesn't matter who you are, you are impactful, much more so than you realize, just like you said, your presence, and I talked about theology of presence. If the Spirit of God is in us, we cannot help but to be impactful and make a difference in those around us.
Jaime White38:46
Yeah, absolutely. I love to think about it as if we're at a funeral of a close friend or something, there really isn't anything we can do to make the situation better, you know, especially for doers, that can be a challenge, right? You're a hands-on person, and you're just like, Ah, I feel like I can't do anything. But your presence, you're being who you are your character, what you stand for. That's all they need. That's all they want, right? Maybe there's, you know, a hug. So there's some touch like, or something like that, but, but really, what means the most is who you are, and that you're showing up.
Dave Hataj39:20
Well, and the other thing that I would add to it is, we give who we are. So I think, you know, we all have issues, we all have our addictions, we all have our wounds. And I and I think we also fail to realize that as we strive to walk with God as we strive to be, who he called us to be and all this, all the garbage in our lives gets exposed and dealt with, we become healthier. And we and then God can, you know, working through a cleaner vessel and it really it kind of adds another level of I'm not sure what the word is responsibility or motivation. Say you know what I'm, I need to get my act together. And he got to really clean me up because there's so many broken people around me. I've got an older friend that we were meeting with. Last year, we were just chatting. They said, you know, Larry, it's and Larry has just Man of the Year in his community and just incredible the stuff. He's adopted kids. He's on all these boards with why I mean, just everywhere. And when you get to know him personally, his he's in the middle of so many messes. It just blows your mind. And it's so frustrating for him, I said, Larry, do you ever consider that? The longer we walk with God, the bigger the messes, he calls us to? Exactly, that's exactly it. But you think, right. The longer we walk with God, who we can strive to be faithful and a good steward of all that He gives us. He's gonna say to what Jesus talks about this in the parables, he's gonna give us more, and giving us more doesn't mean more vacations and, and more material wealth and more ease and comfort. He's gonna give us more to steward. And that means bigger messes. Oh, man, a future look forward to exactly. And it goes right along the lines, when when you read the gospels, and you read the New Testament, there's this element of suffering, right? Yes, anybody who wants to live a godly life will suffer will be persecuted. And I think suffers is probably the better way of saying that. Because, to love and to be that vessel of goodness, we have to take on all this, we have to be in the midst of all the garbage of our world. Right? We can’t address it from the outside we have to be in the midst of it, right? We can't be French people. Exactly. So we have to be willing to stand there and take the hits and the accusations and, you know, our model is our Savior, right? So I and you start incorporating all these character qualities of what God's goodness looks like, I mean, being humble and trustworthy, and, and, and respectful and all of that. But that's, that's where the rubber meets the road. And we're at work every day to live all that. Oh, and that's when people go, Whoa, there's something different about how you how you're living your life and how you do your job. And I think that's, that's what gets me excited me. That's what excites me because I think the kingdom is so relevant. Well, and we didn't even mentioned my book. In fact,
Jaime White42:24
I was gonna ask, yeah,
Dave Hataj42:26
Good Work, how blue collar business can change lives, communities in the world. If anybody wants to email me or get a hold of you, I'd gladly send a book because I just believe so strongly in what God wants to do in us and through us.
Jaime White42:39
That is super awesome. Thank you so much for that gift. And we will definitely share that. And I appreciate it. I know my son read the book and really liked it. You're definitely changing lives already. Dave, it has been such a pleasure to dig into all of these concepts and thoughts. You're a thought leader in an industry that needs it. So I appreciate that.
Dave Hataj43:01
Well, appreciate the opportunity and what you're doing. We need to do more of this right.
Jaime White43:05
Yeah, get the word out there. Well, thank you and we'll talk to you again soon.
Dave Hataj43:08
Thanks, Jamie.