He swore he'd never come back to the family business. 34 years later, Dave Hataj β along with his sons Jason and Caleb β is running Edgerton Gear as a place where faith and work aren't separate at all.
In this episode of the Work Matters Podcast, Dave, Jason, and Caleb Hataj open up about generational dysfunction, burnout, a father-son surrender in the middle of the night, and what it actually looks like to bring God into a blue-collar machine shop every single day.
π In this episode:
- Why Dave initially refused to return to the family business
- The 20-year wrestling match that finally broke in a moment of surrender
- How burnout and health struggles reshaped Dave's leadership
- Caleb and Jason's honest take on growing up in the shop
- Breaking generational cycles of dysfunction
- What "embracing the suck" really means
- Three practical ways to bring your faith into your workday
β±οΈ TIMESTAMPS
00:41 β Meet Dave, Jason & Caleb Hataj
01:24 β Introducing Edgerton Gear & Craftsman with Character
02:23 β When faith and work first clicked for Dave
03:08 β Regent College and the calling he tried to run from
03:45 β The vocational test that sent him home
04:29 β Wrestling with God for 20 years
05:33 β The bedroom surrender that changed everything
06:54 β From "prison" to "happy place"
07:31 β Burnout, health issues & changing the culture
08:37 β Losing employees who wanted "the old Dave" back
10:34 β Caleb's winding path back to Edgerton Gear
12:23 β Jason's story & Dave's dinner-table faith lessons
13:56 β The Isle Royale trip and healing as a family
15:56 β Discipleship of work & breaking generational cycles
17:52 β "Embrace the suck": what stress reveals in us
19:46 β What it's really like working together as family
21:07 β Advice for young people starting their careers
22:11 β Why work itself is good β not just a means to an end
23:40 β Jason's honest struggle to keep God in focus daily
25:45 β Encouragement for every listener
26:17 β 3 practical ways to practice your faith at work
29:12 β Recap: awareness, brokenness, influence
29:46 β Where to find Edgerton Gear & Craftsman with Character
30:29 β Closing thoughts & final encouragement
π CONNECT WITH DAVE, JASON & CALEB
Edgerton Gear: https://edgertongear.com
Craftsman with Character: https://www.cwcharacter.org/
Dave's book: "Good Work: How Blue Collar Business Can Change Lives, Communities, and the World"
π TAKE THE NEXT STEP
Ready to connect your Sunday faith to your Monday work? Join the Work Matters Institute β a transformational 10-session course covering practical teaching, spiritual formation, leadership development, and workplace discipleship.
π Learn more: https://workmatters.org
π Subscribe for more conversations on faith, leadership, and finding purpose in your work.
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