Good Work - by Dave Hataj (Paperback)

About the Book

What Can Blue-Collar Business Teach Us About Work and Faith?

The faith and work conversation is alive and well, but most resources focus on white-collar jobs, neglecting the majority of the workforce. When Pastor Dave Hataj realized he needed to go home and take over the family gear shop, he didn't expect it to become a spiritually transformative season of his life. Yet as he began to think about what it meant to be a Christian in business, he discovered just how much our work matters to God and how blue-collar business can change people, communities, and even the world.

Drawing on the stories of his business, Edgerton Gears, Dave teaches you how to cultivate true inner goodness, meaning, and mission at work--no matter what you do. Your workplace can and should be a place of significance.

Book Synopsis

What Can Blue-Collar Business Teach Us About Work and Faith?

The faith and work conversation is alive and well, but most resources focus on white-collar jobs, neglecting the majority of the workforce. When Dave Hataj realized he needed to go home and take over the family gear shop, he didn't expect it to become a spiritually transformative season of his life. Yet as he began to think about what it meant to be a Christian in business, he discovered just how much our work matters to God and how blue-collar business can change people, communities, and even the world.

Drawing on the stories of his business, Edgerton Gears, Dave teaches you how to cultivate true inner goodness, meaning, and mission at work--no matter what you do. Your workplace can and should be a place of significance.

From the Back Cover

"A machinist with a doctoral degree--you don't meet one of those every day. Nor will you often find a book that so effectively demonstrates the hand-in-glove relationship between faith and everyday work."
-Larry Peabody, Professor, Theology of Work, Bakke Graduate University

"It's inspiring to learn how doing the right thing ethically and morally can equal success. As a 20-year employee I was blown away to learn the goal of the business was not money."
-Brent Schroeder, team leader, lead mentor, and customer service at Edgerton Gear

"Every business leader will be inspired to change and improve using the mindsets and frameworks Dave describes."
-Michael Jones, Manage Director, Investment Banking

"This is a must read for every business owner."
-Keith Campbell, Chairman of Mannington Mills, Inc.

About the Author

DAVE HATAJ is the second-generation president and owner of Edgerton Gear, Inc., a Wisconsin-based custom gear manufacturer. As a journeyman machinist by age twenty-one, he then earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of California-Irvine. He completed his Master's Degree from Regent College in Vancouver, BC. His graduate work focused on Systems Theory in a Family Business context. In 2014 he earned a Doctorate of Transformational Leadership 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.