Welcome back to the Christianity and Business Podcast, an initiative of the RGW Dunham College of Business at Houston Christian University. I'm your host, Darren Scheer, and this is a show that helps Christian business leaders to integrate biblical values into business. The first impressions are lasting ones. So what what was your impression, your first impression of the workplace? Think back to your first job as we go into this interview. What was your first impression? If you're like me, your first job probably didn't surround you with any coworkers who genuinely cared about you or set a strong Christ-like example of how to honor God in the workplace. And for most teens entering the workforce, the first job is usually the opposite of that. But I found two business owners from two different parts of the country who are doing something to confront this problem. On today's episode, we're going to be discussing Christian mentorship for youth entering the workforce. And we're joined by Dave Haytag and Kevin Davis. Dave is president and co-owner of Edgerton Gear Incorporated, a second generation family business in rural Wisconsin, where he's worked for over 30 years. He's a journeyman machinist, has a BA from University of California, Irvine, a Master's in Christian Studies from Regent College in Vancouver, BC, and a doctorate from Backey Graduate University. And he's developed a curriculum called Craftsman with Character, which he may talk about how that's being deployed right now into some pretty big uh companies, but uh to mentor young people in the trades. And um, this course introduces high school students to the trades and manufacturing as an excellent career path while developing character and soft skills. And he's the author of Good Work, How Blue Collar Business Can Change Lives, Communities, and the World. And Kevin Davis is also on this panel today. He's been turning the gears for a quick lube for almost three decades. As president and COO of Fast Change Lube and Oil, he's built and operated more than 24 locations in four states. Um, he's a strong uh uh person of faith, uh devoted husband, father, entrepreneur, international speaker, trainer, and executive coach. And he's the author of the Quick Lube Expert, gear up to drive success in the oil change and automotive preventive maintenance industry. And both, as I said, both of these guys just have such a passion for mentoring the next generation in the in the ways of God. Um, Dave and Kevin, welcome to the Christianity and business podcast.
SPEAKER_01Darren, thanks for having us. I'm thrilled to be with Kevin too.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's a pleasure to join you, gentlemen, here today to talk about such a uh a great topic and subject that you know to help add value to others.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So I'm gonna ask um these questions to to both of you. Well, Dave, we'll start with you on this one. Um, did you receive workplace mentorship from a Christian perspective when you had your first job?
SPEAKER_01I had to laugh when I when I'm listening uh to what you're saying, Darren. Um, no. I I grew up through the family business, and my dad was my main mentor. And uh he he was not a Christian, uh, he was a very brilliant man, um, hard, hard worker, but also pretty harsh. And it was the old school mentorship where uh if you didn't get it right the first time, you were gonna get it right the second time. And uh it wasn't uh affirming, it was it was uh he kind of ruled by an iron fist. And and but I gotta tell you though, his method was actually gent more gentle than than his father, his stepfather, because when he told me the story that when he was in the shop, if you scrapped a part, they take the part and hang it over your machine to remind you to never do this again. And it was really the old school of intimidation and fear. And uh, you just better get it right, son.
SPEAKER_00How about you, Kevin?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I'm gonna have to echo what Dave said. You know, when I grew up, it was that it was that iron fist mentality, and uh uh and a lot of things you just had to figure out yourself. I mean, I remember, you know, driving a delivery truck and probably never been in a standard shift, and they put me in this big truck and say, hey, load this up and take it and take these parts there. I was sitting there thinking, what? You know, and it's just kind of like you just you just figure it out, and uh, and hopefully you figured out right. And and it seems like a a lot of those things, which you know, I give a lot of credit to that to helping me be who I am today, uh, because that did it cause me to have to be intuitive. It caused me to have to learn, it caused me to have to do some things that maybe I would have not done otherwise. But uh yeah, I agree. It was uh you know, it was definitely from a different philosophy, it was a different mindset. Um, and it was it was a fear thing. I was all I always had the fear of messing up. And and one thing that I've really tried not to do that I felt like was done, I felt a lot of times as young people starting, then we were almost set up to fail. It was like they set you up to do something and they know you want to fail. They don't tell you that you're gonna fail till you fail. And then it's like they laugh or make fun and you become the object of the of the topic for the next week. And and you know, that's very intimidating. And as a young person, especially, you're already scared and intimidated. And then when all of a sudden they set you up to fail, and then everybody's laughing, it just really makes you scared to make the next move. And um, but like I said, pushing through those things, I think has really molded me and helped me to be who who I am today. So I don't I don't want to go through some of that again, but I guess I'm glad I did go through it.
SPEAKER_01Same way, same here.
SPEAKER_00Well, I'm gonna start off with Kevin on this one. Um, why does why do you see the workplace as being an ideal place for mentoring the next generation in the ways of God?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. You know, Darren, that's a great question. And you know, one of the things that I'm seeing here recently is I don't know that our younger generation in a lot of cases are getting the mentoring that they need. And I'm gonna speak for my area. In my area, I see a lot of young people now that are are because of addictions and because of other problems that are being raised by grandparents and and as grandparents doing the best that they can do, and I'm so glad they're doing what they're doing, but you know, they're just trying to survive and get by. And we're seeing a lot of people who are just not getting that mentoring at that young age. They're entering the workforce, you know, so they're either finished with school, and now it's time to enter the the the big boy or the big girl world. They have no idea. They don't know what it's like to show up on time, they don't know what it's like to your hygiene sometimes, they don't know what it's like to uh you know be dressed and have your breakfast eaten before you get to work instead of showing up with your McDonald's baggy shoes untied. And you in and I mean, so I think that um just from a mentoring perspective all around, I think in the in in the day's world, it's just more important. And of course, we know that doing it with the uh faith-based background, doing it with the love and the spirit of kindness and trying to help people uh definitely just encourages it. But that's that's most of what I see as I think there's just a more of a need now than what you know. I I grew up, I knew what it was like. My dad taught me, you know, early's on time, on time's late, and late's unacceptable. Um, I mean, there was not an excuse. I no, I never nobody had to teach me that when I went to the workplace. But today, people don't know that. I mean, they show up five to 10 minutes late and think that's acceptable because nobody's taught them that in the past. And and so uh, and once again, I don't want to throw anybody, but I just think that's the society as a whole today, as we we've kind of got to that place that people just need those, uh need those mentors.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I mean, you used to with as a as a young boy in the at least in the Hebrew culture, you would come up in your father's shop, you know, like Jesus, uh, familiar example, um, Joseph Carpenter. So um Jesus would have been mentored in the workplace. And but now, I mean, as I said at the beginning, if you're like me, a lot of us, you know, we come into our first job is like in the restaurant industry or something like that. And you're around a bunch of people that really just, I mean, just very godless, very um, very hedonistic. And and that's uh so I mean it it's a it's a blessing that you did have fathers that really kind of um ingrained in at least, you know, maybe in uh a little bit of an extreme way, um, some of those those values that are just really missing uh from from the culture today. Um Dave, why don't you uh go ahead and answer that that question? Why why is the workplace an ideal place for mentoring the next generation, the ways of God?
SPEAKER_01Well, Kevin, what Kevin said, I I totally back that up here up in Wisconsin. I and I think it's it is nationwide where our society is so fragmented and broken, and uh young people are are desperate for direction, for that sense of purpose. I you know uh people often say, well, why would we want to be a mentor? And what why would kid want to listen to me? And I said, You you have no idea how how how these young people want to be mentored, they want direction, they want someone to be their friend. The world is a scary place right now. I mean, the when when Kev and I were growing up, I I th I thought it was scary then, but I could not imagine, I don't think anybody could imagine where we're at now. And and COVID has contributed to it, shut down. We we've we cut each ourselves off from each other. Um, you know, it's it's the great retirement or people pulling out of the workforce, but there's a sense of isolation where we're we're students, and I just got through an interviewing a young young black man an hour before I came here. Uh, he saw a murder. Um, just one of his friends got shot right in front of him this last year. And he said he's never really had a mentor except except for an uncle that he sees maybe once a month. And so when I when I teach our course, which we'll get into later, I am I am blown away of how open these young people are for somebody to pour into them, right? So when you have that expectation that that when you're talking to young people, they want that connection. I often say that that that there are two things that we all need as people. I don't care what age you are from, time you're you're uh, well, I not when you're born, but as soon as you start having some coherence of of life, all the way to the end of life, we are desperate. God has wired us to have a sense of purpose and a sense of belonging, a sense of community. And the workplace is ideal for that because if it's done right, we can have mentoring cultures where we give these young people a sense of purpose of something bigger than themselves, and then just playing the video games or or whatever, just living for themselves, and also in a sense of community, of healthy relationships. And I've got young people in our shop that we work with that say, why would I ever want to leave here? Because this is the first time in my life I feel loved, I feel a sense of community, I feel a sense of purpose. This is family, and I think it's a really reflection of what the what what the kingdom is supposed to be for us, and and often they don't they don't get this in church because church, we often go to church, and yeah, we we we learn stuff, and yeah, we may have a connection, but we are wired to work, and we don't go to church 60 hours, 50 hours a week, right? We go to the work world, and that's where we live out our God, our God expression of who He made us to be. And so, therefore, that's the place that we need to be mentored and learn how God wants us to live and how to be in community with each other, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I mean, especially at that young, impressionable age, you're just now coming into the workforce. This is gonna set the tone for really the rest of your your working life. Um, so let me ask you this question, Dave. What do you what are you doing about it? What from a practical standpoint? Um, how how are you mentoring these young people and really bringing your Christian values? I know you're not it's you know, this wouldn't be like uh uh you know evangelism type, you know, curriculum or something, but how are you bringing your your Christian values into this?
SPEAKER_01So I had a I have a really good friend from Nigeria who kind of helped me understand um this question there in a little bit because people say, Well, do you do evangelize them? Do you if you're gonna disciple them and mentor them, that means they're believers, right? Well, my my friend dot said, you know, the way Jesus did discipleship, salvation was not a prerequisite for discipleship.
SPEAKER_00That's good.
SPEAKER_01And I went, What? What are you talking about? And he said, You think of how when Jesus called the disciples? They didn't know what they were getting into, yeah, right? But they loved him. And throughout scripture, and especially the gospels, Jesus is introducing people to the kingdom, and he's not saying you gotta you gotta pray the four spiritual laws before I really teach you and love you and lead you. And that really helped me set the set the tone, and you know, kind of kind of theologically for what we do in our mentoring course. And so what it's called craftsmen with character, and we're partnered with the local high schools. And what we do is I get the students one day a week. I I go after what I I lovingly call the students the worst of the worst. You know, give me those kids that the schools don't know anything to do with, the counselors are all out of tools. We've tried everything we can. These kids are flunking out, we don't know what to do with them. I said, those are the kids we want, and we bring them into our shop environment, and they get the job shadow, you know, four days a week for an hour and a half. And then one day a week, I get them in the in a classroom, which is our lunchroom, and we really kind of deconstruct their worldview and we really explore, you know, what do you think is gonna make you happy and why? What what kind of values and and and viewpoints are you holding on to that you think are gonna make you happy, but they're really not? And after we kind of deconstruct that, then we can kind of reconstruct it and what's truth. And we don't have to get religious about it. We can say, well, you think money's really gonna make you happy? Well, let's talk about that. You think power or fame or whatever? And and in that classroom, we get to talk about real life and and then character qualities that you need that are gonna make you successful, that Darren can can speak into. Uh, I'm sorry, that Kevin can speak into, and Darren, you can too. Um, but then the four days a week, they're out on the shop floor or in different businesses seeing what opportunities are out there for them for a career, especially in the trades and manufacturing. But they're seeing the character qualities that we talk about in the classroom modeled and and really exemplified in in the the relationships of the mentors with them. So it's it's really about friendship. We we set the table about the character qualities that we all need to just be successful in life, but then they see that you know, modeled every day with the with the older people that they're working with. So the schools are embracing it wholeheartedly because it's it's not we don't use religious language, but it's biblically based, it's all truth-based. And the schools are desperate for it because we all want good people, we want good students, we want good workers, and goodness is God's superpower, and it is how we all we we need that in our society even to function, and our breakdown of society is starting to wake up and realize you know what, goodness is a real thing, and uh we need to impart that into our young people for all of us to be successful for a civilization even to exist.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, awesome. And and Dave, they're they're in bringing your program into school. I mean, you've got this direct relationship with schools, Kevin. They're inviting you to come in to speak to the students. Tell us um what are the some of the things that you've been doing, Kevin, to really connect with this next generation in the workplace.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. And so, so we're we're kind of doing uh two different things right now. So we have a mentoring program in the workplace that's really not even identified as a mentoring program in the workplace because we're an entry-level uh job that people come right out of school or whatever, just looking to get started. And, you know, they're just looking for whether it be fast food or whatever, they're just looking for something until they get them to the next one. And so what we started doing several years ago is we started focusing on the core values. We started focusing on our mission and our vision. And we started with a vision statement of basically being, you know, to serve with pride or our mission statement, serve with pride in a manner consistent with our values, honoring God and others and all we do. And our vision statement is to simply be the best place anywhere that a customer can go for uh preventive maintenance services or an oil change while adding eternal value to those we serve. So immediately when somebody comes onto the workforce, mostly younger people right out of school, we start teaching them about serving. And, you know, we serve with pride. I mean, we the service we happen to do happens to be changing oil, but we're really serving people. And I teach them that, you know, a lot of times I bring people together and I say, so who do we serve? And everybody says we serve the customer. And I said, we do, but who else do we serve? And then I say, you know, we serve one another, we serve our clients, we serve our vendors, we serve our communities. We so you start teaching that serving, and then we start teaching them how do we serve? We serve with pride. And then that's an acronym for our core values, which is professionalism, respect, integrity, uh, discipline, and um, and um excellence. So when we go through those, there is a I have a scripture for each one of those. So I know what my faith based behind each one of those, but we don't really say that. We just teach them how to live that out. We live that out by representing yourself well and professionalism, by respecting one another, integrity, doing the right thing no matter what the consequences are, uh, you know, just going through these different things. We go through each one of those values. And so we're really not teaching as a faith-based, but we're teaching the principles and the values to live that out. But I tell everybody, if you live that out, if you serve with pride in a manner consistent with our values, honoring God and others and all we do, will you fulfill the vision of being the best place anywhere that customers can go for an oil change or other preventive maintenance? And will you add eternal value to those we serve? And I even asked my team, I said, so I can you can quote all these different values, you can read them off. But what I want to do is I would like to be able to see this when I walk in the shop without you saying it. And so they identified 20 values that would pick out all five of those. And we've actually got them listed on a board that if I see you doing this, I know you're living that value. If I see you doing that, they actually come up with all those their self. So now that's how we do. And what we do is we catch people living the values, and then we acknowledge that they're living the values. So it's more or less not uh it's faith-based, but it's not like I said, it's discipline, it's discipleship. Uh, it is teaching them to just be good people, to do the right thing, to help others and serve others. And as they start seeing the results of that, all of a sudden then they see, wow, this is pretty good. So that's one of the things that we do in the workplace. And then I've been working on a curriculum uh to start in the school system before they come. And we've got approved to get started in the school system and start with, you know, you know, some uh uh juniors or seniors and meet once a month and start this program to kind of start preparing them. You know, what does it look like to be professional? What does it look like to have respect? And I'm basing everything on these core values of pride because I think those are key no matter what. Uh, one of the things that I'm working on, one of the books that you and I'll probably be doing soon is achieving five-star results by serving with pride because everybody is looking to get a five-star review from somebody on something. How do we get five-star results in everything we do? We do it by professionalism, respect, uh, integrity, dependability, and excellence. And so that's kind of the model that we use. And the thing that amazes me, people start in this career thinking, okay, this is a this is a job that I can just walk into and I'm gonna move on to something else. And now we have people, my regional directors of operations who pretty much run the company started out as part-time lube techs that now run this company. And most all my store managers started out as part-time lube techs that thought this was just a dead end job that's going to move on to the next one. And since then, they've been with me 15, 18, 20 years that have, you know, they bought their first car, built their first home, had their families. So I think that that mentoring starts at a level, and I'm not doing this mentoring. I mean, I can't take credit for this because you know, we got you know 20 plus locations across four states, but we've taught our teams how to mentor and how to develop and how to do that. So they're really the ones that have put the feet on the ground to make this happen.
SPEAKER_00Gosh, it's it's so exciting what you guys are doing. Um Kevin, um tell us what are some things that that you really ought not to do, really ought to avoid doing when you're mentoring young people in the workplace.
SPEAKER_02Uh to me, I I think it's a you've got to be open to listen. I mean, I I think if you go start just trying to tell them this is the way and this is the only way, they're going to put a wall up immediately. And and I think, especially in today's culture, we can't go in this world, we can't go out in this workplace now and just say, hey, this is the only way. And what I like to understand, if somebody tells me they think something should be a way or they think it should be this way, I usually start off with just asking the question, okay, tell me a little bit more about that. You know, why, why do you feel like that's the right way? Why do you feel? And typically by asking those questions and just letting them speak, eventually that you'll speak in. To what you need to say to them. And all of a sudden, then it becomes their idea instead of your idea. Because if they say, well, X, Y, Z, and then all of a sudden, well, how do you think that would make somebody feel if we'd done that? How should we do that? And so you're telling me that if we done it this way, it would work better. Oh, that's a great idea. I'm glad you come up with it. And so it's letting, it's coaching, it's pulling inside of them what they need to do. Because the moment that I've seen in today's society, the moment now you tell people to do it one way, this rebellious thing kicks up, and I think you've lost them. I think you just have to be open-minded. And I have the hardest time with my son. Oh my goodness, me and him, we butt heads because I I tell you everything to do it the right way, but I do it wrong with him, I think, most of the time, you know, because he said, You're a terrible teacher, Dad. You know, he said, You get over here and tell people how to do this and you're really blowing it. And and I thought even, you know, when I look back, I almost messed up with my son earlier in the show. I mentioned to you about what kids are coming into. And I I about messed up with my son. And I didn't even know I was doing it because I had not invested in my son the way I should have, like my dad did me, teaching him how to do things. And I was thought I was making it better for him. I thought I was doing the right thing for him. I was doing all these things. And all of a sudden, COVID hit. When COVID hit, we're locked in the house. I'm not traveling, I'm home again. And all of a sudden, I'm taking my son out and say, let's go up to the barn, let's go up and weed eat. And my dad and my son looks at me and says, I don't know how to start the weed eater. And I'm sitting here thinking, What? How do you not know how to start a weed eater? And then he calls, he says, You never showed me. And then all of a sudden my wife said, Do you not remember you've been leaving on Mondays and coming home on Fridays and you've been paying somebody to do this stuff and all this stuff? And I got to thinking, why are the people in my workplace that are coming? And it's not that they're bad people. And it's not that we, I think we got so caught up in society that we we forget what we teach. So COVID for me spent that time. My son learned so much in those 12 months that I was home. He learned how to do, and I learned a better way to do it. And also give me a different opportunity to look at them in the workforce now when they come in. So it's not always, I mean, me thinking I was doing it right almost messed it up. And so that really opened my eyes to, and with my son, I have to get to where he's got this preconceived because everything they hear and they see is it's your opinion and your opinion matters and all this stuff. And so I've got to let him. So when he tells, why do you think we ought to do it that way, son? And me knowing it's the wrong way, but if he talks long enough, I say, what do you think is going to happen if we do it that way? Why do you think that will happen? And all of a sudden he says, Well, Dad, if I do that, that's gonna mess up, isn't it? I believe it will. And but he came with that conclusion with me coaching him to it instead of just saying, do it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, well said. Uh how about you, Dave? How how would what are some things not to do? What would you add to that?
SPEAKER_01Well, I I think Kevin laid the foundation for it. We and I and I'm teaching my leaders mentoring this way that you know you still need discipline, you need you still need to have correction, but do you correct old school and really be demeaning, or do you ask questions and you really help them understand the consequences, right? And and I think for us what I struggle with myself over the years, I have three grown sons. I'm it's the same way, Kevin. I get it. And I like, man, I I wish I was a better, I wish I knew when I was there growing up what I know now, because I think I would have been a much, much better dad. Yeah, and I've had to ask a lot of forgiveness of my sons, like, okay, boy, I really screwed that one up, but you know, I'm I'm trying to be better. But um, so what I what I what we're learning, you you got it. You you you have to treat them like people, you know, adults, how you want to, and it's coach just goes back to scripture, you know, love it, you know, treat others the way you want to be treated, and and really listen to them. And and our our craftsman code that we teach, you know, you're not the center of the universe, and you know, I don't know everything or nearly as much as I think I do, and and these things that we teach. We we really have to be careful, and Kevin alluded to it in this generation, um, to really listen. And we often ask when we're asked questions, we answer questions, we answer the their questions with questions, you know, to help them really process and understand because they don't have a clue about some of the things. So we can't assume, and I think that's one of the biggest mistakes our leaders, as older people, we make. We assume they know, we assume that they have it figured out, um, but they don't. Um, I some of my leaders to Kevin's point, my oldest son works in our business, and they're getting really frustrated with him because um he wasn't doing a good the good job that they needed to do. And they were caught in this boss thing, you know, well, it's the boss's son, you know. Do we we did we can't go tell the boss and and boy, the boss's son's not really measuring up. So what it so it was really, you know, can you imagine the awkwardness of it? And finally, you know, I'm seeing it. And finally, I I I asked one of my leaders one day, I said, What's going on with my son? And they're like, uh, and he was real nervous about it. And he he was he finally came out and he said, Well, I'm really, really struggling. He's he's not being a good leader. And I said, Well, have you explained that to him? Have you mentored him like you would any other employee? Or are you just assuming that because he's my son, he knows everything? And they went, Oh my gosh, you're right. We we've just assumed. So they actually brought my son into the conference room, sat down with him, and they they they said, you know what, we've assumed and we apologize. And and it was really a neat conversation. My son just cried. Oh he said, I've I've been wanting to have you all mentor me so bad, but I've just I've assumed that I was just supposed to know because I'm the boss's son. So it was both sides, you know, really kind of failing each other. And and I'm and in summary, it's just we we we can't make assumptions that that they just know everything, and we gotta just again be friend, be a friend and love them like uh we want to be loved.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. And I it just as you were saying that, uh, it just made me realize that God has put that desire, that's like a natural human desire to want to be discipled. And I mean, why would he not set it up that way? I mean, that's the if he tells us that's the great commission, like he's already wired everybody for that kind of connection. And and I like uh what your Nigerian friend was saying, that how Jesus um salvation was not a prerequisite uh to discipleship, um, because these guys were they were on the boat fishing together, being discipled before they even know what hit what hit them, really. Um, and and so that's what you guys are doing. What better place to do that than in a gear factory, in a quick lube? Um, you know, in our case, it's uh yeah, go ahead.
SPEAKER_01Well, I want to jump in, Kevin. You you you hit you you explained something exactly, and it's kind of funny because what state are you in? Kentucky. Kentucky. You know, we're up here in Wisconsin, and it's universal. You you're talking about the kingdom to us as Christians is about values. It's these characters, it's the values of goodness. It's the goodness of God in very, very practical ways. So both of us, it seems, have have come to learn that if we're going to communicate the kingdom of God, it's really through the excellence and the integrity and humility and being teachable. So so the spirit's working in both of our lives to teach us that that the kingdom has very practical implications. And we don't, and it sounds like the same way, we don't demand that people believe as we do, but we do demand that we have shared values. And those values come from a living God who says, yeah, this is the what this is what a civilization needs to thrive, a community to thrive. So we all agree that we're going to be committed to these things that will allow us to thrive. Would you say the same thing, Kevin?
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. And even when I when I say like our vision is to be, you know, uh, you know, to serve, you know, in America, honoring God and others and all we do. And over the years, I've been challenged with that. I've I've had some people say, Well, I don't believe in God. And you know, my statement to that was, but if you serve with professionalism, respect, integrity, depend of excellence, if you served a God, it would honor your God. And then some will say, Well, I serve this God or that God. And I will just say, Well, serving with these values will honor. And just because it's not about, you know, once again, I think that if you live it out in front of them and they see your faith, we have to live that faith. I mean, there's enough, we can, we can, we can preach it, but if you don't live it. And I think that what did Jesus do? I mean, Jesus fed people when they were hungry, he clothed them, he done the things that needed, he met their need before he started teaching them the lesson. And I think that's what we have to do is we've got to meet their needs. And then all of a sudden, why are you meeting my need? Because it's the right thing to do. Why? Because God has met my need, and I feel like I need to try to meet the needs of others. So all of a sudden, we're living that faith out instead. You know, I'm a pastor as well, so I preach from the pulpit on a regular basis. But I can tell you that my ministry has been far more effective out in the field without preaching a sermon. And some of my buddies will say, we understand we've heard you preach. But yeah, but uh, but I think it's it's it's living it out. And and those values are good no matter, and those values are not offensive because sometimes when people think that you're coming, especially we live in the Bible belt, right? We live in the belt buckle of the Bible belt, and we'll beat you with the belt buckle if you don't believe the way we do. So people have got to that thing, they they put up a wall immediately when you say something about that. But if you just start living it out and then they start asking you questions, so why are you being so kind? Why are you doing that? Then you can share your faith and what God has done for you. And because He's done that for you, you're doing it for others, then it has more meaning. That's you know, my thoughts on it.
SPEAKER_01Well, and you just pointed out you have to earn the right to be heard, right? You have to live it out and and set that example and show that you're loving rather than telling people you're loving. We so we we had a situation a couple of years ago. Um, a couple employees were turned out to be some of the worst employees we ever had who are very open Christians and they're beating everybody up with scripture and telling everybody how they needed to believe, but you you couldn't feel any love from them. And we got a bunch of guys in our shop, in our blue-collar shop, that they have no faith whatsoever. And I and I've spent a lot of years trying to earn the you know, learn people's um respect and show them what we care and that we love. And um the couple of these guys that were just so obnoxious about their faith really set things back a ways because they didn't live it out before they were speaking it.
SPEAKER_00I agree. Wow, yeah, because once you have that that relationship and and you're discipling somebody, they know that you really actually care about them. And now you want them to, you know, get on board with whatever your worldview is, whatever, or or even just hey, I what do you think about going fly fishing? You know, like what do you think about um, you know, taking up this hobby, or what do you think? I mean, what do you think about Jesus? Well, hey, if it's good enough for you, must be good enough for me, you know? Like that's that's certainly not always the case, but without that discipleship, and that's the model of Jesus, you know, discipling them first and then giving them, you know, putting those those harder decisions in front of them. You know, certainly there were hard decisions they made early to, you know, drop their nets and follow and and everything. But um, you know, the there's just such power in establishing that that bond with a person through discipleship. So I'm sure I know that both of you guys have other business owners, other peers um in your industry and other industries come to you, they see what you're doing, and they say, you know, I gotta be doing something like that. Um what do you what do you tell them uh to really get get going with that? Um Dave, we'll start with you.
SPEAKER_01Well, uh Kevin, I don't know what your world is like, but it's probably a lot like ours. Um the world's in a hiring crisis. Manufacturing the trades are absolutely in a crisis of having having folks come in and replace an aging demographic. So I talked to a lot to a lot of business folks that are going, hold it. How in the world is your average age in your shop only 28? And like my average age in our shop are in their 50s. What what did you do and how do you do it? And so the the question they're really asking is how do you build a sustainable workforce? Because if we don't have a workforce that's going to be here, we're not gonna have a business. And my workforce is aging out and retiring. I don't have enough young people that are skilled, that are good people, that are showing up on time. So, how do you do that? And my my answer is very simple. You have to develop a mentoring culture, a discipling culture that you are taking these young folks in and showing them the opportunities that are there in front of them, um, creating that that environment that they're cared for, that they're loved, that they're respected, that it goes back to giving them that sense of purpose and the dignity of a job in a really healthy community. It's not rocket science, it's really hard. But what Kevin and I are talking about in our business is if you want your business to survive, you have to not rely on the government, not rely on the schools, you have to take ownership of your culture in your company and figure out how to make it a mentoring culture so young people feel cared for and respected and they want to be a part of it. And you get that figured out, and Kevin's experience and I'm experiencing it. You got leaders that just blow you away because now they're so committed and on fire about just having a sense of a place in this world to belong and having that sense of purpose.
SPEAKER_00What's a practical thing they can do? Like, do they they start um like pairing up the uh the more senior guys with the younger guys? Do they need to meet with you as the you know, as the the the main leader in a company? Like what's what are some of the the logistics of what that might look like?
SPEAKER_01Well, from a top down, as owners, we have to take responsibility for that and model it ourselves, right? We can't expect other people to do what we're not gonna do. So we have to be willing to and they have to see us investing in people. And and in our company, what I'm helping other companies do now is you need to say, okay, we are gonna make a commitment to be in this kind of a culture. So then uh our our course is we partner with local high schools, we bring this the kids in, and then I ask us who wants to be a mentor in our company? Who wants to step up and really you know care for these kids? And and that's what starts happening. The kids come in um just for job shadow, it starts off for that, it's a whole semester course. And then after, if the kids want to stay, then we make them summer interns and we have a youth apprenticeship, adult apprenticeship. So it's really there's a lot of really practical things you can do. Uh, here in Wisconsin, we have the state of Wisconsin helps us with youth apprenticeship. You can go to your schools, your career counselors are probably desperate to know what to do with some of these kids. Um, but you really just talk to your guys and say, folks, if we're going to survive, we have to figure out how to care for kids. And what's that gonna look like in our business? And right now I'm in the city of Beloit and we're starting our course, and then we've got, you know, Free Dole A Company and four other companies that are going, we need to figure this out. So we're actually helping them. I'm teaching the course, they've got mentors that let the kids are following around, and it's just taking that time and being committed to say, Yeah, we're we're gonna have kids come in and we're gonna show them what opportunities. People often say, Well, that's that just sounds expensive. I mean, how do you have time to let your guys do that? And I would my answer is the longer we do this, the more you give your older people opportunities to mentor, it changes them and it changes your company. And that's that's the real magic that I've come across the last few years, is that it's it has given our company so much the so much more of a sense of purpose. I think all of us, no matter what age we or where we work, when we start hitting our 40s and 50s, especially in our 50s, we start thinking, why did I make a difference in this world at all? You know, I mean, death is starting to face us coming, coming down the pipe a little bit. And we often don't think that our shop floor guys think about those things, think about legacy. And we're finding that by allowing the students to partner with them, just guy that's been on the shop floor for 30 years, for them to start working with a young person absolutely changes their life. Because now it's like I have a much bigger purpose than I've been in having a running my machine. I'm leaving a legacy, I'm replicating myself. So mentoring and discipleship is not just for you know the leaders, it it can be throughout your organization.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Kevin, what do you encourage your peers to start doing?
SPEAKER_02To start. I mean, I think that's the key is just start. And uh a coach of mine told me one time, Kevin, uh done's better than perfect. Uh just just just start. And you know, Joe Sava said you don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. And I just say take small steps. You know, just take small steps, just start finding a need, finding where somebody's struggling, and see how you can help them succeed in that. And as you start doing that small, and and success breeds success. And you know, I echo what you know Dave said. I think that we go from uh survival to significance to legacy. And as we go through those, I'm amazed at, you know, I had a mentor in the in the ministry that I that I oh I just sucked the life out of. I mean, it was like I sucked the life out of them. I started pastoring, you know, I didn't I didn't have any training, any education. You know, I was like Amos out in the field plowing, and God said go preach. And you know, somebody said, I think he said go plow more, bud. You should be, and so the next thing I'm pastoring, and I find this uh minister in a town next by that had done really good. I found, I mean, he was successful, he had good crowds that done it. I just said, I need to be friends with this guy. And I got in my place where I could be friends with him, and he became my mentor pouring into me. And several years ago, I was with him and we were having um having a meal together, and I just uh I just said, Man, I I just I I owe you an apology. And I said what do you call me an apology? I said, I suffed the life out of you. I don't know how many times you listened to me cry for hours and I've done all this stuff. And he said, Kevin, you don't know what that done for me. He said, What that done for me was I knew you were coming to me. I had to keep myself sharp. I had to stay on top of my game because you were depending on me to help you. You give me new meaning, you give me new purpose, you give me fire to make me better. And I said, the whole time I thought I was just sucking the life out of you. He said, You give me more than I give you. And I think that that's what people find out. When you start mentoring people, all of a sudden, it gives you something. It gives you that passion, that hope, that desire. And I tell people often, you know, I've been very fortunate and blessed in my career. And I'm the typical person on the journey to success that I thought success was what the world did. I thought it was the uh, you know, the salary, the homes, the cars, the vacations, and all the stuff like that. And much like many people, I attained a lot of those things and I'm still looking around and saying, that didn't last long. What's next? What's next? And and I really was getting down. I was sitting here thinking, if this is all there is to it, and then all of a sudden, I got to help somebody else be successful. I took my experiences, my skills, my failures, and all of a sudden I was able to pour into somebody else. And then all of a sudden, when I seen them achieve success, I can honestly say I got as much fulfillment, if not more, out of seeing them achieve it as when I achieved it myself. And that's when I found the passion of what mentoring really does, not only to the mentee, but to me as the mentor. And it causes me, you know, I go back to the, what is it, Paul Barnum Timothy process that I think that every one of us need three people in our lives at all the time. We need somebody that we're pouring into. We need somebody that's pouring into us, and we need to have somebody that we're walking along this journey with. And by filling those roles, we're continuing to fill air vessels so we can pour out into others. And sometimes you just got to walk along somebody like Dave. Dave and I are doing a lot of the same things. It's good to walk along that journey and him look over and say, Hey, you doing okay? Yeah, I'm doing okay. How are you doing? You know, we're walking along this journey together. Uh, it's good to have those. So I think the thing is just start. And once you experience that, and I think that you got to be willing to let people go. So, one of the things in my industry is people move on, okay? Some people make a manager, but there are only so many spots. We have four to five people in a store. And sometimes people have to move on to move up. And you got to be okay with that. You got to be okay knowing that you're pouring in and investing in them. And you know, what was the, I forget which one of the guys said it. One of them said, Hey, what if I train them and they leave? And he says, What if you don't and they stay? You know, it's kind of like so uh sometimes you have to train them up to leave. And, you know, one of the best things I got, I got a message on Facebook here not too long ago. A gentleman that started with me and worked for me for 20 some years. Why he worked for me, he got his college degree, got an MBA. I get a message out of Facebook from him, and he says, Hey, just wanted to let you know. I just got recruited to run a $50 million year company. I went in, I was very overwhelmed. I was scared to death. I started serving with pride the way you taught me. I started using those values. It's amazing to see, see how things have changed. Thank you for investing in me and teaching me to. Served with pride. That right there was worth more to me than any kind of check or bonus or thing because that made a difference. So to me, that is some of the so and I like to share that with people. Just start. Just start small, start making a difference, start adding value. And as those things start happening, you'll start seeing the results and you'll start doing more. And others will want to be part of that. You know, when it when they see that happening, others say, Oh, let me be part of this. Let me help you do that. So that that's kind of I just just you you just got to start. Done's better than perfect, just do it.
SPEAKER_00Well said. And uh and thanks for sharing that that story of that that uh that man's life that was impacted. Um, Dave, I'm I'm sure you've got a story uh like that. Who what's one of your your favorite stories of of somebody that just came in one way and and has now been uh been forever impacted?
SPEAKER_01It you know we have a whole shop full of them, you know, because I've been back in the business for 30 years. And and one of my favorites is is my right-hand man who's been there actually longer than I have in a sense, because I left the business for when I kind of ran away from home when I was 22 and then came back. And my dad hired this young man, and he he'll tell you he was an atheist when I came back, and he he was only living for you know drinking and and uh materialism and all that, and he's been a hard nut to crack. And over the 30 some 30 plus years now, he's he'll he'll tell you he goes, I'm I I moved from I didn't believe there was anything out there to there's something out there to man, I should have gone to church because I missed out a lot of learning some stuff, but to to see the transformation and and Kevin, I I really appreciate I just love listening to you because one of the things that that I that you reminded me of is and and and Darren, I hope I hope your audience is is getting that this is exciting stuff, you know, discipleship and mentorship, it's not a chore. I mean, it's hard work, but it pays such huge rewards. I wish I would have got this a lot long long ago. And and uh this last week, there's a film crew that I'm I'm kind of hosting that that's making a little mini documentary about what we're doing. And I'm meeting these other companies, we're going into manufacturing companies, whether it's Friedolai or whether it's uh um a forging house or whatever, and I'm seeing these 30 and 40-some-year-old guys who are the mentors who are allowing these guys, these kids to come in a job shadow, and they're coming up to us. And and just this morning, I had a president of one of the companies come up to me and said, Thank you so much. I go, for what? He goes, for letting us do this. He goes, This is life-changing for us that we get to be with these kids and give them a path and invest in them. And over and over, it exactly what what Kevin said, it is so life-giving. No matter how burned out I am during the week, when I get to come and teach this course on Fridays with these kids, I walk out of their changed person and just so fired up. And I think I think we need to understand that that that's how God wired us, right? To to care and to pass on and to invest in each other. And then we get back to your really your initial opening question why it's important, how why is the workplace such an important place for mentoring? Because that's where we're at, you know, five, six days a week. Um, that's where we spend our lives, and that's the way God wired us is to what Kevin said, to serve in any capacity. And we are the most like God and we're the most joyful when we are serving and working.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, well said. Uh Kevin, as as we're wrapping it up here, we'll uh we'll have both of y'all kind of share how people can learn more from you and um and just yeah, just hear more from about what you're doing and how they can get involved. Um, so go ahead, Kevin.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, awesome. You know, we've I've created mkevindavis.com, and that's my coaching, you know, consulting, training, um, um, you know, business now that you know we work with other owners, operators, you know, help people in various aspects of whatever business may be. And we're also working on our line chart and navigate program for the schools that we're trying to get out and get get started out into that. And and once we get that, we plan on creating a curriculum through that that others can be able to pick up and just you know take that cookie cutter and take it to imply their experience and their principles to that. So, you know, pretty much mkeevindavis.com is my website. I'm on social media. You know, in the quick lube industry, I have Quick Lube Expert, and we just, you know, finished the book with you, the Quick Lube Expert, which uh done really well. Appreciate all your help in making that such a success. And uh, so in the industry, in the quick lube industry, you know, we've been helping a lot of people through that. And so we just uh, you know, we're available to help, you know. My my heart and my passion is just help others. I mean, that that's my goal in life is just to help others uh be successful, help others find their purpose, find their calling, and help them, you know. Um, you know, my my life quote or my theme is life is a journey of aligning your dreams, charting your course, and navigating yourself to the purpose-filled life that you're created to live. And along that journey, if I can help anybody along that way, I'd love to. If you just need an ear, just need somebody to listen to, somebody bounce some ideas, you know, we'd love to be there to kind of help you and share our experiences. Certainly don't claim to have the answers, don't know it all. Uh, but uh sometimes you just need somebody to walk alongside of you and we're willing to do that.
SPEAKER_00Awesome. How about you, Dave?
SPEAKER_01Uh yeah, our website is is uh craftsmanwithcharacter.org. Uh it's got some videos on there. It kind of introduces our curriculum, the whole plan. It's it's it's it's kind of from a student's perspective, uh, teacher's perspective, a parents' perspective, but a business perspective. And our and our vision, I feel like God's called us to really help scale this up so we can help other communities. Because if we can help, and the vision is really if we can go into a community and help really bring together the business community and solve this hiring crisis of developing a sustainable workforce in partnership with the local schools, kids' lives, our communities are completely turned upside down, right? And so anything we can do to help that, we're this this where I'm at right now is a larger industrial city. So we're we're this is our first uh uh attempt and how that could impact, and the excitement is is kind of blowing us away. Um, we have smaller communities. I got one in in nowhere, Kansas, right now that I'm working with to see how you know your local, your your local trades folks, contractors like HVAC, electricians, plumbers, small businesses um can also do this. Um, but it's a really community-wide thing. So so we're we're experimenting with how we could really expand it and just see what God wants to do with it. So feel free to take a look at the website, reach out to me in any way I can. And I'm like Kevin, I'm we're we're called to serve any way we can and how whoever God brings into our lives.
SPEAKER_00Beautiful. Uh Dave's website again, Craftsman with character. That's uh craftsm-a-n, uh, craftsman with character.org. And Kevin's website, mkevindavis.com and also quicklubexpert.com. Um, Kevin, Dave, thank you so much for I know it was a scheduling adventure to get get us all together, but um, I'm so glad it worked out. This is so so critical, so important. And I appreciate what you're doing for the kingdom. Thanks for sharing with our audience today.
SPEAKER_02Thank you. I really appreciate both of you all and the and the passion and and energy you have to make a difference in the lives of others.
SPEAKER_01Hey, yeah, Darren, Kevin, this has been a real treat. I I just love listening to you both, and it's just a real honor and privilege to be a part of this. So thank you.
SPEAKER_00We hope you've enjoyed this episode. And if so, we would greatly appreciate it if you'd leave us a quick rating and review for the Christianity and Business Podcast on iTunes. You can get more information about HSCU's Center for Christianity and Business, and sign up to receive free access to all issues of the Christian Business Review Journal by visiting our website at Christianityandbusiness.com. Thanks for listening, and remember to keep integrating biblical values into your business.