This podcast episode features an in-depth conversation between Todd Rimer and DJ Blatherwick, exploring the intersection of faith, values, and business leadership. DJ Blatherwick brings a unique perspective as someone who transitioned from 15 years in pastoral ministry to his current role as Director of Culture and Business Development at Brick and Ember Outfitters.
DJ Blatherwick shared his educational and career journey, beginning with his decision in high school to pursue church ministry. He attended Cedarville University in Ohio, a small Christian school, where his focus shifted from student ministry to church planting. After graduation, he worked as a worship pastor in Crawfordville, Indiana for five years under senior pastor Terry. In 2015, DJ and his best friend partnered to plant a church in Greenwood, Indiana, starting with a core group and officially launching on September 13th, 2015. The church operated as a setup-and-teardown operation in a middle school for the first six to seven years, storing equipment in an office building between services.
The transition from ministry to business occurred in April 2024 when DJ lost his pastoral position due to personal decisions he made. This unexpected change led him to network extensively, ultimately connecting with Courtney, the owner of Brick and Ember Outfitters, through a mutual friend. Initially hired as a sales outfitter in late June 2024, DJ's role evolved organically as he demonstrated natural business development skills through his networking activities. His position expanded to include commercial sales development, focusing particularly on ground-up new construction projects, and eventually incorporated culture development responsibilities.
DJ Blatherwick described how his faith has become less compartmentalized since leaving pastoral ministry. Previously, he felt his faith, home life, and ministry work existed in separate boxes, with ministry becoming more of a job than a relationship with God. In his current role, he experiences greater integration of faith into daily activities, including praying before meetings and asking God for presence and patience when returning home to his family. This integration has created more authentic connections in business relationships, as people no longer feel they need to modify their behavior around him as they might with a traditional pastor.
The conversation explored the role of vulnerability and honesty in business relationships. DJ Blatherwick emphasized his commitment to building connections based on authenticity rather than trying to be who others expect him to be. He shared that this approach has led to deeper business partnerships and more meaningful conversations, often resulting in clients opening up about their own struggles and experiences. Speaker 1 reinforced this perspective, sharing his own practice of praying publicly in restaurants and offering to pray with business contacts, noting that people are consistently receptive to these gestures.
Brick and Ember Outfitters operates on five core values known as the "five H's": humble, habit, honesty, hope, and hustle. DJ Blatherwick acknowledged that while these values exist, there are opportunities to better integrate them into daily operations. He has implemented one-on-one meetings with sales representatives to tie their activities back to company values, such as connecting prospecting goals to the "hustle" value. The company holds monthly all-company meetings to keep values visible, though DJ admits this integration could be more consistent and systematic.
Customer feedback reflects the company's values in action, with Google reviews frequently highlighting how helpful and honest sales representatives are during the consultation process. The values manifest in the company's approach of asking questions, being curious about each homeowner's specific situation, and maintaining honesty about what they know and don't know. When mistakes occur, the company emphasizes owning what they can control and responding with humility and honesty to make things right.
DJ Blatherwick drew parallels between values-driven companies and successful faith-based organizations like Chick-fil-A, noting that such companies typically demonstrate genuine care for their employees. This care manifests through commitment to employee growth, willingness to have difficult conversations for development purposes, and providing resources and training opportunities. He emphasized that values-driven companies view employees as human beings rather than numbers, creating environments where people want to work.
The discussion addressed the unique combination of DJ's role as Director of Culture and Business Development. Initially seeming contradictory, this dual responsibility makes strategic sense as it ensures internal culture aligns with external business representation. DJ noted that as a smaller company, he can wear multiple hats effectively, though future growth might require specialization into separate roles.
Both speakers emphasized the importance of taking risks in faith and business. DJ Blatherwick coined the phrase "risk is right," explaining that growth and desired outcomes typically exist on the other side of risk and difficult decisions. He encouraged listeners to pray for opportunities and boldness, noting that his own healing and growth over the past 20 months came through doing things that felt risky at the time.
The conversation concluded with practical encouragement for those wanting to live out their faith more confidently in workplace settings. DJ Blatherwick recommended starting with prayer, asking God for opportunities or boldness to act on existing opportunities. He emphasized that worthwhile achievements require risk-taking and that unwillingness to take risks creates artificial ceilings on personal and professional growth.
Introduction and Background of DJ Blatherwick ‎00:00:04
Speaker 1 introduces the podcast episode focused on living out faith and values in family business settings. DJ Blatherwick is introduced as having spent 15 years as a pastor before transitioning to Director of Culture and Business Development at Brick and Ember Outfitters. The conversation begins with a lighthearted discussion about DJ's English surname "Blatherwick" and his college nickname "Lord Blatherwick" given by a professor who thought it sounded aristocratic.
Journey from High School to Pastoral Ministry ‎00:02:12
DJ Blatherwick traces his calling to ministry back to high school, initially thinking he would work with students. A mentor advised him to focus on learning to study the Bible rather than getting a degree in student ministry, which proved to be valuable guidance. His focus shifted during college from student ministry to church planting. After graduating from Cedarville University in Ohio, he worked for five years as a worship pastor in Crawfordville, Indiana under senior pastor Terry.
Church Planting Experience in Greenwood, Indiana ‎00:04:26
DJ Blatherwick describes partnering with his best friend to plant a church, with discussions beginning in 2010 and the church officially launching on September 13th, 2015 in Greenwood, Indiana. The church operated as a setup-and-teardown operation in a middle school for six to seven years, storing equipment in an office building between services. DJ served there for over nine years before losing his position in April 2024 due to personal decisions he made.
Transition to Brick and Ember Outfitters ‎00:06:05
After losing his pastoral position, DJ began networking extensively, meeting with various people to explore opportunities. Through a mutual friend, he connected with Courtney, the owner of Brick and Ember Outfitters, and was initially hired as a sales outfitter in late June 2024. His role evolved as he naturally began business development activities during training, leading to his current position combining business development and culture development responsibilities.
Evolution of Role and Commercial Development ‎00:06:19
DJ explains how his position at Brick and Ember evolved from sales outfitter to business development, then expanded to include commercial sales development. He identified growth opportunities in the new construction commercial space, focusing on ground-up projects that the company had historically done occasionally but not systematically. His role further expanded to include culture development, working to ensure company values become lived reality rather than just words on walls.
Faith Integration in Business vs. Ministry ‎00:11:18
DJ reflects on how his faith has become less compartmentalized since leaving pastoral ministry. Previously, his faith, home life, and ministry work existed in separate boxes, with ministry becoming more of a job than a relationship with God. In his current role, he experiences greater integration, including praying before meetings and when arriving home, asking God for presence and patience in all interactions.
Vulnerability and Authenticity in Business Relationships ‎00:21:23
The conversation explores the role of vulnerability in building business relationships. DJ emphasizes his commitment to building connections based on who he actually is rather than who he thinks others want him to be. This authenticity has led to deeper business partnerships and more meaningful conversations, with clients often opening up about their own struggles and experiences.
Company Values: The Five H's ‎00:28:38
DJ describes Brick and Ember Outfitters' five core values: humble, habit, honesty, hope, and hustle. He acknowledges opportunities to better integrate these values into daily operations and describes his approach of conducting one-on-one meetings with sales representatives to connect their activities back to company values. The company holds monthly all-company meetings to maintain visibility of these values.
Customer Experience and Values in Action ‎00:33:17
DJ explains how company values manifest in customer interactions through curiosity, asking questions, and honesty about what they know and don't know. Customer feedback on Google reviews frequently highlights how helpful and honest sales representatives are during consultations. When mistakes occur, the company emphasizes owning what they can control and responding with humility and honesty.
Values-Driven Companies and Employee Care ‎00:37:08
DJ draws parallels between values-driven companies and successful organizations like Chick-fil-A, noting that such companies demonstrate genuine care for employees. This care manifests through commitment to employee growth, willingness to have difficult conversations for development, and providing resources and training. Values-driven companies view employees as human beings rather than numbers.
Dual Role: Culture and Business Development ‎00:40:18
The discussion addresses DJ's unique combination of internal culture development and external business development responsibilities. Initially seeming contradictory, this dual role ensures internal culture aligns with external business representation. As a smaller company, DJ can effectively wear multiple hats, though future growth might require role specialization.
Taking Risks in Faith and Business ‎00:44:29
DJ emphasizes the importance of risk-taking, coining the phrase "risk is right." He explains that growth and desired outcomes typically exist on the other side of risk and difficult decisions. His own healing and growth over the past 20 months came through doing things that felt risky, and he encourages others to pray for opportunities and boldness while being willing to step into uncomfortable situations.
DJ Blatherwick mentioned continuing to integrate company values into one-on-one meetings with sales representatives, tying activities back to core values like connecting prospecting goals to "hustle." ‎00:31:21
DJ Blatherwick mentioned improving the systematic integration of the five H's values (humble, habit, honesty, hope, hustle) into daily company operations beyond just monthly meetings. ‎00:29:02
DJ Blatherwick mentioned participating in the Indianapolis Home Show starting Friday through the following Sunday, with plans to potentially incorporate live bluegrass music at their booth. ‎00:42:11
DJ Blatherwick mentioned continuing to develop commercial sales opportunities, specifically focusing on ground-up new construction projects that the company has historically done occasionally. ‎00:09:05
DJ Blatherwick mentioned celebrating Brick and Ember's 15-year anniversary with special activities while building foundation for the next 15 years of growth. ‎00:11:11
