Today we’d like to introduce you to Jay ( Jeremiah ) Dalton.
Hi Jay ( Jeremiah ) , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up around construction and always knew I wanted to build things. I just didn’t know exactly how. Everything I learned, I learned from my dad. I started out doing house flipping and roofing, got my feet under me. While pursuing my degree from Tarleton State University, I interned for an Owners Rep and a large GC. That led me into commercial subcontractor estimating at Greater Metroplex Interiors, where I spent my first years estimating drywall, framing, acoustics and ceilings. My projects included 30 Story + high-rises, higher education facilities, as well as data centers.
Earlier this year I made a move to Holtman Designworks, a boutique GC, whose focused specifically on church and worship space construction, This has felt like a real convergence of my faith and my craft. Outside the day job, I’m building a construction education brand on Instagram and TikTok and launching an estimations consulting business. The long-term vision is ministry through the job site, using this industry as a way to lead, serve, and build something that lasts beyond any one project.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not smooth. Early on I was genuinely torn. I wanted to pursue sports, ran track in college, and had real hopes that was going to be my path. When that fell through, I didn’t have a clear direction to fall back on. I changed my major six times, transferred universities, and spent a lot of that season just spinning. No clear vision, no real north star.
A big part of that was chasing the wrong thing. I was focused on making a lot of money, figuring out the fastest route to a big income, instead of asking what I was actually built for. That mindset kept me from seeing clearly for a long time.
The shift came when I stopped trying to engineer the biggest paycheck and started paying attention to where God was actually leading me. Construction had been around me the whole time. Once I leaned into it with the right motive, building something that matters and serving people through the work, everything started to make more sense. The path didn’t get easier, but it got clearer.
The other honest struggle has been building multiple things at once. A full-time career, a content brand, a consulting business, a marriage, my community and family, training for an Ironman. None of those things are small. Learning to steward all of it without letting anything collapse has been its own kind of discipline. Faith has been the anchor through that. When the workload gets heavy or the direction feels unclear, that’s what reorients me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Holtman Designworks is a design-build firm specializing in church and worship space construction. We work with congregations to take their vision from concept all the way through completion, handling the design, estimating, project management, and field supervision under one roof. What sets us apart is that we actually understand both sides of the process. The design side and the dirt side. A lot of firms are strong in one area and weak in the other. We bridge that gap.
My role sits at the intersection of all of it. I’m involved in estimating, managing projects, and supervising the field, which means I can catch problems early and keep things moving in a way that protects the client’s budget and timeline.
What I’m most proud of goes beyond the buildings themselves. Yes, we get to help churches create spaces where people encounter God, and that carries real weight. But the opportunity doesn’t stop when the congregation walks in on Sunday. It starts on Monday when the crew shows up. We have a chance to build a job site culture that actually glorifies God, one where people are treated with dignity, where integrity isn’t optional, and where the work itself becomes a form of ministry. Most people never think about what went into building the room they worship in. We think about it every day.
What are your plans for the future?
There’s a lot in motion. In the near term, Brinley, my wife and I are working toward buying our first home, which is a big milestone we’ve been intentional and patient about. We want a place built around hospitality, somewhere people actually want to gather, not just a house to own.
On the career side, I’m focused on growing into the full scope of my role at Holtman Designworks while building out my consulting business in parallel. The long-term vision isn’t to go off on my own for the sake of it. It’s to grow something that eventually folds back into and strengthens what we’re building at Holtman. More capacity, more reach, more projects done the right way. I want to be someone who makes the whole operation better, not just my own corner of it.
The content brand is also a big piece of the future. I’m building a construction education series on Instagram and TikTok aimed at showing people how the industry actually works from the inside. The goal is to become a trusted voice in that space and eventually turn it into something that opens doors for brand partnerships and broader reach.
Bigger picture, Brin and I want to build a custom home someday, designed specifically around hosting and community. That’s the dream. Not status, just space to bring people together and do life with them well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/Thejay.daily?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=48237f6e-d7a8-49cf-9df0-e21253be2fb5
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.jay.in.the.life?igsh=MWsxMTY5bzhyeG5rNQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremiah-dalton-775663188?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.jay.in.the.life?_r=1&_t=ZP-97LWqLAHOkZ
