Dining with Della: Don Reid in Qualicum Beach
December 12, 2016
Don Reid works for Redden Net. He is their overseas purchasing and special projects manager. He started working for the company at 17, went to another company once and tried to retire a few years back but remains working with them some 50 years later. Also a fisherman for many years, he has moved way beyond selling classic fishing nets. He is involved in cool projects like supplying netting for vineyards, blueberry fields and the Winter Olympics.
Don is my brother. We met over a glass of a crisp white at his home in Qualicum Beach. They have the most amazing views from their modern, stylish home. We left our spouses chatting downstairs while we tucked away in one of the upstairs room to do the blog interview.
Don is my brother. We met over a glass of a crisp white at his home in Qualicum Beach. They have the most amazing views from their modern, stylish home. We left our spouses chatting downstairs while we tucked away in one of the upstairs room to do the blog interview.
A lover of animals, he initially planned to be a veterinarian but when he and his first wife divorced, he quit that endeavour to focus on raising his two children aged 5 and 6. He doesn't complain about the change in plans as it led him to his second wife and two more fabulous children and, as he puts it, a great life.
We recently went to Indiana to take a program called Rock Steady Boxing. It is an intense exercise program designed for people with Parkinson's. My brother was diagnosed 14 years ago. The results are amazing and can reduce or maintain PD symptoms. We did classes with people during the course - Some at stage 1 (still quite able) and others a stage 4 (much further along). The program is life altering for the trainers as much as the participants. We laughed, we cried, we bonded. When I asked him about his favourite moment from the program, (aside from boxing me with the target mitts) he said it was the look on Arnold's face. Arnold was in the stage 4 class and moved around the course in his wheelchair. When the instructors yelled at him to do more, Arnold got a great big grin on his face and proved he had the zip to punch a few more rounds with the bag.
Don now has this program going in his home town. The local legion backed him with a $3,000 donation and he has reached out to others in the community. It will change lives.
That's my bro.
What worked...
What one bit of communication impacted your life?
The best communication advice came from his boss (Mac Matheson) when he was eighteen. At the time, Don confesses he was a punk and did quite a bit of street fighting, drinking and generally was not very responsible when it came to his after work activities. Mac took him aside one day and said he was wasting valuable time playing the part for the "gang" and that time was fleeting. Mac could see his potential and customer relations skills but knew he had to work on areas of business that needed some polish. Mac paid for business courses at BCIT and encouraged Don to make a five year plan. Don never looked back.
Don learned a lot from the three owners of Redden Net - Mac, Sandy and Jack. His fishing tales are legendary. They taught him about hard work; You can't catch fish with a net on the drum! Sticking to it when everyone else was heading in for the day and reaping the rewards. Making the choice between getting into the business or fishing. All larger than life characters with many words of wisdom, the company was a good fit for a young guy with so much energy and determination.
Life on river was full of colourful people. Don was one of them.
What did not work...
Ever the entrepreneur and in need of money, Don once decided to sell chickens on the side. Of course, he sold them before they were grown. He pitched big, plump chickens for sale and had a lot of orders. They didn't make it. Neither did his turkey venture.
For a guy who was amazing at helping animals (the SPCA would take him owls, hawks and raccoons to mend), I am surprised by his many farming related trials and mishaps. After one auction, I rode in the back of his vehicle with a snotty nose sheep that never did seem to amount to anything but another pet. His pigs escaped. He obviously was much better at doctoring than farming.
These animal escapades started young. I recall the crow he tried to hide in his closet when we were kids and the half dead rabbit he found and left on our doorstep with my name on it.
His advice on this front... make sure you know what you are doing before you start.
What if...
What advice would you give to your younger self to enhance your ability to communicate with others – and why?
Never give up on your thoughts and dreams. Put in the extra time and if you want something bad enough, you can get it - no matter who you are.
Don is the epitome of that thinking. As you can tell by this blog, he was a rough and tumble guy but worked hard and got what he wanted. Sometimes that meant three jobs or fishing around the clock. He is still the same way. While he could be relaxing in his retirement, he is as busy as ever. During our boxing venture I got a close up look at his tenacity. They were pushing us to our limits and he was front and centre for every challenge. And, now within 6 months he has the program up and running locally.
Oh yah, one more thing - the local golf course just named him volunteer of the year.
(Note from Della: Hmm... proud? - oh yes, I am!)
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Della, this is one of my favourite blog posts of yours, and I have liked them all. I especially liked the anecdote about Mac, a testament to the value of honest feedback.
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