It was late May, and Davin Wickstrom’s world got rocked.
Davin Wickstrom, Director of Industry Relations – North America, VivreauThe director of industry relations – North America for Vivreau learned of his cancer diagnosis during a rooftop party his company hosted during the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. This year, as Thanksgiving approaches, he looks back on how he leveraged a growth mindset and the support from his industry peers to turn this life-changing news into something positive and lead by example.
Q: You recently went through a bout with cancer. How did the foodservice community support you during such a trying time?
A: The doctor happened to call me while I was surrounded by my industry friends. I called my wife, and then I saw Bob Kloeckner of Vivreau. He jumped into his role, not as a coworker but as a human. I was blown away by the humanity of Bob and all the industry friends that were there that night — Shayne Varnum, Jenna Calhoun, Damian Monticello and so many more. Christian Köhler, our senior vice president regional management North America at Vivreau, put his arm around me and made a point of saying we are here for you no matter what. This was a human-to-human connection. I was able to experience all these people as people.
Q: What lessons did you learn during this period?
A: I will lead with mortality, which can be a dark thing. No matter what, though, that is the end game for all of us. One lesson I learned is that what you do with the time you have matters, and I am committed to making the most of it. What’s important to me is also important for many others, and that is community and faith. I’ve learned to listen more and talk less. Now when my 12-year-old son asks me to play catch, I will stop what I am doing to join him. Yes, my family was important before, but now I’m more hyper-focused on them. I never looked at this as, “Why me?” I had the choice to wear this as a cloak or as a cape, and I chose the latter. My attitude was one of, “This happened. Now what? What can I do with this to help others?” It’s really a growth mindset. So, I started going for walks and sharing my process, my thoughts and my feelings on a daily basis by posting videos on social media (@talkingintothevoid5.8 on Instagram). Depression and isolation happen when you don’t know others are going through something. I tried to be as real as I could in the moment.
Q: What advice would you give someone who is not sure how to approach a person in their professional life who is dealing with a difficult personal situation like an illness?
A: I am someone who is used to being out there and helping other people. So it was a real adjustment for me to be out there and let them pour into me. The act of treatment is very singular. And there are other examples of this in life. If someone dies or gets sick or is going through a rough time, bring them food. People brought food to my home every day for eight weeks. And at the end of the day, my family and I had this meal as a show of support from someone. The other advice I would have is just listen to them and be OK with silence. Sometimes from that silence you will learn even more. The bottom line is: Let them know you are there. Let them know you care. And just show up for them.
