Diners and Deals
Diners and Deals
Podcast Description
Welcome to Diners and Deals, the podcast where we dive deep into the journeys of entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors making big moves in the business world. I’m your host, Seth, and in each episode, we bring you candid conversations with incredible guests who share their insights, successes, and the challenges they’ve faced along the way.
Whether it’s scaling a business, navigating private equity, or reinventing an industry, our guests bring a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to the table. We go beyond the boardroom, discussing the personal stories and pivotal moments that have shaped their careers and the companies they’ve built.
Grab a coffee, pull up a chair, and join us as we talk shop in a casual, down-to-earth setting that feels more like catching up with old friends than a traditional business podcast. If you’re passionate about business, growth, and learning from those in the trenches, you’re in the right place. Welcome to Diners and Deals—let’s get into it!
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers themes such as entrepreneurship, scaling businesses, private equity, and industry innovation, with episodes discussing personal journeys like building a billion-dollar business, navigating equity investments, and transforming underperforming real estate.
Welcome to Diners and Deals, the podcast where we dive deep into the journeys of entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors making big moves in the business world. I’m your host, Seth, and in each episode, we bring you candid conversations with incredible guests who share their insights, successes, and the challenges they’ve faced along the way.
Whether it’s scaling a business, navigating private equity, or reinventing an industry, our guests bring a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to the table. We go beyond the boardroom, discussing the personal stories and pivotal moments that have shaped their careers and the companies they’ve built.
Grab a coffee, pull up a chair, and join us as we talk shop in a casual, down-to-earth setting that feels more like catching up with old friends than a traditional business podcast. If you’re passionate about business, growth, and learning from those in the trenches, you’re in the right place. Welcome to Diners and Deals—let’s get into it!
In this episode of Diners and Deals, host Seth Deutsch sits down with his longtime friend John Barrett to trace the pivotal moments of John’s career—from earning a life-changing Evans Scholarship to learning the ropes at Xerox, turning around broken service businesses, and ultimately leading ISSA, a trade association serving over 11,000 members across 130 countries. John opens up about what really matters in business and life, sharing hard-won wisdom on resilience, humility, and the power of staying curious.
They discuss:
* Why cash equals time, and how that truth shaped his approach to turnarounds and growth
* Lessons in humility and leadership from corporate America and chaotic service businesses
* How John scaled Chemco from two states to a 10,000-employee national player
* The strategic exit to Compass Group and what he learned from a near-catastrophic customer concentration issue
* His reflections on ambition, self-awareness, mentorship, and legacy as he prepares to retire
A compelling listen for entrepreneurs, operators, and anyone navigating the messy, meaningful road of business building.
Links:
John on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-barrett-a634624/
ISSA – https://www.issa.com/
Seth on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethdeutsch/
Topics:
(00:00:00) – Intro (00:02:57) – John’s early life and career beginnings (00:04:21) – Hanukkah memories and personal stories (00:07:02) – John’s role at ISSA (00:10:08) – John’s upbringing and family life (00:15:14) – College years and early career aspirations (00:20:58) – Journey at Xerox and transition to the service industry (00:38:07) – Mastering cashflow forecasting (00:38:15) – Lessons from recessions and turnarounds (00:39:28) – The brutal reality of layoffs (00:40:25) – The importance of mentorship (00:42:48) – Navigating family-owned businesses (00:45:56) – Scaling and cash management (00:50:11) – Customer concentration risks (00:52:46) – Selling to private equity (01:01:17) – The journey with SMS (01:05:36) – Reflections on leadership and legacy (01:13:11) – Concluding thoughts and farewell
Disclaimer
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