From Chaos To Clarity: Building Enduring Service Businesses - John Barrett - Executive Director At ISSA Diners And Deals podcast

From Chaos to Clarity: Building Enduring Service Businesses - John Barrett - Executive Director at ISSA

4d ago 1:13:57

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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

11 episodes