From Basketball Courts to Boardrooms: Seth Deutsch on Building a $2 Billion Business and Finding Your Path

In this powerful episode, Jeff Pelaccio sits down with Seth Deutsch (see his bio below), founder of Samson Partners Group and former President and CEO of multi-billion-dollar divisions at AECOM. Seth shares his unconventional journey from Division I basketball player at Rice University to leading global teams across 80 countries and executing over 70 acquisitions.

Seth opens up about growing up in a small Ohio town, choosing basketball as his path forward, and dealing with career-ending injuries that forced him to pivot from his dream of coaching college basketball. He discusses how he accidentally fell into business, starting with an oil and gas company in Houston and eventually finding his way into technology, industrial manufacturing, and service businesses.

The conversation explores Seth's unique leadership philosophy, shaped by his background as a coach and teacher. He shares insights on building high-performing teams, often comprised of first-generation immigrants, trauma survivors, military veterans, and former college athletes who understand sacrifice and teamwork. Seth explains how he grew a business from $25 million to $2 billion in revenue, managed international teams across vastly different time zones, and why he believes constraints bring out the best ideas.

Seth discusses his decision to step away from traditional corporate roles to found Samson Partners Group, where he helps founders prepare their businesses for exit through an investor lens. He introduces the concept behind his new book, "The Owner's Manual," which teaches business owners how to think about their companies as investors would—comparing it to preparing a rental property for sale by understanding what drives valuation gaps.

Throughout the episode, Seth emphasizes the importance of work ethic, developing marketable skills, and finding what you're truly good at early in your career. He shares his "USA" framework for new managers: Understand first, Simplify operations, then take Action. Seth also candidly discusses his journey with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, the importance of mental health, and how he spent the last few years focused on healing while building Samson Partners.

This conversation offers invaluable lessons for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and anyone navigating career transitions while dealing with personal challenges.

 

This episode is brought to you by... Ever wish your company updates could be less "quarterly earnings report" and more "late-night talk show"? At Pelaccio & Partners, we're revolutionizing internal communications with podcasts that employees actually want to listen to. Imagine podcast episodes that make your employees laugh while staying informed. Our founder, Jeff Pelaccio, doesn't just create podcasts; he creates conversations that break through the noise. Whether you're a growing startup or a massive corporation, we turn your company's story into audio gold. Leadership becomes human. Remote teams feel connected. Your message cuts through the clutter. Jeff is happy to share his insights on improving your culture, increasing employee engagement, and retention. You can contact him via LinkedIn or schedule a Zoom call via this link - 15-minute call with Jeff.  

About ​Seth: ​​Seth Deutsch is the founder of Samson Partners Group, where he advises founders and CEOs on achieving their business goals. He serves on the boards of multiple family-led and private equity-backed companies across restoration, roofing, industrial construction, and flooring platforms, and acts as an operating partner at several mid-market PE firms.

Throughout his career, Seth has architected nine buy-and-build platforms and executed over 70 acquisitions. He previously served as President and CEO of two multi-billion-dollar divisions at AECOM and led a national PE-backed HVAC services company. His diverse experience spans the blue-collar trades, built environment, software (with two exits), and legal services. Notable achievements include scaling a finance and accounting services firm from 50 to over 400 employees in two years, achieving a 6.5X MOIC upon exit.