On paper, it might look like an unusual path to private markets and alternative investments. To Seth, however, each stop built on the last.
When Seth talks about his career, there's one word that keeps coming up. Adventure.
It's the thread connecting a journey that has taken him from West Chester, Pennsylvania, to the Marine Corps, through deployments in Africa and Eastern Europe, into a carpentry shop, through the world of financial advising, and ultimately to Clotine Capital.
On paper, it might look like an unusual path to private markets and alternative investments. To Seth, however, each stop built on the last.
Raised in Pennsylvania, Seth attended Penn State on an NROTC scholarship before commissioning into the United States Marine Corps in 2015. Over the next eight years, he served in two distinctly different roles. His career began as a Financial Management Officer before earning the title Marine Raider and serving as a Special Operations Officer, where he worked on counterterrorism missions and strategic initiatives that would take him around the world. While the work itself was rewarding, Seth says what he valued most about his time in the Marines was the opportunity to be part of high-performing teams.
"The best part was being surrounded by people you admire," he says. "People who challenge you to be better."
That team-first mentality remains a defining part of who he is today.
From Counterterrorism Missions to Carpentry Projects
Among Seth's deployments, Africa stands out as the most meaningful. "It felt like the closest thing to what I envisioned when I was deployed and conducting special operations," he says.
The mission, the environment, and the sense of purpose aligned with what drew him to military service in the first place. Another deployment took him to Poland, where he learned that not every special operations assignment matches the rugged stereotypes people often imagine.
"It was actually a really nice place," he says with a laugh.
After eight years in the Marines, Seth faced a question many veterans encounter: what's next? His answer surprised almost everyone. He became a carpenter.
Inspired by a beginner carpentry course at a local community college and influenced by his former father-in-law's experience, Seth spent the next year learning and practicing the craft professionally. What started as curiosity quickly became a passion. Unlike many modern careers that happen almost entirely behind screens, carpentry offered immediate and tangible results. At the end of the day, there was something physical to point to and say, "I built that." That appeal has never gone away.
Today, Seth still enjoys studying fine woodworking and admires the handcrafted work of furniture maker Thomas Moser. Ask him where he'd like to be in ten or fifteen years, and you'll likely hear less about corner offices and more about custom shelving, handcrafted rocking chairs, and spending time creating things with his hands.
Why Private Markets Make Sense
Before joining Clotine, Seth spent a year with Northwestern Mutual as a financial advisor. The experience sharpened his relationship-building skills and provided a front-row seat to how many investors approach financial planning and wealth management. It also raised questions.
Like many professionals entering the investment world, Seth became increasingly aware of how confusing investing can feel for everyday people. Fees aren't always easy to understand. Financial products can be overcomplicated. Headlines often generate excitement around opportunities that may not necessarily serve investors well.
As he learned more about private equity and private market investing, he found himself increasingly drawn to what he viewed as a more transparent and aligned approach.
"There are fewer layers involved," he says. "You are much closer to the people making decisions."
For Seth, that proximity matters. He appreciates having a clear understanding of who is managing capital, how decisions are being made, and where opportunities are being evaluated. It's one of the reasons Clotine's model immediately resonated with him. Read more about Clotine's "Side Street" philosophy here.
The Bauman Twist
Interestingly, Seth wasn't originally pursuing a job at Clotine Capital. In fact, he was pursuing a client. While working at Northwestern Mutual, he had met Clotine Partner Michael Bauman several times through mutual connections and hoped to eventually onboard him as a client. The conversations were productive, but they didn't go quite as Seth expected. Instead of becoming a client, Michael started asking questions about Seth's goals and interests.
As Seth puts it, "Michael hit me with a reversal."
The discussion shifted from wealth management services to a potential role at Clotine. The opportunity immediately stood out.
Coming from a military background, Seth thrives in environments where small teams move quickly, where individuals have significant autonomy, and where decisions can be made without endless layers of bureaucracy. He saw many of those same characteristics in Clotine.
"The agility and flexibility appealed to me," he says. "You don't always find that in larger organizations."
Just as importantly, he connected with the people. The culture, the mission, and the belief that investing should help people create more freedom in their lives aligned with how he already viewed success.
You can read more about that mission here.
Building Relationships, Not Portfolios
Today, Seth is focused on growing investor relationships and helping expand Clotine's network across the Southeast and beyond. His approach is refreshingly simple. Meet people. Talk to them. Understand what matters to them.
It's a philosophy shaped by the Marines, strengthened during his time as a financial advisor, and reinforced through countless conversations over the years. Some of those conversations even happen at the shooting range.
One of Seth's favorite hobbies is shooting sports, and several local investors have joined him there. While business may be discussed, the goal is less about making pitches and more about building genuine relationships.
"It's easier to get to know someone in person," he says.
For someone who spent years serving alongside tight-knit teams, that shouldn't be surprising.
Looking Ahead
Seth recently began Duke University's Executive MBA program and expects to graduate in 2028. While he values the education, one of the biggest draws is the opportunity to build relationships with talented professionals from a wide range of industries.
Looking further into the future, his goals are remarkably straightforward.
He wants to continue growing in his role at Clotine, develop a strong investor network, and build the kind of long-term passive income that allows him greater freedom over how he spends his time. And if that freedom eventually leads back to a woodworking shop? Even better.
Seth believes that in a world increasingly shaped by automation and artificial intelligence, things made by human hands may become even more meaningful.
For him, Clotine is more than a career destination. It's a vehicle for creating options, building relationships, and designing a life on his own terms.
Which, when you think about it, is exactly the kind of adventure he's been chasing all along.
