Are you building a job for yourself or are you building a platform that can scale without you?

In this episode, Eric Mulvin sits down with his long-time coach and Vistage Master Chair, Fred Carpenter. Fred shares his journey from an accidental start at Bechtel to managing 2 billion dollars in real estate acquisitions and eventually building his own successful development firm. The conversation centers on the leadership shifts required to move from a small business owner to a global leader, highlighted by a firsthand account of the early days of Panda Express. We also dive into how industry leaders like Service Titan use structured systems to maintain growth. Whether you are struggling with being the bottleneck in your company or looking for the right peer group to fuel your growth, Fred provides the roadmap to breaking through your current ceiling and focusing on the high-level decisions that actually move the needle.

Episode Highlights

00:00 Host’s Introduction and Setup

02:12 Who is Fred Carpenter? An introduction to his role as a Vistage Master Chair and Executive Coach.

11:05 The Bechtel Story. How Fred accidentally sat in the CEO's chair and ended up in a new division managing 2 billion dollars in acquisitions.

22:45 Moving from Corporate to Entrepreneurship. Fred’s transition into real estate development and building a top 15 off-campus housing provider.

35:07 The Panda Express Origin. A firsthand account of the Vistage meeting where Andrew and Peggy Cherng pitched the idea of quick-service Chinese food.

45:10 Stopping the Bottleneck. Why leaders must stop giving answers and start asking "What do you think?"

52:30 Service Titan and Systems. How massive companies use frameworks to ensure the founder is not the single point of failure.

58:30 The Power of Peer Groups. How a group of 10 to 18 CEOs provides the accountability you cannot get from friends or family.

01:12:15 Fred’s Unfinished Business. Why his mission is now focused on helping other leaders achieve their own "Aha moments."

Connect with Fred Carpenter

Email: fred.carpenter@pharosluz.com

Phone: 818-468-0987

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredlcarpenter/

Website: Vistage.com

Unfinished Business with Eric Mulvin

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What if AI could help you have better conversations instead of replacing them?

Most AI tools promise to automate, but this episode reveals a different approach. One that uses voice AI to actually improve how people communicate. If you're a leader, entrepreneur, or someone working to get better at difficult conversations, this is worth paying attention to.

Ajitesh, CEO of Tough Tongue AI, shares how he built this starting from a personal need, not a pitch, not a market gap but a real conversation he needed help with. From there, it evolved into something bigger. A tool designed to help people rehearse and improve the conversations that actually matter.

If you're thinking about how AI fits into your business or leadership, this is a practical conversation.

Episode Highlights

00:00 - Introduction to Unfinished Business Podcast

01:49 - The Journey of Building a Customer-Centric Product

09:55 - Navigating Business Challenges and Pivots

13:46 - Insights from Google: Shaping Product Management

17:38 - Balancing Speed and Thoughtfulness in AI Development

22:28 - Future Trends in AI and Development

26:14 - Advice for Aspiring Developers and Entrepreneurs

30:06 - The Skills Gap in Education and Employment

32:38 - Exploring the Positive Potential of AI

36:57 - The Role of AI in Personalized Learning

41:01 - Balancing Work and Personal Life

47:49 - Insights from Google's AI Journey

54:32 - Unfinished Business: The Future of Learning with AI

About Ajitesh Abhishek

Ajitesh Abhishek is the CEO of Tough Tongue AI, a voice AI platform designed to help people practice and improve difficult conversations. Before founding Tough Tongue, he worked at Google as part of the Gemini application team in Google Cloud, was part of the founding team at Fitso, a consumer fitness startup recognized by both Apple and Google, earlier in his career, studied engineering at IIT Delhi and later earned his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. His work focuses on building products that are both technically strong and deeply customer-centric.

Connect with Ajitesh Abhishek

Email: ajabhish@gmail.com

Website: www.toughtongueai.com/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ajiteshnandan/

Blog: www.xupler.com

Unfinished Business with Eric Mulvin

If you enjoy conversations with leaders who are building businesses, reinventing themselves, and creating impact, make sure to subscribe and turn on notifications.

• Instagram: @bizwitheric
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• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BizWithEric
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mulvin/

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Most businesses are focused on what’s right in front of them.

But what if the biggest opportunities aren’t local… but global?

In this episode of Unfinished Business with Eric Mulvin, Eric sits down with Doug Bruhnke, Founder and CEO of Global Chamber, to explore why thinking beyond your city, or even your country, is no longer optional.

With over 40 years of global business experience, including his time at DuPont and building a network that now spans 65 countries, Doug shares how global connections unlock opportunities most people never even see.

From Arizona’s semiconductor boom and conversations with leaders like Senator Mark Kelly, to lessons inspired by Nelson Mandela, this episode challenges the way we think about growth, business, and the world around us.

And toward the end, Doug shares a powerful vision, one that goes beyond business and into how we connect as people.

Episode Highlights

00:00 – Welcome to Unfinished Business
01:27 – Meet Doug Bruhnke and Global Chamber
03:38 – From DuPont to building a global network
05:02 – A bad meeting that sparked a global movement
07:16 – The Taiwan semiconductor investment in Arizona
11:47 – Senator Mark Kelly and the global supply chain opportunity
14:02 – The idea of bringing a Taiwan night market to Phoenix
16:52 – What is “proximity bias” and why it matters
17:49 – Why 99% of opportunities are outside your city
23:17 – AI is evolving faster than most people realize
25:30 – Lessons from DuPont and being around top inventors
34:58 – Nelson Mandela and the idea of a global tribe
39:38 – Doug’s unfinished business and long-term vision

About Doug Bruhnke

Doug Bruhnke is the Founder and CEO of Global Chamber, a worldwide network helping businesses connect and grow across borders. With over four decades of experience in global trade, including leadership roles at DuPont where he earned five patents, Doug has worked across industries including aerospace, healthcare, and technology. He is passionate about helping companies expand globally and building connections that drive meaningful growth.

Connect with Doug Bruhnke

🌐 Global Chamber: https://globalchamber.org
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougbruhnke

Unfinished Business with Eric Mulvin

If you enjoy conversations with leaders who are building businesses, reinventing themselves, and creating impact, make sure to subscribe and turn on notifications.

• Instagram: @bizwitheric
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560126743830
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bizwitheric
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BizWithEric
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mulvin/

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Pac Biz Outsourcing helps transportation, SaaS, software, and eCommerce companies scale customer support and back-office operations with dedicated teams in the Philippines.

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🎧 Podcast: https://pac-biz.com/podcast