Zack Mutnik Found His Next Mission in Charlotte County

September 17th, 2026

Zack Mutnik | Navy Veteran, Entrepreneur and Owner of Mutt’s Electric | Punta Gorda, Florida

Charlotte County’s 40 Under 40 series highlights young professionals who are building meaningful careers, raising families, giving back and helping shape the future of the community. As part of the Careers on the Coast workforce attraction initiative, these stories show young people what is possible in Charlotte County, Florida.

For Zack Mutnik, the story is not about finding the easy path. It is about finding the right place to build.

Zack is a U.S. Navy veteran, entrepreneur and licensed electrical contractor who left South Florida with his wife, Brittany, to purchase Jeff Masters Electric and begin building a new future as Mutt’s Electric. The move was a leap into business ownership, a new market and a new community.

The transition was not a smooth handoff or a polished succession story. Zack has been open about the reality of buying an existing business, including the pressure, the learning curve, the quiet phones, the outdated systems and the need to rebuild trust in a new market.

That is what makes his story a strong fit for Careers on the Coast. Zack did not come to Charlotte County because everything was already figured out. He came because he saw opportunity, then found the people, business support, veteran connections and community relationships that helped turn a difficult start into a future.

From Navy service to business ownership

Zack’s path to Charlotte County started with service. After high school, he tried college, worked through the uncertainty many young adults face and eventually joined the U.S. Navy. He served as a Gas Turbine Electrician, a role that gave him a technical foundation in electrical systems, generators, troubleshooting and high-pressure problem solving.

On the Acquiring Minds podcast, Zack described life on a destroyer as the kind of environment where you had to learn fast because there was often no one else there to fix things.

The Navy shaped the way he works today. It taught him discipline, accountability, preparation and the importance of putting the team first. During deployment, he also spent long stretches reading books about business, finance, real estate and acquisitions. Those hours helped turn an idea into a direction.

After leaving the Navy, Zack used the SkillBridge program, explored commercial real estate and later worked with backup diesel generators for telecommunications sites. The work was good, but it was not his.

He wanted ownership.

The decision to stop waiting

Zack had spent years studying business ownership from the outside. Eventually, he realized that waiting would not automatically make him more ready. If he wanted to own a business someday, he asked himself, why not now?

That question led Zack and Brittany to Charlotte County. They quit stable jobs, left South Florida and stepped into a business and a community they had to learn from the ground up.

For Careers on the Coast, that is an important part of the story. Charlotte County is not only attracting people looking for a job. It is attracting people who want to build, lead, invest and make something their own.

Why Charlotte County worked

For Zack and Brittany, Charlotte County was not just the place where the business was located. It became the place where the next chapter started to make sense.

They came from South Florida, a faster and more crowded environment. Charlotte County felt different because relationships carried weight.

That is the heart of the Careers on the Coast message. Charlotte County gives young professionals room to be seen, to get involved, to build relationships and to have an impact that can be felt.

A hard start and a fresh brand

Zack’s purchase of Jeff Masters Electric gave him a starting point, but it did not give him an easy road. He has spoken candidly about the awkward first day with employees, the quiet phones, the need to rebuild systems and the reality of learning ownership while already carrying the weight of payroll, customers, trucks and expectations.

Instead of trying to make the old company feel like something it was not, Zack started building his own identity for the business. That is why the transition to Mutt’s Electric matters.

Mutt’s Electric is not just a new name. It is a fresh start and a clearer reflection of the company Zack and Brittany are building now: veteran-owned, family-owned, professional, approachable and focused on earning trust one job at a time.

The story people kept talking about

Zack’s appearance on the Acquiring Minds podcast helped people outside Charlotte County understand the risk behind his story. The episode resonated because it was honest. Zack talked about buying a business, realizing the transition was harder than expected, facing pressure and learning in real time what ownership actually requires.

The podcast told the acquisition story. Charlotte County’s 40 Under 40 story tells the next part: how a young veteran and entrepreneur began turning that risk into roots.

Business support made the difference

One of the strongest parts of Zack’s story is that he did not try to figure everything out alone.

When the transition became heavier than expected, he looked for people who understood what he was trying to build. He hired a business coach. He connected with a SCORE mentor through the SBA. He talked with other contractors, business owners and people in the community who could help him think through decisions before making another move.

That line belongs in the center of this story. Charlotte County’s value is not only the coastal lifestyle. It is the network around a young professional: mentors, customers, contractors, veterans, small business owners and neighbors who can help someone find footing.

For young entrepreneurs, that kind of support matters.

Where veteran experience becomes connection

Zack’s Navy background continues to shape how he leads, but it also helps him connect.

In the podcast, he described veteran connection as an immediate trust builder. When people realize they share military experience, the conversation changes. There is a shared language, shared pressure and often a faster path to understanding.

That connection has mattered in business. It has helped open conversations, build trust and reinforce the kind of company culture Zack wants to create at Mutt’s Electric.

It also says something important about Charlotte County. Veteran support is not always formal. Sometimes it shows up as a referral, a shared background, a conversation or a community gathering.

Zack has talked about wanting to host a Veterans Day event that is not about electrical work or selling services. It would simply be about bringing people together.

A company where people can build careers

Zack is proud of the business, but he talks most often about the people.

“I’m most proud of our team,” he said. “Systems and growth are important, but building a culture where people take pride in their work is what matters most.”

The company is still growing and changing. The team has had to adjust. Zack has had to learn. Brittany has stepped into roles she had not done before. Together, they are working toward a workplace shaped by accountability, respect and long-term opportunity.

That sentence is exactly why this story belongs in Careers on the Coast. Workforce attraction is not only about getting people to move here. It is about showing that Charlotte County has employers, entrepreneurs and small businesses where people can grow.

The people behind the leap

Zack does not tell his story as a solo accomplishment. When asked who deserves credit, he starts with Brittany.

“First and foremost, my wife Brittany,” he said. “I couldn’t do this without her. She took the same leap of faith I did and has been my partner through every challenge.”

Brittany left her job, her family and the place she grew up to start over with Zack. Since then, she has become part of the company and the vision behind it.

He also credits their team, their families and his dad, who has been a source of guidance throughout the transition.

That support system matters. Zack and Brittany did not simply move a business. They moved a life. They chose Charlotte County together, and they are building something here together.

A place to work hard and live fully

Careers on the Coast exists because young professionals are not only choosing jobs. They are choosing communities, routines, weekends, relationships and the kind of life they want outside of work.

For Zack and Brittany, Charlotte County offered something they could not easily find elsewhere: room to be involved, room to build relationships and room to make a real impact.

Zack believes there is more opportunity here than people realize.

“There’s so much opportunity here,” he said. “It’s a growing community where young professionals and entrepreneurs can make a real impact.”

Still building

Zack’s next chapter is still unfolding. He wants Mutt’s Electric to grow into the most trusted electrical contractor in Southwest Florida and a place where people are proud to work. His goals are ambitious, but they are grounded in the same values that brought him here: hard work, trust, accountability and community.

When asked what he hopes people say years from now about the life and work he built in Charlotte County, Zack’s answer was simple.

That is why Zack Mutnik’s story belongs in Charlotte County’s 40 Under 40. He represents the kind of young talent Careers on the Coast is built to attract: a veteran who turned service into leadership, an entrepreneur who turned risk into opportunity and a young professional who found in Charlotte County not just a place to work, but a place to build a future.

And if there is one lesson he carries with him, it is the kind of advice that fits both business ownership and life on the coast.