Building a Legacy Where Few Get the Chance

Feb 26, 2025

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Most people think inheriting a family business is a golden ticket. Karla Trotman knows better.

Her journey to leading Electro Soft, Inc. wasn’t about following in her father’s footsteps—it was about earning her place in an industry that wasn’t built for everyone.

From building her own e-commerce company from scratch to taking over the family business and fighting to close the wealth gap in manufacturing, Karla’s story is about legacy, leadership, and breaking barriers.

In this episode, Jim Mayer sits down with Karla for an unfiltered conversation about:

The reality of family business—why inheriting one doesn’t mean it’s yours to lead.
Her early years in manufacturing—from cutting wire as a kid to running the company.
The hard truth about ownership and generational wealth—and why minority-owned businesses face steeper challenges.
Why she left a successful corporate career to return to Electro Soft, Inc.
What manufacturing gets wrong about culture, leadership, and inclusion.
The power of building something bigger than yourself.

This episode is for you if:

You’re an entrepreneur, business owner, or leader navigating legacy and leadership.
You believe in building generational wealth and breaking barriers in business.
You want an inside look at how manufacturing is changing—and who’s leading the way.

Listen now and hear Karla’s powerful story.

Visit themfgconnector.com for more episodes.

Chapters

00:00 – What It Really Takes to Build a Legacy
03:05 – Culture Isn’t Perks—It’s the Foundation of Everything
04:47 – From Cutting Wire as a Kid to CEO
08:33 – Why She Left Corporate to Take Over the Family Business
12:46 – Belly Button Boutique: The Side Hustle That Changed Everything
16:55 – Family Business is a Responsibility, Not a Right
18:33 – How to Build Generational Wealth in an Industry That Resists Change
26:06 – Why Manufacturing’s Reputation is Holding It Back
34:39 – Fixing Culture from the Inside Out
37:20 – Diversity is More Than a Buzzword—It’s an Economic Imperative
46:25 – No One is Going to Hand You Success—You Have to Build It
54:16 – The Future of Manufacturing Belongs to Those Who Create It
59:58 – One Final Truth About Leadership and Legacy