Brand Building: Discusses why Minority entrepreneurs should buy existing businesses rather than starting from scratch.

The Steve Harvey Morning Show

iHeartPodcasts

Comedy, Society & Culture

4.5 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 31 May 2025

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Karla Trotman.

President and CEO of Electro Soft Incorporated, an electronics manufacturing and engineering firm. The discussion focused on breaking barriers for women and minority business owners in manufacturing and closing the racial wealth gap.

🔑 Key Themes & Highlights

Redefining Manufacturing

Manufacturing isn’t just industrial factories—it includes baking, cabinet-making, and assembling office furniture.
Trotman’s company specializes in electronics assembly, wiring harnesses, and circuit board manufacturing.

Challenges in Domestic Manufacturing

U.S. manufacturing has been outsourced overseas, making it difficult to bring production back.
Policies supporting domestic manufacturing must include workforce training and component production.

Workforce Development & Training

Many trade schools and apprenticeship programs are growing to meet demand.
Electro Soft trains employees within 90 days to work in electronics assembly.

Closing the Racial Wealth Gap

Wealth transfer is hindered by lack of financial planning, such as GoFundMe funerals and unclear property titles.
Entrepreneurship and business ownership are key to building generational wealth.

Acquiring Businesses as a Path to Wealth

Minority entrepreneurs should buy existing businesses rather than starting from scratch.
Many retiring business owners are willing to finance deals, allowing buyers to use business profits to pay off acquisitions.

📘 About Karla Trotman
Karla Trotman is a third-generation entrepreneur who took over her family’s business, Electro Soft Incorporated. She has a background in logistics, purchasing, and e-commerce, with experience at Honeywell, Gap, and IKEA.

She is also the author of Dark, Dirty, Dangerous, a book about manufacturing, entrepreneurship, and wealth-building strategies.

#BEST

#STRAW

#SHMS

Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This is an IHeart podcast.
0:04.0	The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States.
0:09.2	Recipients have done the improbable, the unexpected, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves.
0:17.8	This medal is for the men who went down that day. On Medal of Honor, stories of
0:23.2	courage, you'll hear about these heroes and what their stories tell us about the nature of bravery.
0:29.0	Listen to Medal of Honor on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your
0:33.5	podcast. Why is a soap opera western like Yellowstone so wildly successful?
0:39.9	The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network.
0:45.9	So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to
0:51.4	understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.
0:57.7	Listen to the American West with Dan Flores on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
1:04.7	Sometimes as dads, I think we're too hard on ourselves.
1:07.8	We get down on ourselves on not being able to, you know, we're the providers,
1:12.1	but we also have to learn to take care of ourselves. A wrap away, you've got to pray for yourself
1:17.0	as well as for everybody else, but never forget yourself. Self-love made me a better dad
1:22.7	because I realized my worth. Never stop being a dad. That's dedication.
1:28.3	Find out more at fatherhood.gov.
1:30.6	Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council.
1:35.3	Your gut microbiome and those healthy bacteria can actually have positive effects.
1:40.4	Your mental health, your immunity, your risk of cancer, almost any disease under the sun.
1:45.8	This week on DUP Labs, T.T. and I dive into the world of probiotics, the hype, the science, and what your gut
1:52.6	bacteria are really doing behind the scenes. From drinks and gummies to probiotic pillows. Yes,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from iHeartPodcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of iHeartPodcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.