We caught up with the brilliant and insightful LaToya Bond a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

LaToya, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share a customer success story with us?

Opportunity: Entrepreneur and TV Star Yandy Smith partnered with the BBM Agency in 2011 to help her strategically navigate the transition from executive to talent. The agency has successfully positioned Smith as an authority in entertainment management, entrepreneurship, and the balancing act, which established Smith as a major influence for women of color around the globe. The Smith brand, by design, would become the foundation of many brand extensions including YELLE Beauty.

Strategy:
Leverage – Positioning – Influence – Scale – Multi – 7 Figures
The BBM Agency implemented our signature Fractional CMO program to design a strategy to launch, build, and scale the Yelle brand. Our brand architects carved out a niche in the highly competitive beauty market that spoke directly to Smith’s core demographic. We established a unique positioning for the brand that helped them build authority and stand out from their competitors. That and a competitive digital marketing strategy helped YELLE gain and maintain steady growth.

Results:
As the agency of record, we curated the YELLE brand extension from inception to execution, including but not limited to product development, branding, packaging, and an integrated strategic marketing communications program. We leveraged the authority and influence of founder Yandy Smith to position the brand as an authority in natural skincare formulated for melanin-rich skin. With strategic, integrated marketing in just four years, the brand has grown 226%, opened a flagship store in Atlanta, Georgia, and generated over 4 million dollars in eCommerce sales.

The brand was featured by numerous top outlets, including Essence, Page Six, Atlanta Fi, News Sadiaa, and more.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

LATOYA T. BOND Latoya Bond, a Brand Architect and accomplished Strategist, is renowned for elevating women-owned brands to seven-figure successes and beyond. Through her Digital Marketing and Positioning Services, which are tailored for small business owners. She has played a key role in helping women collectively generate over $50 million in revenue. For the past ten years, the BBM Agency has been the quiet force behind notable public figures like Tamika D, Mallory, Yandy Smith, and Jamilah T Davis, who have all praised Latoya’s strategic insights and dedication.

Latoya strongly advocates for the idea that women can achieve a fulfilling balance in all aspects of their lives. This balance encompasses both career and family life. She is an inspiration and role model for women, showcasing that they can excel in their careers, embrace motherhood, and nurture their marriages without compromise. According to Latoya, an imbalanced life leads to unhappiness, and women deserve to find happiness. While achieving balance may not always be easy or perfect, she believes women can excel as leaders, caring mothers, and loving partners.

Outside of her work in empowering female millionaires through The BBM Agency’s strategic business growth services, Latoya is deeply committed to using her platform to authentically encourage women to pursue holistic growth in all aspects of their lives. This includes fostering strong family bonds, nurturing friendships, and seeking meaningful experiences. Her dedication to this cause is a testament to her belief in the power of women’s holistic growth.

THE BBM AGENCY
The BBM Agency is a full-service boutique brand architecture agency and resource destination for public figures, entrepreneurs, and eCommerce brands.
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At The BBM Agency, we are a women-owned, women-led, and women-focused agency. We believe in the power of our Proprietary Model, which has successfully helped women leverage Positioning, Personal Branding, and Digital Marketing. We see our clients as partners in their journey towards achieving their goals, maximizing their profits, and scaling their brands to seven figures and beyond. Your success is our success.
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Our results-driven approach empowers women to build authority in their niche, establish influence, and use integrated digital marketing to foster community and boost brand awareness. We create powerful brands that achieve consistent, measurable growth by integrating personal branding with strategic insights and strong consumer relationships. This is our formula for scalability and legacy. Our efforts have generated over 30 million media impressions and $50 million in collective revenue for our clients.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In 2007, I made a pivotal decision to leave corporate America after discovering my first son was born deaf. Balancing the demands of my role as an account manager for major brands like Target, Macy’s, and Walmart with my son’s needs was untenable. Choosing my family meant embarking on a new professional path—a challenging yet ultimately rewarding journey. ​
Initially adrift outside the traditional 9-5 setting, my entrepreneurial spirit ignited. Partnering with my best friend, I launched an accessory business, drawing on my expertise in sourcing, production, and importing goods from China. A year into this venture, my college friend Yandy Smith approached me to help start her own accessory business. This marked the beginning of my career as a consultant.
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I quickly realized that the skills that made me successful in corporate account management—listening, organizing, managing, and implementing strategies—equally equipped me for brand management and business coaching. Guided by these strengths, I built my own successful business and empowered other women to launch, leverage, and grow their ventures.
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Thirteen years later, Yandy’s brand flourished, becoming synonymous with women’s empowerment. We’ve successfully launched multiple brand extensions, including the 7-figure beauty brand YELLE Inc.
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The most fulfilling aspect of my journey is that I’ve achieved a harmonious balance as a full-time mom and businesswoman. No longer forced to choose, I set my own schedule, vacation days, and workload, allowing me to be present and active in my children’s lives while empowering other women to embrace the freedom of entrepreneurship.
I am passionate about supporting women, particularly Black women, and witnessing their ideas soar into reality is my greatest joy.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Books are pivotal to my success and constant evolution. My top 3 recommendations are:

1) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey sat on my shelf for years, and finally, during Ramadan 2024, I decided to read it. After being in business for over 20 years, this book fundamentally shifted my approach in just three months. It clarified what I was doing wrong and highlighted the areas I needed to change to reach the next level.

This book goes beyond traditional business strategies and dives deeply into personal growth and development. We often hear people talk about mindset, and it can feel cliché, but when you read this book, it clicks. You start to understand how your perspective and the way you navigate life and business significantly impact your outcomes. By shifting how you think, you set yourself up for success.

Reading this book helped me uncover why I did certain things and confirmed the value I placed on my team while also showing me where my leadership style needed improvement. Covey’s insights focus on core principles like integrity, fairness, and human dignity, helping you become a better leader. It teaches you to be proactive, prioritize effectively, and build trusting relationships. The book promotes a mindset that values interdependent relationships, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and mutual respect. This foundation enables you to build a team that feels valued and devoted, driving lasting success together.

2) Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod was my cure for procrastination and analysis paralysis. We’ve all been there—feeling on the brink of burnout, with stagnant productivity and low creativity, desperately needing a reset. I reached this point when my brain felt exhausted, and a friend recommended this book to me. It gave me back control. I went from feeling like an extra in a movie that was already scripted to being the one with the pen, in full control of every scene.

Miracle Morning is highly recommended for business owners because it introduces a simple yet powerful morning routine that can transform your entire day. By starting with practices like meditation, exercise, and goal setting, you set a positive and productive tone from the moment you wake up. Elrod’s approach helps you cultivate discipline, clarity, and energy, making it easier to handle daily challenges and achieve your goals. This book is a game-changer for business owners who want to improve their personal and professional lives by creating a morning routine that sets them up for success.

3)Essentialism by Greg McKeown was a game-changer for me as I navigated business growth while striving for a balanced personal life. Learning the art of editing was crucial—prioritizing and saying no without guilt or apology became my new mantra. Essentialism teaches you that it’s a clear no if something isn’t a solid 9 or 10 out of 10. Embracing this mindset allowed me to refine my niche and perfect my offerings for my ideal clients.

Taking control of what we do and who we do it for elevated our standing in the market, offering high value to a select group rather than spreading ourselves thin with average services for many. This shift meant less work for more meaningful results, giving me more time for the joys of life with my husband and children.

Being an entrepreneur isn’t just about financial success; it’s about freedom—the freedom to enjoy life on your terms. If work starts to dominate, compromising what truly matters in life, it’s time to reassess your essentials. Essentialism helped me find that balance, ensuring my business thrives without sacrificing the fundamental joys of life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thebbmagency.com
• Instagram: @bonded4ever @A_Family_Bond
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latoya.bond.7
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latoya-bond-bbm-agency/
• Twitter: @Bonded4Ever

Image Credits
I own all images