We had the good fortune of connecting with LaTosha Ward and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi LaTosha, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Honestly, I wanted a company that provided organizations with the foundational intelligence and understanding of what it truly means to be able to scale and understand Agility. Being in tech for over 18 years, I didn’t see many people who looked like me, and those who did look like me were men. I saw few women, so looking at an industry built on men, I knew I wanted to form a company where women, especially women of color, had a voice.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

One thing for sure is the BID culture. We laugh with one another and make our clients feel like they are family because they are when we come on board, you are now a part of the BID team! That’s why our motto is BID on your team. This means you will have trust & confidence in your team and that BID is your trusted partner. We are a Digital Platform Integration Hub, a digital teaching company. Our three core features set us apart: ensuring our clients scale. We make sure that our clients have an understanding of what we are doing. We’re not just coming in and doing the work for you. We’re coming in; we’re partnering with your organization. We are there to make sure that they succeed because one thing that we do realize is nothing is consistent but change. That said, we understand that people don’t stay in the same roles, so we want them to grow. This is why we teach them so they learn and grow.

Sometimes, you’ll see companies work with organizations, and they come in, do everything, and do it exceptionally well; however, when they leave, the teams need help understanding how to execute what has been implemented. That is what makes us different. We teach you as we implement the work we are doing. We always tell our PCs (Partner- Clients) that we provide the foundational intelligence for Agility. You start learning earlier, and you never stop. I was so excited and proud this year, BID was able to offer a paid internship to four high schoolers in the Cincinnati Area. These were students from Princeton, Colerain, and Fairfield High School. It was amazing to see them grasp all the tech lingo and walk away with a certification in Marketing Agility!

It was not easy to get to the mindset that I’m in today. I’ve come along way lol.

When I first started BID, I was very, very, very green; I wanted everyone to be my customer, I wanted everyone to hear my pitch, and I wanted everyone to know what I could do. That’s great; however, I spent so much time in the wrong spaces because I was like the little mouse on Looney Tunes. I would raise my hand and yell I’ll do it, I’ll do it. Still, I needed to value my worth. I now ask myself why they want to work with me and what value we are both gaining from the partnership of working together.

Something I want the world to know about our brand is that we value our clients, which may sound very cliché; however, because we appreciate and respect our clients, we want them to value us. And I’m sure you’ll ask what that means. It’s simple: value our craft and don’t ask us to do it for free. I learned that initially because I wasn’t confident in valuing our work or what BID brings to the table because I wanted everyone to see it, so I gave away a lot of work and time for free. I had someone say to me the next time someone tells you, well, it doesn’t pay. We need you to do it for free; you ask them, would you go to work for free? As a startup and a small business, people often tell you you’ll get your name out so it will be a good opportunity. We must remember that depending on what it is, it is not always needed or valuable at that time.

The BID brand is unique, and I am very proud of the work my team, and I have been able to accomplish. From being able to offer Agile and SAFe Certifications to speaking at a Salesforce: Dreamin in Color to Cincinnati Black Tech Week, even to being a Speaker at Harvard University in 2024. However, I can’t take all the credit. God has opened every door for me and my company.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh, this is a hard one because my best friend is from Cincinnati. However, I have a very close friend who moved out of town and will be visiting. She’ll be back in the summer, so one of the things we would do is hang out. I will schedule an appointment for us to get our nails done. The best nail tech in Cincinnati, hands down, is Jyana Jones. You have to get in with Jyana immediately and ensure your hands and feet are unique and beautiful when you leave there. We have to see her. Next, we need to make sure that we have plans for where we will eat. If I’m working downtown, I usually love to eat at the Eagle, one of my favorite restaurants in Cincinnati, mainly because it’s cool. I can hit everything on that same strip, so we’re going to the Eagle. We’re going to make sure we eat at Soul Secrets. I don’t drink wine because I’m allergic, but I know that she loves wine. So we’re definitely going to stop by Nostalgia.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Yes, my mother, Vernita Shaw! She is a true representation of support. No matter the task’s size, she supports and jumps right in. My mom has always made me believe I can literally do anything. I mean anything. She always provided an unwavering support for me. When I first said I was going to start a business, she said this is great. How do I invest Lol? I was taken back because she did not even know what I was starting a business in lol. She was on board. She has always told me, “LaTosha, If God be for you, who can be against you!” and I have lived by that. She is the reason that I move the way I do. I have seen my mother help almost everyone and she is everyone’s second mom lol. All in all, she is just a good and beautiful person!

Website: www.biddevelops.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biddevelops

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latoshaward

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/723214551175166

Image Credits
Dorese Bilal The BID Team

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