We recently connected with Debbie Williams and have shared our conversation below.

Debbie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Experienced as an administrative manager of a fortune 500 company, supervising 35 associates in three Northeast Ohio area offices, as well as providing human resources support for the region and hosting groups at out-of-state corporate hubs, I (Deborah McVay-Williams, previously McVay-McKinney) founded my company Time To Spare in 1995. The name originates from a goal to support everyone with a busy schedule by providing more time to enjoy life.

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

Throughout the past 30 years, I grew Time To Spare from a professional organizer, then planning intimate client events, providing custom-created gifts for special occasions, and a resource for K-12 school supply kits. When Time To Spare became an LLC in 2011, I transitioned to a primary focus of not-for-profit event management. I also write for articles for local publications, including over several years a monthly magazine column, “Unsung Heroes,” which showcased area youth performing good deeds. October 2012 brought the first of my three published books, “Whatever Works for You: A Working Woman’s Guide to Surviving a Busy Life While Maintaining Peace,” which landed on the publisher’s best seller list and was ranked #162,281 on Amazon.com by mid-December.

By 2016, I become the Clemson University Division of Inclusion & Equity Project Manager in South Carolina. Over the next five years, I assisted with creating a national conference dedicated to the advancement of under-represented students. Since its inception, the Men of Color National Summit conference has grown from 1,600 to more than 2,200 attendees from across the United States, with an annual budget of $700,000 raised each year.

Nearly fifteen years after trrasitioing to an LLC business, my company has assisted more than 50 non-profit organizations in raising nearly $20 million combined through their annual fundraising efforts.

Time To Spare, LLC was awarded first place in the 10th Annual Akron Life Best of the City contest as Best of City Entrepreneur and I was personally awarded first place winner as Best of the City Author by reader’s votes. A graduate and alumni member of Leadership Akron N.E.X.T. Class IV, I enjoy assisting with a variety of events planning. I also served on the board of Bath Community Fund of Akron Community Foundation, currently planning its 10th Anniversary Celebration. My work has been featured in the Currents of Cleveland, Ohio February 2017 issue, “Celebrating Women” and I was honored twice as a SHEro during the Women’s Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation for making a difference in the lives of others.

It was an honor when my work was recognized as a “hidden gem” by Voyage Ohio magazine in 2022. Eight years after my first book was released, I self-published published my second book, “One Thing At A Time.” By December 2020, it was ranked #268, 907 out of nearly 32 million books for sale on Amazon.com and #546 in Medical Fiction, #6,521 in Family Life Fiction, and #9,398 in Religious Literature & Fiction categories. Positive reviews have been received by pastors, Cleveland Clinic doctors and nurses, Peabody Award recipient Joy Thomas Moore, among others across the country. Seeking to reach a wider audience, I was thrilled to be selected for a re-publish with international publicity of “One Thing at A Time” by Covenant Books publisher in late 2024. At the same time, I self-published “God Whispers & Grateful Observations”, a companion inspirational journal. Currently, I am transitioning into conducting interactive life management workshops sharing my extensive experience with business, networking, community, and special interest groups.

It has been an honor to receive invitations to share my story to many groups, including an audience of 700 during the 7th Annual Love Akron Network fundraising event. Most recently, I provided information as a breakout speaker during Akron Community Foundation’s Non-Profit Insights Conference with 250 people in attendance. My continuing plans include sharing experiences and knowledge through presentations, additional published books, and individual instruction, all with my continuing constant goal of assisting others in making a lasting impression, while providing time to enjoy life!

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

It’s so important to follow-up and follow-through. I had a CEO of a large corporation tell me once that he finally agreed to meet with me because I was “pleasantly persistent!”

Always write and mail hand-written thank you notes – not only to clients, but to potential clients, vendors, referrals given, etc. I receive so many compliments for this. I’ve had potential clients call me several years after receiving a note to tell me they were finally ready to hire me because the note made an impact.

If you make a commitment, keep it. Don’t over extend yourself – that’s the best way to fall short on a commitment made. Don’t try to do be an expert at everything – find the skills you enjoy and excel at to offer clients. Both you and your clients will experience better rewards when you do so.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

It’s the book I originally published in 2020 and recently re-published, “One Thing at a Time – Moment by Moment to a Lifetime of Peace.” It’s a semi-autobiographical account of my journey leading up to, through, and beyond a life threatening illness, which lead to a life of peace filled with hope from the lessons learned. I wrote it with the intention to share it with anyone who needs peace and hope in their life, as well as an encouragement for everyone to share their own story. We are all important and have a worthwhile story to tell.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.timetosparellc.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timetosparellc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimeToSpare
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemckinneytimetospare/