We recently connected with Deborah Tillman and have shared our conversation below.

Deborah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

Understanding the importance of how the brain develops in the first five years of life, we are intentional about creating experiences that not only impact children but also plant seeds of greatness so that children have every opportunity to reach their full potential. At Happy Home Christian Leadership Academy for Early Learners, Inc. Our parents must be involved in our parenting university classes. We understand that leadership starts in the home and since that is the case, parents are empowered to connect not just communicate, to respond not react and to create an environment for children to grow and thrive during the formative years. Our children are provided opportunities to become entrepreneurs not just employees. Knowing that consistency compounds, each day they recite the HH motto, personal affirmations and make oral presentations. They are not just taught A ,B, C’s and 1, 2, 3’s. They are trained to critically think, become self-aware and self reliant. We don’t want to raise another generation of children who find it difficult to problem solve because they are in the box of an educational system that teaches them to “remotely memorize” rather than to use their God given gifts, talents and abilities to create the kind of life that they want for themselves. The 4 year-olds mentor the 3 year olds and the 5 year-olds mentor the 4 year-olds. Our children meditate daily, pray and learn the Bible principles that will lead them throughout life. We model love, excellence and perseverance at our school because we are not looking to teach the 2 year-old, we are re-imagining them at 22 years-old and providing them with the necessary tools to not only survive this broken world but also thrive in it.

Deborah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

DEBORAH TILLMAN is a powerful force for good whose leadership in early childhood education spans almost three decades. Her love for children, faith-based approach, and passion for empowering parents has made her the go-to Transformational Family Leader. Deborah’s journey as a parenting and family coach began when she gave birth to her son, Zeplyn. Frustrated by not being able to find him quality care, she took a leap of faith by leaving a successful six-figure career to start her own childcare center in 1994. Her Happy Home Christian Leadership Academy for Early Learners is now a top-rated school in Northern Virginia. Deborah’s approach—which focuses on showering children with love, providing a quality education, equipping parents and providers to be compassionate leaders, and providing stellar facilities—eventually garnered her national attention. In 2011, Lifetime Television cast Deborah as America’s Supernanny giving her a platform to bring her unique style of purposed parenting to a global audience of millions. She was a recurring parenting expert on the HARRY and Steve Harvey daytime talk shows and has appeared on The View, Today Show, Katie Show, Wendy Williams, Great Day Washington, CNN and many others.
This dynamic leader served more than 16,000 coaches in over 150 countries as the President of the John C. Maxwell Parenting and Family Certification, for which she developed the curriculum. A highly sought-after speaker, she has been hailed as the “Transformer” at schools, national conferences, organizations, businesses, and churches. In addition, Deborah is the author of three books including Stepping out On Faith: How to Open a Quality Childcare Center; Parenting on Purpose: A Menu for Raising Children in Today’s Society; and Game Changers: 12 Biblical Strategies To Guide Parents And Families Through The Many Challenges, Problems And Storms Of Life.
She received an Honorary Doctorate in Education from Richmond Virginia Seminary, holds a Masters in Early Childhood Special Education from George Washington University, and studied Jurisprudence at Oxford University. In June, 2023, Deborah received a second Masters in Christian Leadership from the Leland School of Theology. Many have called her a “miracle worker”. However, Dr. Deborah contends that she is “a mom with a light shining bright for children and families everywhere.”

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

After seven horrific childcare experiences with my young son, I stopped saying “God, why me?” and just asked “What do you want me to do?” That is when I heard seven still small words….”I WANT YOU TO DO IT BETTER”. I quit my very lucrative staff accountant job the next day and never looked back. When I was opening my school, I was turned down from 10 banks including the bank that I had been banking with for several years. The licensing inspector told me that I could never have a childcare center because she had three and none of them were successful. I thought to myself sitting in her office that just because it didn’t work for you has nothing to do with me. So I walked (possibly ran) out of her office and proved her wrong but more importantly proved to myself that I could do it. Now, almost thirty years later, we are still standing. We have been nationally accredited and rated top preschool by Northern Virginia Magazine. I often tell my mentees that story so that they understand that as an entrepreneur, there will be many challenges. However, if you are operating in your calling, work smart and remain true to your vision nothing and no one will be able to keep you from being all that God created you to be.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn that no man or woman is an island. I grew up hearing the quote, “If it is to be it’s up to ME”. I took those words LITERALLY. Thinking that I was responsible for working IN my business not ON my business. I operated as the entire human resource department, the cook, cleaning crew, curriculum specialist, financial officer etc, etc. I had to learn that I did not have to do and be everything to everyone. I just had to be the best at what I was gifted to do. So I began to intentionally focus on what I was naturally great at. Once I did that, I brought in people who were gifted servants, who sought to add value in the areas of their expertise. That made a tremendous difference in our company.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://deborahltillman.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamdeborahltillman/
• Facebook: DeborahLTillman
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-deborah-tillman-5166b162/
• Twitter: @DeborahLTillman
• Youtube: iamdeborahLtillman

Image Credits
Davene Barton