Family life can get strained once people venture into entrepreneurship. Some founders put having children on the back burner to pursue their dreams while others find ways to handle parenthood and running a startup. 

Chris Classic — a music writer, entrepreneur, and father of three — said balancing business and babies is “not the easiest route to go.” However, he believes finding time for self-care is the key to being a great parent and businessman. 

“If you got no rest, that meant you were grinding. I realized that taking care of yourself, your health, your sanity is super important to the balance,” Classic said. “There’s a level of intentionality that you have to have when raising your children, and there’s also a level of intentionality that you have to have with self-care.”

He’s currently navigating sleepless nights because his baby girl is teething and has to find time to launch a new scent from his fragrance line Savoir Faire. Classic said he wants to expand the brand to offer candles, incense, and shower gels for men. Now that his daughter has hit a new milestone, he has to be more strategic in planning time for naps and work. 

Classic also works as a brand consultant, advising companies on how to build diverse and inclusive campaigns. He got his start after H&M caught backlash for advertising a Black child in a sweatshirt labeled “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle.” 

“There aren’t people of color in the room making decisions,” Classic said. “If you only have white people and all of the test spots are of white people, everything is going to seem fine because they’re seeing themselves in it.”

Taking matters into his own hands, Classic edited a version of the image on Instagram. He removed the lettering on the boy’s sweatshirts and added a crown emoji over the boy’s head, and the altered image quickly went viral. Soon after, brands began reaching out to him for advice on how to reach more diverse audiences. 

“I appreciate the fact that some brands are careful to consider who their new consumer is,” Classic said. “It’s not all about 50-year-old white guys drinking whiskey anymore.”

Classic now lives in Atlanta, making music for films, along with his list of other ventures.