Ep 56: Savoir Faire with Chris Classic
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Savoir Faire
Episode 56: Show Notes.
Today’s guest is not someone who started traditional non-profit or initiated a movement for social good, but they live their life in such a way that they have inspired many of their followers to follow their hearts, to do what they love, and to take leaps of faith; and you know by now that your host, Light Watkins, is all about a good leap of faith!
Please join in in welcoming Chris Classic, father, founder, perfumer, artist, creative director, and personal inspiration.
In today’s episode, Chris shares how he took a stand on what he wanted for himself and literally leapt out a window to pursue his vision, which turned out to be one of the best decisions of his life.
Key Points From This Episode:
Chris talks about his childhood, growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness in Long Island, New York.
Why Chris says he learned to separate himself from rejection at a young age.
He shares his first idea of a dream job; to write commercials for an advertising agency.
How rap music sparked his decision to run away from home and live with his aunt.
Hear about the relevance of 310 Riverside Drive, which was the address of Zoe Ministries.
How witnessing Rev Run become a minister confirmed for Chris that rap wasn’t unholy.
What the beginning of Chris’ career as a rapper looked like and where his name originated.
Chris shares how he viewed success as attainable and inevitable at that point in his life.
What he learned from Run DMC about keeping the crowd engaged.
How he learned that he could be professional and still have a self-identity.
The experience of collaborating with Run on the Let’s Get Married remix and how it launched Chris’ career as a songwriter.
Why Chris says his life would’ve taken a different trajectory if Jam Master Jay weren’t killed.
Find out how Millésime Impérial by Creed got Chris into exploring niche fragrances.
Where his following on social media came from: his life as a dad and a creative and a sociable person in New York City.
How Chris came to create his own perfume thanks to an encounter with one of his followers.
Chris’ belief that his perfume brand has been successful because it is a service to others that comes from a place of love.
Someone connecting with his fragrances versus someone licensing one of his songs.
How the name, Savoir Faire, reflects the plight of Black creatives.
Discover what the significance of the crown is on Savoir Faire’s bottles.
The trick to selling something as experiential and subjective as a fragrance online.
The legacy Chris hopes to build for Black men and women to aspire to create for themselves.
Find out what he has learned after 10,000 orders: that he is still knocking on doors.
Chris reflects on his core audience, which isn’t one that he targets.
Hear his advice for other aspiring perfumers (and creatives in general): make something you absolutely love!
How Chris views success these days: the ability to control his time and spend it with family.
Tweetables:
“Being around Run at that time, becoming a minister or becoming an ordained reverend, to me, it was further proof that God and rap were okay together.” — @MrChrisClassic [0:22:11]
“God, in my opinion, creates us with talent and creates [some of us] with the ability to write well, or to enunciate, or to orate ourselves. I looked at rap as a talent, as a gift. As long as I was using it for a good purpose and expressing myself, I didn't think I was doing anything wrong.” — @MrChrisClassic [0:23:02]
“I was sharing my journey of taking [my son] to school every day, and picking him up from school, and still having an active social life. That balance became something very interesting for people to see, because I don't think they had seen it in the social media format.” — @MrChrisClassic [0:37:44]
“It comes from a place of love. I love the fact that I can make things that make people smell good and feel good about how they carry themselves and they can walk into a room with confidence. I look at that as something that's way bigger than me and my name.” — @MrChrisClassic [0:48:19]
“The crown, and even calling ourselves kings and queens, that's more of an intrinsic type of feeling, an esoteric standard of excellence that you hold yourself accountable for.” — @MrChrisClassic [0:55:06]
“I want my legacy to be that of someone who was creative, but also instrumental in opening doors for people or unlocking people's talents or the desire to create their own legacy.” — @MrChrisClassic [1:03:55]
“Success takes on so many different things, but I'm definitely looking at it as less financial, and more about your quality of life, your friends, who you have around you, what did you do to make someone else's life better?” — @MrChrisClassic [1:10:51]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: