Dad of the Week | Deon Nicholas

Your Name: Deon Nicholas
Little One (s): Nolan and Léna

1. Tell us about the first time you really felt like a dad. We were fortunate to have various family members visit and help out the first couple weeks after Nolan (our first) was born. The first time I really felt like a "dad" was when we no longer had the help. It was like: "Oh, it's go time… the training wheels are coming off!"

2. Who is your dad role model, and why? Alexis Ohanian Sr. — Co-founder of news website Reddit and husband to Serena Williams. He is a father, entrepreneur, and investor, and has advocated for enabling equal paid family leave for all parents, so that non-birthing parents can spend more time caring for their kids after birth. I think this is a subtle, but powerful step in gender equality at home and in the workplace. So it's pretty cool that he is an awesome dad + entrepreneur, and uses his platform to make lives better for parents everywhere.

3. How do you balance your responsibilities with being a dad? Aggressive calendaring :). My wife and I try to be really in-sync with our schedules. So, even though I am the CEO of a fast-paced tech company, I have blocked out time for family dinner, bath-time, and bedtime routines with my wife and the kids. No matter what fires are going on at work, people know that certain hours in the evening or weekends are my family time.

4. Two tips for a new dad: First — SLEEP WHEN YOUR BABY SLEEPS. For those first few months, baby's gonna be up every 2-3 hours, night or day. If you and your partner can do bottles, rotate feedings in some way. And rotate naps while baby is sleeping. Second — enjoy the time, and take as many videos as you can. It's crazy how fast they grow, and how many moments there are that you'll want to cherish forever.

5. What is your favorite Finn + Emma product, and why? The matching t-shirts that say Biggie and Smalls. We got a pair for Nolan ("Biggie") and Léna ("Smalls").