8-year-old Isis McFadden starts Little Regalia pillow company to inspire kids of color
BOSTON - What were you doing when you were eight years old? Probably not building a pillow empire, like Isis McFadden.
"Having something like a full-on business, it's life changing," Isis told WBZ-TV.
At five years old, she attended her first protest and told her parents she wanted to write a book about her experience. Her dad said she felt like royalty. Which inspired the company, Little Regalia. The pillows individually show a boy and girl with a crown on.
"I wanted to start a business because I wanted kids like me, kids of color, and kids in general to feel welcomed and where they are is where they're meant to be," Isis explained.
Her father, Joshua, said she had a lot of emotions during the protest. But ultimately felt more powerful by the end and wanted to encourage show other children to feel the same.
"It felt like I was doing something that was going to benefit the world," she said.
"We were saying, 'Is she old enough to go to a protest?' 2020 there was a lot happening. A lot of questions that she had. And we said let's go," her father explained.
The book is still being written but based on their doodles for the illustrations, the McFadden's wanted to create something that kids could have now to believe in and inspire themselves.
"It makes me feel welcomed, like I belong," Isis said.
They both explained that the pillows don't have any facial features so that they can be more universal.
"It may be easier to see yourself in the pillow with no facial features," Joshua said.
"I hope they have fun with the pillows. I hope they get to do a bunch of things with the pillows but most importantly to me, I hope they can actually see themselves in the pillows," Isis said. She wants to eventually expand the business so that the pillows have a range of skin tones.
When they finally received the shipment of pillows, it was an emotional experience.
"Emotions start to flare. It's one thing to see it but another thing to be able to physically touch it," Joshua said.
He remembers the day when the pillows first came off the USPS truck and the driver, a Black woman, was thrilled to learn what she was delivering. And then later, the moment Isis saw them in a local bookstore, it was a dream come true for her business.
"It was exciting. Exhilarating," she said.
"We were kind of in this space [the bookstore] and she saw them, and her face just lit up. One to see herself in the pillow but also to bring it to life," her father said.
Their home is currently the warehouse and distribution center, with bags of pillows filling up a colorful playroom.
The pillows are sold online and in two Boston bookstores. We were there when the family learned that at More Than Words Bookstore, they're almost sold out.
"It makes me feel like what I did really benefited people, more people than just me. Hearing that they're almost all sold out is exciting," Isis said.
As much as they're proud of the work they've done, both Isis and her father talked about the importance that a simple pillow can have on others.
"You never know who needs it. You never know. I think the only thing we know is that it's bigger than us," Joshua said.