Female Founder Fridays: Maradith Frenkel, Little Sleepies

Maradith Frenkel founded Little Sleepies in 2018 after scouring the market for pajamas for her son with eczema, leaving behind her 15-year career at Universal Pictures as a studio executive to make them. In just five years since first entering the children’s apparel space, Little Sleepies is now the #1 fastest-growing retail business in America, according to the Inc. Magazine 5000.

The below conversation with Maradith originally took place on my Threads account in November 2023.

Maradith, you originally worked in entertainment -- tell us about that pivot and what made you take the leap of faith to start your own company?

Yes – I worked in the film business for many many years and felt like I had my dream job for a long time… but then over time, the industry changed a ton and so did I. I eventually realized I was functioning on autopilot and was no longer inspired.

Around the same time, I was searching the internet for PJs for my newborn son that were functional, cute and would help his sensitive, eczema-prone skin. I was shocked that they didn’t exist! Two years later, I was ready to launch the company as an experiment - always with the thought that I could easily go back to the film business if it felt like it didn’t have potential, so it never felt like a huge risk.?

That's how genius products are born - out of need and a desire to create something missing from the market. So inspiring! I love how you were willing to go with your gut and try something new, in a totally different industry - one in which you had no experience. I'm sure that risk was scary, but ultimately so rewarding! What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone who’s considering starting their own business, or even considering switching industries the way you have??

It's definitely not for the faint of heart - you have to make a ton of sacrifices and be willing to work around the clock, but if you have the passion and belief in what you're doing - it's incredibly rewarding.

As for switching industries, I'd encourage people to imagine themselves in a similar position in 10 years. How would that feel? If it feels depressing or discouraging, it’s worth trying to take the leap and making the sacrifices (pay cuts, digging into savings, etc.) if that’s a possibility. Life is short and you don’t want to be stuck in a career that doesn’t make you happy.

Big changes can always be so daunting and overwhelming. While they may not work out, you can always say you tried. There's never harm in trying -- you never have to wonder “what if.” Time goes by so quickly, it's easy to get caught up day-to-day and forget the bigger picture of what's really making you happy, inspired and fulfilled. You're a great success story! Who did you look to for support and guidance when starting the business?

I literally knew no one or had any experience in eCommerce, apparel, manufacturing... So I simply made it up as I went along, operating by instinct. I did everything myself via trial and error. The most important thing I learned in the film business was that “I don’t know how” or “I can’t” was never acceptable. I knew from that experience that I can figure anything out. That’s the attitude I had from the start. I also had a great support system who believed in me.?

Being resourceful and creative really comes in handy. I am sure you also had tons of willing participants to try out the fabrics and pajamas - they are so cute and comfy! Little Sleepies is known for its unique and amazing prints. How do you go about creating and choosing them? What is the most requested by your customers?

The goal of all of our prints is to inspire joy! We always think about what kids (and their parents) love and want to engage with. We are all about listening to customer feedback and ideas from our incredible community! I believe our most requested print ever is Bluey, and we are launching our Bluey collection in the next few months! I cannot wait!

You've built quite the community with Little Sleepies. Customers eagerly await your prints and try to collect them all. I love that you listen to customer feedback and incorporate that into future collections -- that makes the community feel heard and valued. If you ever need more ideas, we have a few little ones over here that have TONS of opinions????The holiday PJs are SO cute -- what do you have planned for the upcoming holidays?

Thank you! I think it is so special. We are going with our extended family on a 华特迪士尼公司 cruise and then spending time in our happy place, the desert! And of course plenty of time wearing our matching PJs :)?

Matching PJs, memories and photos that people have from those special moments are what people remember. I can’t wait to see some of your pics! Taking time for yourself is so important, especially when dealing with the demands of a business. What are some of the things you do for "me" time?

Well… I have been the worst example of putting aside “me” time for years - I just didn’t have time while building the brand and raising a family, and it was the easiest thing to sacrifice. I’ve finally just started prioritizing “me” time this year and am loving pilates, kickboxing, and hiking. And if I’m spoiling myself - there is nothing I like better than a massage!?

I do think it is so important to take care of yourself and it is so true - people often put themselves last. The juggle is real between balancing work, family, kids, etc. I am glad you are starting to prioritize yourself and find new and fun activities that you enjoy. What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced throughout this journey? How did you see it through?

The entire journey of this business has been such a wild ride. The biggest problems were caused by hyper-growth - not having enough team members at any given point to keep up with the workload and the catch-22 of not having enough time to interview/hire those much-needed team members.?

Not having enough inventory, not knowing how to stabilize inventory when drops are selling out in 30 seconds and your supply chain is 9 months long? All good problems to have -- but definitely extremely stressful! Keeping my head down, being honest with customers on inventory challenges and ultimately building out an amazing team got us through to the other side.

Even though that sounds like the best problem to have, it is so incredibly stressful, especially for someone new to the business. I think transparency is so valued by customers, even if the information isn't what they want to hear. People respect that and become loyalists -- which is key. I know you're an avid traveler. What are some of your favorite places that you have been and have these locales provided inspiration for Little Sleepies?

Traveling is my favorite thing to do in life! I am absolutely inspired by the color palettes and local fashion when I travel. My all time favorite destination is Italy, but I just went to Iceland earlier this year and really fell in love!

Maybe we’ll see a collection based on your favorite destinations in the future! What’s next for you and the company?

We are continuing to grow and expand! I’m very excited about Play, which is our daywear line in amazingly soft and cozy fabrics. We are also exploring some other verrrrrry exciting new categories. :) We have so much goodness coming!?