Revelations: Makini Regal Martin's 'Wonderful World of Zuri Rose'
Revelations: How ‘The Wonderful World of Zuri Rose’ Is Bringing Black Girl Magic To Storytime [Exclusive]
For Makini Regal Martin, The Wonderful World of Zuri Rose is more than a book—it’s a love letter to her daughter, Zuri Rose, and to every child who deserves to see themselves in the stories they read.
It all began when the Brooklyn mompreneur was searching for children’s books for her daughter to read, but she found that the selection was lacking. “I was a mom looking for books for my daughter, and it became apparent to me that there were just not enough books on the shelves that reflected her,” Martin said.
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She saw a need—and an opportunity to get creative. Through her publishing company, BloomHaus Press, Martin brought The Wonderful World of Zuri Rose to life—an A-to-Z adventure about a girl from Brooklyn with a vibrant imagination and a love of flowers.
Martin poured her design expertise into Zuri Rose, transforming it from a simple picture book into an experience to remember. “When I saw little girls doing their unboxing of the book and to see the joy in their eyes—that not only did they receive a book that was thoughtful and beautifully packaged, but they could literally see themselves in this character.”
Martin’s entrepreneurial spark was lit early. “The moment I knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur, I was probably about eight years old,” she recalled. “That’s when my dad left his traditional 9-to-5 job to start a business. Watching him start his business and see his ideas through was extremely inspiring for me. I think that in some ways, it planted the seeds for me to eventually become an entrepreneur.”
After graduating from Columbia University, Martin began her career in management consulting before launching her own floral, event and interior design firm. But when the pandemic upended business as usual, she had to pivot. Drawing on her design instincts, she launched The Regal Suite, a curated content creation studio she calls her “pandemic baby.”
The space quickly became a creative destination, a dreamy backdrop for photo shoots, magazine covers, music videos, and more. “Like most people, I also suffered a loss of business and needed to come up with some idea to generate revenue for my family,” Martin said. “So that’s how this space was born. Despite how the world was going, people were still creating content.”
Today, The Regal Suite has paused bookings while Martin focuses on growing the Zuri Rose brand.
What began as a children’s book is now a blossoming lifestyle brand. In addition to the picture book, the line now features activity books, hair bows, dolls, garden seeds, and more—bringing the magic of Zuri Rose’s world into everyday life.
Looking back, Martin says one lesson stands out: the power of community. “The only thing that I would do differently is to rely on community more,” she said. “There were lots of times, throughout starting each of my businesses, where I pretty much did it alone. If I were doing it over again, I would be bold and brave enough to ask for help.”
Watch the full REVELATIONS interview with Makini Regal Martin above.
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