Little Words Project

Known for its inspirational bracelets which adorn the wrists of Taylor Swift and Alicia Keys, Little Words Project faced some financial hurdles after a phase of rapid growth. With Wayflyer’s support they overcame their challenges and continued to spread the kindness.

Challenge

Little Words Project, founded by Adriana Carrig at age 23 in her parents’ basement, grew from her desire to create a supportive community after experiencing bullying. Over ten years, they bootstrapped to $20 million in revenue.

However, after a busy holiday season in January 2023, they faced a financial pinch. Their bank, citing the jewellery industry as too risky, withdrew their line of credit, just when they needed funds for inventory and payroll. With big plans for expansion, they urgently sought a flexible funding partner to bridge this temporary gap.

“I felt like we had the rug pulled out from under us and honestly, it's likely because traditional banks, from our experience, just didn't understand what we were trying to build.” Adriana Carrig, Founder and CEO, Little Words Project

Solution

Luckily, Little Words Project was already in talks with Wayflyer when the bank pulled their line of credit. Adriana recalls, “We turned to Wayflyer and said, ‘Hey, we need your help and we need it quickly.’”

Wayflyer’s extreme flexibility and ability to build an accurate view of the company’s trajectory from their tech platforms allowed for rapid underwriting. Their deep understanding of the DTC landscape and personalised approach made them the perfect partner. This swift action provided the necessary capital without the typical red tape, enabling Little Words Project to continue focusing on their mission of creating and sharing inspirational jewellery.

Results

Little Words Projects’ bracelets are worn by everyone from Taylor Swift to Selina Gomez, Kourtney Kardashian, and Flavor Flav. And thanks to Wayflyer’s support they’ve managed to thrive financially too. The funding they received helped manage payroll, restock inventory, and prepare for growth.

They’ve spread their wings from purely DTC and expanded into the stores of over 900 major retailers like Target and Nordstrom. They’ve also opened 12 stores of their own across the U.S., and plan a further expansion to potentially 100 stores. With over $20m in annual revenue and year-on-year growth of 100%, their bracelets look like being a feature of famous, and not-so-famous, wrists for a long time to come.

“Knowing our small product has such a big impact is an incredible honour, and having partners like Wayflyer to help us continue this journey is invaluable.” Adriana Carrig, Founder and CEO, Little Words Project