When you think of Liverpool-born brands making serious waves, Say It With is undoubtedly one of them. What started as a small side hustle from a kitchen table has grown into one of the city’s most recognisable jewellery and fashion accessories brands, with loyal customers, queues out the door and a thriving presence in the Metquarter.
But behind the polished Instagram content, bestselling initial necklaces and huge online following are two women who have built the business through resilience, sleepless nights and an unwavering commitment to their customers.
Co-founders Charlotte Donoghue and Stephanie Porter never originally planned to build the Liverpool powerhouse the brand has become today. In fact, the business started very simply with a few necklaces, Instagram and the hope of making some extra money around Christmas.
“We genuinely thought we’d make a bit of pocket money and that would be it,” the pair laugh.
Ten years later, the business has evolved far beyond what either of them imagined, with turnovers over around £5 million pounds a year.
Originally launched as Say It With Diamonds, the company quickly built a loyal customer base. However, as the business expanded beyond Liverpool, the founders realised customers were assuming the brand only sold diamond jewellery.
“The business had evolved into much more fashion-led jewellery and accessories too, so we needed the branding to make sense for new customers.”
The early days saw the business move from Steph’s kitchen into a small office space within the Secret Warehouse, where the founders carried out bespoke appointments and sold directly to customers. Before long, queues were forming outside every weekend.
“We’d basically turned an office into a shop, and it just stopped working. There was no room to grow.”
That growth led the pair first into Cavern Walks before eventually securing their now well-known store inside Liverpool’s Metquarter.
One thing that has remained constant throughout the company’s growth is their obsession with customer service. Charlotte recalls one defining moment early on in the business when a faulty batch of necklaces was discovered.
“We were terrified of getting a bad reputation, so we literally went around hand-delivering refunds and replacing pieces ourselves. We just wanted to make things right.”
It’s that personal approach that has helped the brand build such a loyal following — something the founders are deeply grateful for, particularly during today’s difficult retail climate.
“People only see the glamourous/edited side on Instagram sometimes, but the reality is there’s so much pressure behind the scenes. The costs of running businesses now are huge. Wages are going up, bills are going up and there are definitely sleepless nights.”
Despite the challenges facing independent businesses across the UK, Say It With continues to thrive, something Charlotte and Stephanie never take for granted.
“We honestly feel so thankful that people still choose to shop with us. We know how hard things are for everyone at the moment.”
Over the years, the brand has become particularly well known for its bestselling initial necklaces, pieces customers wear every single day.
“People become really sentimental about them. To this day they’re still our bestseller.”
Alongside product launches, the brand has also evolved its marketing approach significantly, focusing less on traditional influencer culture and more on authentic collaborations and community-led events.
From clothing and sports partnerships to luxury collaborations with Bentley and Range Rover, the dynamic duo are still as focused as ever to continue to grow the brand and its reputation as well as creating more timeless must have collections.
“Business isn’t perfect. There are highs and lows, mistakes and stressful moments, and people connect with honesty, so here we go for another 10 years of Say It With.”
Looking ahead, the pair say their focus is now less about chasing every new idea and more about refining what already works.
“We’ve been doing this for ten years now. We know our customer better than ever, so now it’s about building on what works well and staying true to the brand.”
There is, however, one dream still firmly sitting on the vision board – a flagship store in Liverpool ONE.
“We’re a Liverpool brand and we’d absolutely love to be there one day. Independent brands deserve space too.”
And honestly? We couldn’t agree more.
Because Say It With represents everything brilliant about female-founded northern businesses – authenticity, resilience, creativity, humour and community.
Ten years in business is no small achievement, and if their story proves anything, it’s that sometimes the brands built with heart are the ones that truly last.
Visit online at – https://sayitwith.com/
Or in person at The MetQuarter liverpool
