Meet Lauren Brightwood, Founder of The Bestie Nest
Lauren is 25 and currently lives in Northamptonshire. She is a qualified makeup artist, dog sitter, and someone who absolutely loves animals and anything cute. She has always been a social person, and have often been called the organiser or host of the group. She has a passion for bringing people together and creating spaces where everyone feels welcome – which is why she created The Bestie Nest!
What Inspired lauren to start ‘the bestie nest’?
According to Lauren, there wasn’t just one single thing that inspired her to start The Bestie Nest – it was really a combination of her own experiences. She has moved around a fair few times, her partner works away a lot, her friendship groups have changed over time, and she’s experienced what it’s like to start over in a new place.
One of her biggest inspirations was meeting her two best friends through a travel group. That experience showed Lauren how life-changing those connections can be, and made her realise how many other women might be looking for the same thing.
We asked Lauren “Was there a particular moment when you realised women needed more opportunities to make friends?” Lauren replied “When I realised I needed it myself! Sometimes the best businesses come from solving a problem you’ve personally experienced. I knew how difficult it could feel to put yourself out there and make new friends as an adult, so I wanted to create the kind of community I would have loved to find myself.”
The Business Journey
Making new friends hasn’t always been easy for Lauren. She’s moved around a lot, and starting over was really daunting for her. Before Lauren got into a relationship with her partner, she noticed how friendships can change as people enter relationships, move away, or simply find themselves in different stages of life.
Lauren has also experienced friendships that weren’t healthy and friendships that ended, and those situations can really affect your confidence. Over time, Lauren has learnt that it’s okay to outgrow certain friendships and that healthy relationships are built on balance, mutual respect, and good boundaries.
Boundaries aren’t about creating distance; they’re about creating respect. They allow genuine, supportive, long-lasting friendships to flourish. The Bestie Nest was built on those values.
the biggest challenges
Starting out in the events industry without already having a portfolio or any proof of what Lauren could do was definitely challenging for her. She focused on learning about business, marketing, event planning, partnerships, and community-building all at the same time which at times, were challenging. Lauren said to us “A lot of it has been learning as I go and figuring things out through experience.”
Another question we asked Lauren was “Did you ever doubt yourself, and if so, how did you overcome those moments?” Lauren’s response was “Oh, absolutely – 10,000%! I think self-doubt comes with building anything from scratch. I’ve learned that difficult days are simply part of the process. Whenever I’ve had moments where I’ve questioned myself, I’ve reminded myself why I started and focused on taking the next step forward rather than trying to have everything figured out.”
What has surprised you most about running your own business?
Lauren admitted that the most surprising thing about running a business is how much happens behind the scenes! People often see the events themselves, but there is so much planning, organisation, relationship-building, problem-solving, and creativity that goes into making everything happen. Running a business is definitely not for the faint-hearted, but Lauren said she wouldn’t change it for the world.
About The Bestie Nest
“So Lauren…For anyone who hasn’t heard of it before, what exactly is The Bestie Nest?” “The Bestie Nest is a friendship community for women. It’s a welcoming space designed to help women meet new people, build genuine friendships, and feel part of a supportive community.”
Lauren organises a variety of events, including crafts, wellness activities, fitness sessions, social meetups, workshops, coffee mornings, pamper experiences, and day trips. She also collaborates with lots of fantastic local businesses to showcase their work while creating fun experiences for our members.
The Bestie Nest is different from other social groups because they are friendship-focused and designed with solo attendees in mind.
Many women attend alone, so Lauren makes sure The Bestie Nest events feel welcoming from the moment someone arrives. Everyone is there for the same reason – to connect and make new friends – which creates a really supportive atmosphere.
One of the questions we asked Lauren was “What type of women attend your events?” She replied with “All types of women! We’re an inclusive community with no age limits or expectations. Women need friendship throughout every stage of life, whether they’re in their twenties, forties, sixties, or beyond.”
The Director of The Go Girl Society, Nicole, is hugely impressed by Lauren’s efforts to make all women feel included, and she thinks Lauren is a true inspiration because she’s given so many women an opportunity to socialise, try new things and become more confident in themselves.
The Impact
One of Lauren’s success stories is seeing women continue their friendships outside of The Bestie Nest events, and that always Lauren’s goal from day one. She said “Watching people exchange numbers, meet for coffee, book trips together, and become part of each other’s lives is exactly what I hoped would happen when I started The Bestie Nest.”
Lauren has had some incredible feedback from different ladies since she started up The Bestie Nest, and she wanted to share some feedback that she has been given recently by one of her members, Lillian:
“After finishing university and moving to a new town with my partner, I found making friends as an adult much harder than I expected.
I took a chance and went to my first Bestie Nest event alone, and I’m so glad I did. Since then, I’ve met some lovely girls, attended multiple events, and we’ve even started meeting up outside of them.
For the first time in a long while, I feel really happy and proud of myself for putting myself out there. Lauren has created such a welcoming community, and I can’t wait to see Bestie Nest continue to grow.”
We wanted to know why so many women struggle to make friends as adults, and Lauren’s response when we asked her was “I think there simply aren’t enough dedicated spaces for women to make friendships naturally. Social media has changed so much about how people connect. While we’re more connected online than ever before, many people are craving genuine face-to-face connection again. We’ve become so used to communicating digitally that putting ourselves out there in person can feel intimidating.”
There’s something so special about female friendships and girlhood. We laugh until our stomachs hurt, cry over the same things, celebrate each other’s wins like they’re our own, and somehow always know exactly what to say when someone needs support.
Women Supporting Women
One of the last questions we asked Lauren was “What advice would you give to a woman who feels lonely or is nervous about attending one of your events?“
Lauren: “Girl, I was you – believe it or not!
The first step is always the hardest, just like anything in life. But once you take that step, especially within a community like ours where nobody is cliquey and everyone is there for the same reason, you’ll quickly realise how welcoming it is.”
Lauren believes that ‘women supporting women’ means being someone’s biggest cheerleader, celebrating their wins, supporting their dreams, sharing opportunities, and genuinely wanting to see other women succeed. There shouldn’t be competition. There’s space for everyone. Women supporting women means lifting each other up, shouting each other’s achievements from the rooftops, recommending each other’s businesses, and creating a culture where we all rise together.
Again, we found this answer incredibly powerful and inspiring, and agree with everything Lauren has said in that statement. Having women that support one another shows power, care and trust in which all aspects are very important for friendship.
Looking Ahead
The Bestie Nest have so many ideas and plans coming up over the next year! It seems as though the community is starting to grow and they are ALREADY expanding their team because there is only so much one girl can do. Lauren is looking forward to reaching even more women and creating more opportunities for connection!
If you would like to see what upcoming events The Bestie Nest has planned, the best way to stay updated is by joining their community on CLIQ, or following them on Instagram and checking the link in our bio for upcoming events.
Quick Fire Questions for lauren
Tea or coffee? Iced skinny caramel coffee all day!
Three words to describe yourself. Kind, loving, welcoming.
Your dream location for a Bestie Nest event? A beautiful, cutesy manor house somewhere in the countryside (retreat vibes) – or even a trip abroad!
One piece of advice for women thinking about starting their own business. Do it!
But be prepared for anything and everything. You’ll learn more than you ever imagined, you’ll have difficult days, and you’ll probably question yourself at times. But you’ll also surprise yourself with what you’re capable of.
What does friendship mean to you? Friendship means having people who make life’s ordinary moments feel special. It’s the coffee dates that turn into three-hour chats, the “I’ve arrived home safe” texts, the voice notes, the inside jokes, and having someone to call when you’ve had the best day ever or the worst.
It’s knowing someone is genuinely rooting for you and wants to see you happy. It’s feeling accepted exactly as you are, without having to pretend to be anyone else.
To me, friendship is one of life’s greatest gifts. It’s comfort, laughter, support, adventure, and belonging all wrapped up together. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned through The Bestie Nest, it’s that you’re never too old to find your people.
