From personal crisis to business success: my journey building Connected Brighton
17th March 2025
Author EditorPosted on Categories Business
By Lyndsey Clay.
When people ask me how I built an award-winning business during a pandemic, it’s not the story they expect. Because the truth is, my journey to success started with what felt like complete failure. In 2014, my life took an unexpected turn when failed IVF treatment led to divorce and, suddenly, my entire world shattered. While my friends’ lives were coming together with partners, children and families, mine was falling apart.
But my greatest challenge led me to my greatest purpose.
Driven to use my negative experience for good to help others, I started sharing my story through my blog, @nottheblueprint, on Instagram, opening up about my experiences with infertility, divorce and mental health. Initially, being vulnerable felt frightening, but it became my superpower. I qualified to be a Performance Coach and started to support other people who needed the confidence to take control and build a new life too.
Then, during the 2021 lockdown, while working in senior management, I launched Connected Brighton, an in-person social events business during a socially distanced pandemic. Yes, you read that right! People thought I was mad, but I knew in my gut that this was exactly what our community needed. A safe space to meet like minded successful people, who shared the same values, believed in supporting local businesses and needed connection.
Why? Because I needed it too. As a divorced woman in my 40s without children, I was navigating a changing social circle and looking for people who wanted to make the most of life as we emerged from lockdown. I wanted to create the community I wished existed – one that supported local businesses while creating meaningful connections and long lasting friendships.
The response was extraordinary. Within our first year, we built a thriving community that caught the attention of local business leaders who sponsored us, and in 2024 we also launched a business club for our preferred suppliers – The Connected100.
My work in the community has led to me being named one of Small Business Britain’s Top 100 Inspiring Female Leaders in 2024 and, more recently, I’m honored to be a finalist for the 2025 Brighton Girl Awards in two categories: Brighton Girl of the Year and Community of the Year.
I was always a coach before Connected, and I’ve gone back to my coaching roots to support other entrepreneurs to find their confidence, build the right connections and create a community that champions their brand – because I have done it I know what works.
This year I launched my group coaching and mentoring mastermind – The Compass Club – designed to help business owners find their way and navigate to success. Alongside this, I offer Lighthouse Sessions – one-to-one coaching experiences designed for immediate impact and clarity when business owners need it most. And because people are always asking me for advice on marketing, and especially social media support (the most common phrase I hear is “I see you everywhere!”) I also offer VIP days to steal my social media secrets too with strategy and planning mixed with practical reel making and content creation.
What makes my coaching approach different? It’s the blend of practical business strategy with authentic storytelling and community building. I’ve learned that success isn’t just about profit margins – it’s about creating meaningful impact while staying true to your values. Who you are matters as much as what you do, and why.
Looking ahead, I’m thrilled to share that we’re expanding our Connected vision beyond Brighton. What I’ve created here – this unique blend of social connection and business support – has proven so successful that it’s time to share this model with other cities across the UK. Every city has its own ecosystem of independent businesses and professionals seeking meaningful connections, and we’re creating a framework that nurtures these relationships while preserving each city’s unique character. Because supporting local matters more than ever.
From starting a blog to share my story, to launching a business during a pandemic, to now planning national expansion – my journey has been anything but traditional. But that’s the beauty of it. I’ve learned that there’s never a perfect time to start something new. The key is to begin with authenticity and purpose, and to find the right support system.
Through The Compass Club and our Lighthouse Sessions, I’m committed to helping other entrepreneurs navigate their own paths to success. Because I believe that when we harness our authentic power – being truly ourselves, for ourselves – that’s when real transformation happens.
As I look back on my journey from those challenging days to where I am now, I’m reminded that sometimes our greatest setbacks can lead to our most significant breakthroughs. And I’m just getting started.
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