We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauryn Mandryk and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauryn, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I think the most successful businesses fill a gap in the marketplace and come from a genuine place or passion. For myself and my business partner, Lindsey, we both were navigating the throes of pregnancy and new motherhood apart from one another, but around the same time. Nurtured 9 truly stemmed from two best friends discussing their experiences, feeling like there was a lack of support for Moms during pregnancy and postpartum, and thinking, “there has to be a way we can make this better for others”.

What should our readers know about your business?

Nurtured 9 is an online store for luxury pregnancy & postpartum essentials and gift boxes. If I could think of one takeaway we would want the world to know about Nurtured 9 it would be just that…this is a luxury store, yes, in that it is filled with luxe products, but this is not a luxury concept. This is needed. Care, support and encouragement for pregnancy and motherhood should be a necessity, not an add on. It’s time that we care for the Mom on this journey as much as we prioritize the baby she is caring so deeply for!

We really do feel like we are set apart because of the niche we found; we genuinely were experiencing the need for this type of store ourselves while we were in the thick of it. While other similar concepts have popped up, we continue to keep a fresh perspective by setting our quality standards for our products, packaging, and brand above & beyond our competitors. We pride ourselves in the care we put into each and every product and gift box because we know just how emotionally & physically taxing this time is on the women that are receiving our boxes.

It was amazing to watch Nurtured 9 grow! It literally went from two girls commiserating, to building bundles in a guestroom/nursery, to my parents’ garage, to a storage unit, and now to a fully staffed warehouse. It’s wild and all happened relatively fast. Because of that there were definitely growing pains, sleepless nights, tears, and meltdowns (like a baby!). Ultimately, we would overcome any troubles by reminding ourselves of our mission to be the best resource for women to find all of the products to support their pregnancy journey (or a loved ones’) in one place. We have never wavered in our confidence that we are doing something amazing and something so so needed.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I actually have a go-to itinerary! During the day, I love a resort pass day at one of our awesome resorts, or a stroll around 4th with a pop into the stores (like & Gallery and this fun little crystals/sage/etc shop!) and the Hut for a bev and music. At night our routine is Owl’s Club, Tough Luck Club, Congress’ Cup Cafe for dinner (bonus if it’s a Thursday and Salvador Duran is playing).

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The obvious one in my story is my business partner, Lindsey! She and I have been friends since grade school, played volleyball together, went to college together, lived together for what has to be deemed common law marriage lengths of time; we have been there for each other through every phase of life (and more to come!). Without Lindsey, the concept of Nurtured 9 would have been a whisper in the wind (or a scream into a pillow–if you’re a Mom, you know!). It’s funny, because I have always been the wild, reckless one of the two of us, but when I said, I have this idea, she was the one to say “let’s do it”! So, shoutout to Lindsey for that!

Website: www.Nurtured9.com

Instagram: @nurtured9

Facebook: @nurtured9

Image Credits
Hello Dolly Photography and Meghan Steward Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.