Big Sister Advice With The Internet’s Fave Duo: Lucy Jackson & Nikki Westcott
Girl code
Gold Coast girls, best friends, entrepreneurs, owners of homegrown fashion brand JGR & STN, podcast and radio show hosts of Happy Hour with Lucy and Nikki, and now, our June cover stars, Lucy Jackson and Nikki Westcott spill on finding your people, interviewing the Prime Minister, and the power of female friendships.
What does a classic Lucy and Nikki night out look like?
LJ: Always start with a sundowner. We love starting when it’s still golden hour. Honestly, a night with us always ends way later than it needs to be. The intention is always to go out for a few drinks after work, but it never ends up that way.
What has been your favourite podcast episode of all time?
NW: I think it was our third ever episode when our content was just storytelling. We decided to talk about our cute but psycho ex relationships, back in the day. We just trauma dumped. We were hungover, pissing ourselves laughing. We looked at our producers and said, ‘How long has it been?’ They said ‘10 minutes.’ It felt like we’d been there for hours. Just trauma dumping.
LJ: We were trying to be selective with what we talked about. That was the day it all dropped, and we were like, ‘We’re talking about absolutely everything.’
What was it like to interview Anthony Albanese recently? Are you wanting to step into more serious content?
NW: The funny thing about old Albo is that we were quite protective of our space, so he agreed if he came on we could ask him whatever we wanted. We did a regular podcast segment called Advice with the Queens, but Advice with Albo. So, although it’s a serious guest and he was able to get his messages across, he was also able to just bro down with the Happy Hour brand. It was kind of cool.
Why do you think you guys have garnered such a loyal following?
NW: I think our friendship as a dynamic can be quite relatable. A lot of people say, ‘She’s the Lucy to my Nikki,’ because we are quite different. Lucy’s very loud, overshares, is more chaotic. I’m probably more background, more chill, not as much of an oversharer. But our dynamic together just works. It’s fun. It’s very relatable to so many girls in their friendships.
LJ: I think we are a true representation of the majority of Australian girls in their 20s and 30s. We’re certainly not overly politically correct. We love our friends. We have a lot of fun on the weekend. We’ve always been open about being exactly who we are. I think people can relate because we are just normal girls.
NW: We grew up in really small towns as well, which I think keeps you humble, doll.
I think a lot of people kind of look to you guys for advice. So, what have been the biggest life lessons that you’ve had to figure out for yourself?
LJ: I think something I’ve learned is that as life goes on, you’re going to get thrown a lot of curveballs that may not be the outcome you’re looking for. You can’t control the way things happen or the way people treat you. All you can control is your reaction to things. Bit of the “let them” theory vibes.
NW: Yeah, we do so much — we’re travelling a lot, working on different businesses. I always get this stressed moment of wondering if we’re soaking it in enough.
LJ: That’s Nikki’s thing always.
NW: It does my head in. I’m always like, oh my God. I think just making sure there’s time for downtime amongst all the chaos. If you don’t, it’s harder to let things sink in and enjoy them. Burnout’s not cool. Look after yourself.
What advice would you give to others on finding your people and keeping those connections strong?
NW: We always say, what you put in is what you get out. Our girlfriends from Red Bull — none of us live in the same place anymore — but we prioritise the time we spend together. We make annual plans, and if someone misses it, they’re devastated. Prioritising your friendships and working on them — because like any good thing, if you’re not putting effort into it, it’s probably not going to last.
LJ: Friendships aren’t a chore, but I think what’s special about our group is it’s not hard to maintain. We love those people. We prioritise them. We look forward to seeing each other. I call everyone 50 million times a week. If something happens and Nikki’s not there, I’m dying to tell her about it. It’s something you need to work on to maintain, but it’s so rewarding. You’d be crazy not to.
Kind of in the same realm — a lot of girls in their 20s and 30s tend to compare themselves to friends and where other people are in life. Have you ever felt like that? How have you dealt with comparison in your life?
NW: Your 30s are even more next level than your 20s. One’s got a baby, one’s pumping, one’s scrolling Hinge, one’s on a bender, one’s got a divorce. It’s crazy. I love that quote: “Comparison is the thief of joy.” It’s about not being too hard on yourself if you’re in a difficult position. It’s hard when you want to be somewhere else, but I like that little quote.
LJ: With our group of girlfriends, we’re very supportive. Obviously, there are things you can’t control — hypothetically, someone might be struggling with fertility, for example — and that’s hard. But we don’t compete. We support each other. When we were all progressing in our careers, there was never any jealousy. We were all at each other’s events, supporting each other’s businesses, buying each other’s things. There’s that saying about jealousy… what is it, Nik?
NW: Be inspired by them, not threatened by them.
LJ: Yeah, surround yourself with people who inspire you, with the glass half full instead of a glass half empty.
What does success mean to you?
LJ: For me, I’ve never been overly financially motivated. I get a lot of satisfaction out of seeing the numbers come through. Like 8 million podcast downloads in a month or a new collection launch that we’re really proud of. That kind of end product is what gives me a lot of work satisfaction.
What else have you guys got coming up in the pipeline?
LJ: We’ve got big collaborations coming up in the later part of the year for JGR & STN, which we won’t say what, but there’s a lot happening there.
NW: And a potential Happy Hour Tour.
What is one fashion trend you love and one fashion trend you never want to see again?
NW: A fashion trend I love: oversized. Fashion trend I never want to see again: hoof shoes.
LJ: I don’t often lean into trends, I just wear black. So you could just say black everything – timeless. And a fashion trend that I never want to see again is… oh, fedoras.
What is the most unhinged thing you’ve done after a breakup?
LJ: Oh, you’d be surprised. With how unhinged I am, I’m not like a “show up at your house with a mixtape” kind of vibe. Well, I was actually going to host a night of witchcraft at my house after my recent boyfriend cheated on me. We were all going to wear black and burn some of his clothes that were still at my house.
NW: A seance.
LJ: Yeah, a seance. But my mum swooped in at the last minute and said if that gets captured on social media, you might get in a bit of trouble. So we didn’t end up doing it.
Where is the best spot to go for a night out on the Coast?
NW: Night out? NAÂMi, obviously.
LJ: I don’t really go out on the Gold Coast, but if I do, it’s usually to, like, Rick Shores.
Dream podcast guest, if you could have anyone in the world?
NW: Alex Cooper or Alix Earle.
LJ: Maybe someone like Kim Kardashian.
If you had to go on any reality TV show, which would it be and why?
NW: We always say The Amazing Race together.
LJ: Because I’m really good at directions.
NW: And I’m really good at just talking to random people to get us into places.
I would love it if you guys could describe each other in one word and tell me the why behind it?
NW: I reckon we’ll say the same one. Three, two, one.
LJ & NW: Fun.
LJ: It’s rare to spend this much time with someone. People always ask if we ever fight or get annoyed. Of course we do. It’s like asking if you ever get annoyed with your partner. But I will say, considering how much time we spend together, it’s very little. There’s no one I’d rather have this bond and journey with more than Nik. Family vibes.
