Coffee Break with Marketing: Nikki & Lara

Hey there, coffee enthusiasts! Today’s coffee break is for all the marketing mavens in our community because we are sitting down with the creative minds behind the marketing magic happening at TimeChimp. Our dynamic duo Nikki Commandeur and Lara Leser are ready to spill the beans on their journey before and at TimeChimp, office antics, and life beyond marketing spreadsheets.

Lara Leser – Growth Marketer

• Half Dutch, half Spanish, living in Amsterdam
• 29 years old
• Preferably takes her coffee with oat milk, but if that one is finished coconut milk is also okay.

Nikki Commandeur – Content Marketer

• Dutch, living in Amsterdam
• 28 years old
• In summer Nikki sometimes has iced coffee, but she usually has tea or water.

How did you end up at TimeChimp and what did you do before?

Lara initially wasn’t all hot for TimeChimp, but that changed pretty quickly: “A recruiter approached me on LinkedIn where he explained what TimeChimp is and that he thought it would be a great fit. Wasn’t very persuaded at first, but when I entered the office at TimeChimp and spoke to Luuk, my head turned real quick. I had a very good feeling about this company and the job position suited with what I was looking for, especially because they want to grow on so many levels and I really wanted to join this ride.” Before TimeChimp Lara has worked at Amazon and American Express in different positions and even tried to join the agency-world of marketing. But it didn’t really click, unlike now: “I have a good balance between an organised company and the freedom to contribute with my ideas for marketing strategies.”

Nikki also got recruited via LinkedIn, but it was our Brand Manager Stijn who reached out to her: “He mentioned that a mutual contact had spoken positively about me and asked if I was open to a job as content marketer at TimeChimp. Soon after, I had an interview with Stijn and Luuk, our Head of Commerce. I had a positive feeling about the conversation. For me, working with people who I click with is incredibly important. And that’s exactly what I found at TimeChimp!” In the past, Nikki has worked as a journalist for various magazines. She was leading a busy live hopping between cover shoots and press conferences, and spent long hours typing away on her laptop. Then she decided to switch career paths: “When I wanted to develop my marketing skills, I joined a marketing agency. Although I learned a lot there, I realised that I wanted to focus more on one specific brand and tell their story. That’s why I’m so thrilled to be working at TimeChimp now!”

What does a typical day at the office look like for you?

Lara always starts with breakfast at the office, because she cannot eat in peace before 9am. Simultaneously she starts getting on top of her responsibilities as a growth marketer: “I open Asana, look at my calendar, and make a priority list. My days differ day by day, but usually I start the day with optimising all campaigns, such as Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads and so on.” For this she is checking all the relevant data in HubSpot, Looker Studio and continues to build data reports to visualise her campaigns and understand everything. She adds: “Once a month I also create new campaigns and execute them on the go, so my creative side always comes to play luckily.”

As a content marketer, Nikki’s day revolves a lot around planning and writing: “At 8:53 am, I start my day at TimeChimp with the daily marketing meeting. We discuss action points and where we can support each other. Then, I review my task list in Asana and work through them in order of priority. Sometimes, I build a new email flow or improve existing ones, while other times I optimise website pages or write ad copies. No day is the same!”

How do the two of you work together in the marketing team?

Lara is responsible for setting up and executing campaigns. She describes the dynamic marketing duo like this: “Nikki is really my closest co-worker at TimeChimp, as we work together the most. Whenever I have an idea for campaigns, she is my partner in crime to deliver the content, ideas for visuals etc. I always like to call her the content queen of TimeChimp. (laughs)”

Nikki confirms this: “When Lara needs content, she comes knocking at my door (or at my desk) and I work my ✨ content magic ✨. (laughs) Together, we develop content that resonates with our target audience and contributes to achieving our marketing goals.” She adds: “We collaborate effectively, sharing our expertise to develop and enhance successful campaigns.”

What’s the most fun part about working here?

Lara often has a laugh with her co-workers: “This is so valuable for me within a company!” But she is also happy with her responsibilities: “The tasks that I get are challenging yet so interesting and nice to do. Also, my co-workers give me a lot of energy. I get energy from other people and working with them makes me happy. We are a young team with a good and serious vision, and making things happen together with them is the best.”

Even though Nikki is not a morning person at all, she’s never woken up to discover that she didn’t feel like going to work: “And even if I ever did feel that way, it was probably just because it was too early in the morning. I think this has to do with TimeChimp having a great culture. People treat each other with respect, and there’s always a positive vibe.”

What are the biggest challenges for you in your job?

Lara is known for being a bit of a detective who’s solving all kinds of data-related mysteries at TimeChimp: “Sometimes it feels like I get a puzzle every one or two weeks, where I really need to dive deep into it. Sometimes it takes a week, sometimes an hour, but when it is fixed I always think: another invisible problem just got solved, and I can be proud of that.”

Nikki only has one challenge: “Waking up in the morning. (laughs) I am not a morning person. At all.”

How do you deal with your own time management?

Lara’s second talent next to her activities as the Sherlock Holmes of data is Asana: “They sometimes call me the Asana-queen! (laughs) This tool helps me with my overview of the day.” But what if it gets too busy despite her amazing time management skills? “I always try to speak my mind. Whenever it gets too busy, I’d like to step back for a moment and prioritise what’s really important and focus on that.”

But Lara is not the only one who knows exactly how to navigate busy periods. Nikki feels like it can sometimes get quite busy because there are many things that needed to be done yesterday. Her approach in situations like this is similar: “It helps to organise all tasks and set priorities. Sometimes, I have to acknowledge that not everything is achievable within tight deadlines, and some things just need more time. Luckily, at TimeChimp, we have an open communication culture, and if things become overwhelming, there’s always the option to discuss it with the manager.”

What do you do in your spare time?

Lara has rhythm in her blood: “I’ve been a dancer since I was a little girl and I continue to go to dance classes once a week. The style I dance is called dance hall, and it feels so good to take those classes! Next to that, I go to the gym twice a week and I love watching ‘Love Island’ together with my boyfriend over dinners. I got him hooked on it. (laughs) Other than that I like spending time with my friends, and playing chess on my phone.”

Nikki also admits her addiction to trash TV: “Think of ‘Temptation Island’ or ‘The Bachelor’. And another thing I enjoy: endlessly scrolling on TikTok. Besides that, I love food – a lot. Italian cuisine is at the top of my list. A vongole at ‘Brut de mer’, a vitello tonnato at ‘Ferilli’s’, or a pizza at ‘Lou Lou’. Seriously, all of them are amazing – you should try them. And to complete my basic b*tch story: I also enjoy festivals and hanging out with friends for drinks as well as weekend getaways.”

Do you have recommendations for books, music, games, movies, or shows?

Lara thinks for a second and laughs: “Did I mention Love Island yet? 😬 This show is so dramatic, I love that. Another show that I recommend is The Office, if you haven’t watched that one yet. But I also love game nights with my friends and one game that is new to us is called Skyjo. Basically a card game, but with so much fun. Try it!”

Nikki also has a lot of TV and film recommendations: “After a workday, there’s nothing better than coming home and mindlessly watching TV? Especially something like Temptation Island. And I’m a true Avatar nerd. I can’t wait for part 3, although I still have to be patient for at least a year or two. But sometimes, I also make room for deeper interests.🤓 For instance, I watch a lot of documentaries on World War II. But currently, I’m watching The Crown.”

Want to join the team? Check out our open vacancies and send us your CV!