When everything just gets on her nerves, Laura comes up with creative ideas and spontaneously founds her own clothing brand. She was able to pull all of this off because she's a real organisational ace. It's no accident that she's been taking care of event planning for years now.

Laura, are you glad that Carsten and Florian brought you to imito in 2023?

Absolutely – even before imito, I had worked with the two of them for several years at another company in the healthcare sector. Then I happened to bump into Florian because I was giving him a concert ticket – and one thing just led to another.

In the end, it turned out to be a real stroke of luck, because Carsten was specifically looking for someone to organise events at imito. That was exactly what I’d been doing for years. I already knew the DMEA organisation, for example, inside out.

Carsten, Florian, and their product management team used to be in the room next to mine at our old company – and they were always just the funniest team. All such warm-hearted people.

Working so closely with Carsten again is great. Our ways of working are very similar – we love structuring and documenting tasks and processes. (laughs) That really helps us in diverse event planning, where so many different tasks come together.

Where do you most enjoy planning?

With Jira Epics! (laughs) Pretty much everything I do has an Epic, Task, or Subtask. It’s especially important for large events. I also really like being able to see the progress. It was such a good feeling when I set the final task for DMEA to “done” recently and was able to close out the project.

Have you learned anything about wounds at imito that surprised you?

I really wasn’t aware of the extent that wounds can have – that was definitely an eye-opener. It really emphasised the significance and importance of wound documentation for me. All the more important when we can support that with imito.

Have you ever experienced imito live in a clinic?

I’ve been part of two video shoots at our clients’ clinics so far. Super interesting to talk to real users on site and see the genuine, positive impact of imito live. For me it’s important that my work is meaningful, and these insights and statements on site confirm just how much we can achieve.

If you were a doctor, which specialty would you choose?

I find Alzheimer’s research really fascinating, because there’s still so much that’s unclear – it’s so important to make more progress there. I once saw in an exhibition how the brain changes during the course of the illness and how, at the end, only a fraction of the grey matter is left. That was very striking.

What do you particularly value about the flexible, location-independent work at imito?

It’s hard to put into words, but I think it gives me the freedom to integrate things more flexibly into my day that are good for me and help me recharge. When I notice that I’m hitting a wall and nothing productive is happening, I stop, go for a walk or work out, then come back to it with a fresh mind. That balance is worth its weight in gold.

Your balance alongside event planning and checklists – is that your cats and exercise?

Yes, I think that’s exactly right. When our cats Frieda or Almuth are sitting on my lap, purring while I work, it’s just wonderful. The two of them enrich our lives enormously. Aside from the cats, exercise is definitely another important way I balance things out. I totally need it.

What kind of sport do you do?

CrossFit, and in particular Olympic weightlifting – that’s my special hobbyhorse. I started CrossFit in general in 2016 and gradually discovered my love for weightlifting. During the pandemic, my little DIY basement “gym” really helped me get through the lockdowns mentally and physically. For a year now, I’ve been living in Jena and usually go to CrossFit Jena four times a week, where I’ve met some great people. CrossFit and weightlifting just give me a really good feeling that I wouldn’t want to be without – I need it for myself and my daily life.

Carsten raves non-stop about your photography after DMEA – are you also a professional (clown) photographer?

No, definitely not professionally – it’s just a small side business for photography and my clothing brand. I’ve been lucky enough to photograph some weddings and gain a lot of experience in sports photography the last years. Currently, my focus due to my volunteer work at Rock am Berg Merkers e.V. is more on events like festivals – in general, I like taking a more observant approach with my camera. Whether concerts, sports, weddings or our appearances at DMEA – I just enjoy capturing the good moments and emotions.

How did your clothing brand come about alongside photography?

It actually started as a joke, and even Carsten and Florian were involved, since we used to work at the same company. In some moments, when everything was getting on our nerves again, our jokey “Es nervt!” (“It’s annoying!”) eventually turned into our Saxon short summary SNERVD (since Dresden). (laughs) Then we had the idea to print it as a simple slogan on t-shirts – for all those little and big everyday annoying moments. And that was the birth of the brand.

Who bought the very first t-shirt?

Back then I honestly just ordered t-shirts with the slogan for the two of them, their team and myself, as a bit of fun for. So Carsten and Florian were among the first ever to wear SNERVD. Then more and more people started to notice and thought it was funny, and so it grew. In 2021 I thought, “Why not?” and made it official: set up a webshop and a little stockroom at home. Since then there’s been an official SNERVD brand. Born out of a joke, the brand has developed over the years and now stands for the fight against discrimination.

If you were to earn €10 million with the t-shirts now, what would you do with it?

Probably not much differently. I would put some aside for a nest egg, so I had security. And I’d buy loads of new cat trees for our Frieda and Almuth (laughs). But I also think, no one needs that much money, so I’d like to donate it to charitable causes and structures. I’d also get even more involved in volunteering myself. At the moment I help the animal shelter in Jena and Rock am Berg Merkers e.V. – that’s definitely something I’d expand.

Finally – who do you admire?

Not really a specific person. Much more anyone who stands up for justice every day and fights against discrimination and oppressive structures. Those who, in small ways and big, try to make the world a better place for everyone.

Thank you Laura for delighting us every week with Almuth and Frieda, and for making sure that no (event) sack or checklist is too heavy for you!