Johanna Böllmann works as Content & Communications Manager at Capmo, a Munich startup that aims to digitize the construction industry. In our interview, Johanna talks about her morning and evening routines, her favorite tools and how she gets out of motivational ruts.
Munich Startup: What does your morning routine look like?
Johanna Böllmann from Capmo: I usually start each day from 0 to 100 with a workout – preferably together with colleagues for a session with the Capmo yoga crew. After I’ve helped myself to the muesli bar and fruit basket at the office, I grab a coffee and plan my workday. The first things I do in the morning are: check email, check the news, check the data. After our team daily, I get started on my first to-dos.
Check email, check the news, check the data.
Munich Startup: What is your favorite tool at work?
Johanna Böllmann from Capmo: Because I like to keep my tasks in check, I’m a big Asana fan. We use the tool in our growth team for sprint planning and for planning campaigns and content. For one, I like that you can track the progress made on each task live, and for another that we can see how much we’ve achieved at the end of a sprint.
Munich Startup: Which three apps are must-haves?
Johanna Böllmann, Capmo: I couldn’t do without LinkedIn, Twitter or WhatsApp. Of course the Capmo app is also a must. I primarily use LinkedIn for networking and inspiration. It’s extremely inspiring to me to see the stance taken by other professionals on specific topics and which campaigns have kicked off. Twitter is my number one news medium and a great way to get in contact with stakeholders. Because working in communications means I can’t do without communication, there’s no getting around WhatsApp.
Get out of your bubble!
Munich Startup: Which Munich event is a must?
Johanna Böllmann from Capmo: In addition to various meetups for marketing and PR, in Munich I most often participate in events from the women’s network Global Women in PR (GWPR) NextGen Muc and Global Digital Women (GDW). While GWPR focuses primarily on women in communication, GDW has women in digital professions in all industries. These events are a valuable source of inspiration for me and a brilliant platform for networking and sharing experience.
Munich Startup: What book would you recommend to other professionals in communication?
Johanna Böllmann from Capmo: I would recommend the book “Factfulness” by Hans Rosling. The book reminds us that we often have a false perception of our surroundings due to media, half-truths and prevailing public moods, and based on these we then make the wrong decisions. Keeping the idea in the back of your mind that the world out there maybe isn’t as bad as it seems in our bubbles and that other people think differently than we do is an important foundation for successful communication.
Walking meetings boost creativity
Munich Startup: What is your favorite kind of meeting?
Johanna Böllmann from Capmo: Just like Steve Jobs, Marc Zuckerberg and Barack Obama, I’m on team #walkingmeeting. When I’m looking for a brilliant headline or a new topic for a press release, I take a short walk and usually come up with a bright idea pretty quickly. Now that we’ve held our first walking meetings at Capmo, I can confirm that they boost creativity in meetings as well.
Munich Startup: What is your biggest stumbling block in daily business?
Johanna Böllmann from Capmo: Definitely the afternoon slump. Although I’m good at getting motivated early in the morning and late at night, I sometimes don’t have that spark of energy to get me going in the afternoon. Because I can flexibly plan my day at Capmo, I solve that problem by structuring my day accordingly.
I take care of tasks that require total concentration in the morning or evening. Then in the afternoon, I spend time on researching, corrections and things that otherwise get put off.
The afternoon slump solution
Munich Startup: What gives you a boost of motivation at work?
Johanna Böllmann from Capmo: When my motivation lets me know it wants to take a break, I play two jokers. First: I remind myself of our vision. Thinking about the goal and point of the work I do is probably the simplest and most effective motivational boost for me. With Capmo, we want to digitize the construction industry to make everyday work easier for thousands of site managers, architects and property developers. There is still a lot of work to do before we reach that goal — and that requires commitment from every one of us.
Second, I draw on the concept of “work first, then play.” As is probably the case for many PR professionals, my day is planned in minute detail. Knowing what I can look forward to after work really motivates me and helps me work effectively. If there’s a reminder of a reward in my appointment calendar, that motivates me to put in even more energy.
In the evening: Checking off tasks and an end-of-the-day ritual!
Munich Startup: How do you end your workday?
Johanna Böllmann from Capmo: Before I leave the office, I go back through my backlog in Asana and drag the completed tasks to the “Done” column. Those who, like me, were fans of checking off boxes on a classic to-do list: This feels pretty darn close. If some questions are still unanswered, I try to resolve them — otherwise they come and haunt me in my dreams. Then I plan the next morning in my head and prepare the information that’s needed. And then it’s finally time for my end-of-the-day ritual: I tidy up a bit, collect dishes from the day and transition into my off-duty time.