Monika Kanokova's Portfolio

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SELECTED WORK SAMPLES

Monika Kanokova Portfolio

Address : Harzer StraĂ&#x;e 6 12059 Berlin Germany

Contact : h tt p : //m ka n o kova.com

P : +49 1 777 94 29 73 E : hello@mkanokova.com IG : @kathmo TW : @mkanokova


SELECTED WORK

To me, what matters most are people.

MONIKA KANOKOVA

PERSONAL VISION

ABOUT ME

I care about how peo-

As a Community Strat-

ple come together, how

egist, I care about peo-

they are introduced to

ple and how to best

one another and how

bring them together.

they feel about the

While the tools of my

conversation they are

work are diverse, the

having, whether online

common thread is that

or offline. My vision

I pay attention to how

is to work on projects

people are made to

that have mutual value

feel through the words

at their core.

and actions aimed at them.

I work with clients that put people first. I generally work with socially-conscious businesses. My clients are forward-thinking. They embrace creativity and technological innovation.

Monika Kanokova

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http://MKANOKOVA.com

MONIKA KANOKOVA

WORK EXPERIENCE

MY APPROACH

WORK REFERENCES

MY CLIENTS

When I first started my

The tools I use change

In this section, you’ll

I’ve worked with many

career, I worked for a

continuously, and thus

find references, arti-

international clients in

strategic

consultancy

I’ve divided my work

cles I’ve written, pro-

German and English,

helping our clients bet-

references by how I

jects I’ve worked on in

helping

companies

ter

themselves

how

approach the differ-

more detail, and also

position

to harness the poten-

understand

ent challenges. On this

some

studies.

and become relevant

tial of digital media.

page, you’ll find a more

From instructional de-

to their target group

However, thinking up

detailed explanation of

sign to events, or even

through analyzing core

concepts without fol-

my approach.

my

case

with

values and executing

lowing through until

public speaking, this

experience

on the different value

the very end wasn’t for

section gives a general

propositions

me. Instead, I decided

overview of the differ-

I’ve worked with agen-

to work on projects as

ent aspects of my pro-

cies, startups, NGOs,

if I was a regular team

ject history.

banks,

defined.

consultancies

member. I’ve worked

and even producers of

with agencies, start-

consumer goods.

ups, NGOs, banks, consultancies

and

even

producers of consumer goods. Turn to this page to see my CV.

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

Personal Vision How we communicate is changing. I believe the age of inspirational quotes and content that doesn’t have value creation at its core is just adding to the overall noise. Apple has introduced Screen Time, making it even more apparent how much time of our lives is spent glued to our screens. More than ever, and in the years to come, we’ll evaluate how we communicate with one another and will make much more distinct choices about which companies we’ll allow to enter our personal space. When I started my first blog in 2010, I never imagined it would get me hired to work on digital strategy. Back then, I blogged about the impact of digital media on our lives. I’ve always loved social media as it enables everyone to acquire the necessary information to become whomever they desire to be. Whether it was for Kickstarter, for LifeStart by Virgin Money, or through one of the books I’ve published, I’ve always sought to help people find their communities.

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MONIKA KANOKOVA

While my interest in value-based communication remains at the core of what I do for work, I have also developed an interest in how people come together and how they are introduced to one another. I’ve been exploring community gatherings and how to facilitate meaningful conversations. If this is the sort of communication you’re looking for, then let’s talk. Let’s see how we can work together.

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

About Me Every day I walk with my eyes wide open and my ears tuned in to what’s around me. I love talking to people and learning from their personal experiences. I’ve been lucky having had the chance to use many of these insights in my work. I am a natural connector, always trying to bring people together in one way or another. I’ve always been incredibly curious, yet instead of just consuming information I always look for ways to harness my learnings and turn them into something creative, educational or inspirational. I believe in transparency and sharing knowledge, which is why I blog regularly and also send newsletters to a community of creatives where we practice the art of radical candor.

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Instagram

@kathmo

Twitter

@mkanokova

LinkedIn

@monikanicoletta


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MONIKA KANOKOVA

SOME FACTS ABOUT ME

05 Countries I’ve called home in the past. I’ve lived in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK. Each impacted how I view the world.

06 Kickstarter Campaigns I love side projects, yet don’t enjoy the financial risk that comes with publishing them. That’s why I’ve launched six campaigns.

10 Years Studying Design I’ve spent ten years studying design. Even though I work in communications, I have a solution-driven approach to solving challenges.

copyright Niko Zuparic

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

Work Experience 2014-2020

MKANOKOVA.com

Community Strategist

I help businesses find the right ways to communicate with their customers on and offline. I work at the intersection between communications and product development to improve the customer experience.

2015-2017

KICKSTARTER.com

Outreach Lead

When Kickstarter launched in Germany, I was responsible for helping build an initial creator community through personal outreach, events, public speaking, and content creation. I also worked with creators one-on-one.

2013-2014

SOMEWHERE.com

Community &Content Strategist

Given this was an early-stage startup, I got to wear many hats. I executed and tested strategies which I had created. I was placed at the intersection between communication and products, working closely with all departments.

2011-2013

VARIOUS AGENCIES

Communications & Project Manager

I started as a junior trend scout and strategist before quickly realizing I wanted to do something hands-on, moving into another role at the partner agency LOOP New Media in Salzburg. It was the early days of social media, and I got to work on projects from traditional social advertising to crisis management.

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http://MKANOKOVA.com

MONIKA KANOKOVA

EDUCATION 2020

2011-2012

2008-2011

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY, UK

HKU UTRECHT, NL

NEW DESIGN UNIVERSITY, AT

Business Sustainability Management

MA Communication Design

BA Interior Architecture & 3D

With my background in

I spent a year researching

This degree has persis-

design, I wanted to get a

participative techniques

tently shaped my thinking.

perspective on sustain-

and how to use words

When planning interiors,

ability from a business

to mobilize people and

one gets to think about

perspective. This program

involve them in one’s vi-

how people meet and

has given me new insights

sion and ideas. I merged

interact in a room. This is

and challenged me to put

the practical insights I

how I now approach all

my learnings about the

acquired during my MA

my work when I take on a

SDGs into practice.

and learned to apply them

project. Â

to communication.

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

My Approach PERSONAL I love to bring people together. I curate and host events. I pay a significant amount of attention to how people are being introduced to one another. Whether it’s internal or customer-facing events, I create meaningful and memorable experiences.

STRATEGIC Before I start working on a project, I identify the values of my clients and the people I work with before looking for others with corresponding values to create initiatives that are better for everyone. I translate these insights into workshops, mentoring and how I get to work with and lead teams.

Brand Events

Customer Experience Strategy

Community Engagement

Digital Strategy

Employee Engagement

Strategic Partnerships

Customer Experience Journeys

Team Leadership

Public Speaking

Workshops

Teaching at the New Design University

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http://MKANOKOVA.com

MONIKA KANOKOVA

There is never only one solution and one answer to all questions. I only take on projects when I believe my contribution will be of great benefit. I’ve divided my work references and the tools I use to accomplish what my clients and I define as success, and I have structured them based on my approach. EDITORIAL I love stories. I’ve released books featuring the great learnings of inspiring people editing them in a way others can follow. I’ve always seen the act of helping people understand how to get from A to B as my core purpose. I might not work in transportation, yet the work I produce has a lot to do with explaining people’s paths and making them comprehensive to others.

INSTRUCTIONAL Already in my teens, I moved to another country without knowing the language. I learned about cultural differences and also how to explain information in a comprehensive yet straightforward way. Whether I design curricula, I think about how to describe something best or write texts for online use. I always focus on the reader, learner, and customer.

Automated response communication

Blogging

Customer Experience Journeys

Copywriting

Teaching at the New Design University

Interviews

User Onboarding

Publishing

Webinars & Online Learning

Press Outreach

Website Copywriting

Stories

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

Community Engagement CL I E NT N A ME

Kickstarter LifeStart by Virgin Money

DATE

2015 – 2018 D E LIVE RE D

Communication Strategy Events Fundraising Strategy Strategic Partnerships Talent Scouting Recruiting

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http://MKANOKOVA.com

MONIKA KANOKOVA

D E S CRI PTI ON

With my work, I focus on creating referral networks by activating community members and community groups. Whenever I work on a community engagement strategy, I identify existing networks, target groups interests, what media they are likely to read and what channels they are likely to follow. I research what events they go to and what communities they associate with. I help create communication strategies targeted at the reader and help build partnerships, events and create offline marketing measures. I create content or identify people to do so to help activate an engaged community. Simultaneously I work with the product teams to support product-based marketing for my client’s customers to help spread the word.

copyright Aaron Dey

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

Kickstarter Community For Kickstarter, I was responsible for scouting and lead generation of creators to launch projects. Additionally, I’ve also helped the teams position themselves and identify how to best tap into different communities to successfully establish their projects.

Amongst others, I helped the following projects with their communication and launch strategy:

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NICHTLUSTIG

11,9K backers

€386,422

PACE

3,5K backers

€337,347

solidLUUV

1,6K backers

€324,947

Mellow

364 backers

€309,978

Wingbrush

12,4K backers

€331,475

Mime Et Moi

1,5K backers

€292,344

Chris

1,4K backers

€278,720

YouMo

1,9K backers

€177,412

I Lock It

1,2K backers

€168,850

DadaMachines 488K backers

€150,548

copyright Sean Leow


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MONIKA KANOKOVA

PROJECT SUCCESS

113 Projects Launched on Kickstarter within the first 19 hours the platform was live in Germany. I was on the ground scouting for projects six weeks before the public launch.

80+ Talks and events In the two years I represented Kickstarter in Europe, I have initiated 80+ events in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark.

07 Kickstarter helps artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers, and other creators find the resources and support they need to make their ideas a reality. To date, tens of thousands of creative projects — big and small — have come to life with the support of the Kickstarter community.

Webinars I recorded seven webinars for Kickstarter in Germany to help scale my efforts in the German speaking market.

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

LifeStart by Virgin Money For LifeStart by Virgin Money, I took over the community strategy and adapted it after noticing many of our target students felt intimidated. I’ve conducted qualitative interviews with the different stakeholders, identified gaps in our existing communication and also determined alternative touch points. Together with my team, we have established a content strategy and introduced project workflows to better navigate around the needs of the different partners – all while keeping the objectives of our community at the center of our plan. We have started a blog, introduced mentorship gatherings and also created a career event for students in Wales.

A Hanzo project:

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MONIKA KANOKOVA

PROJECT SUCCESS

36 Universities We’ve partnered with 36 universities to help students gain entrepreneurial skills.

08 Mentoring Sessions We’ve organized eight gatherings for students to meet professionals and ask them anything they wanted to hear about finding a suitable career path.

copyright Hanzo Studio LifeStart has been developed by Virgin Money and Virgin StartUp to help students achieve greater career and financial success. It’s a free service, that aims to help students learn critical enterprise and financial skills through participation in Challenges.

02 LifeStartFests Within less than a year, we’ve organized two career festivals for students in London and in Wales.

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

Brand Events CL I E NT N A ME

Kickstarter

For Kickstarter, I have developed three formats and helped organize a creator fair at the TOA conference as one of the satellite events. In total, I have arranged 80 events across Germany, Austria, and the

LifeStart by Virgin Money

Netherlands within two years. There were different formats; the general presentation targeted at Kickstarter where I’d explain how to

(via Hanzo Studio)

rally a community for a project. At these, I’ve sometimes invited two to three former creators to tell how they’ve succeeded on Kickstarter and

StaRating

to build up the platform’s social proof. As soon as there were enough exciting creators who’ve successfully funded their projects in the various categories, I developed formats to attract the different com-

D E L IVE RE D

munities such as the fashion community, the food community, the IoT community and the startup community a.s. These were either podium

Concept

discussions to position our creators as thought leaders or keynote pres-

Speaker Coordination

entations of the different creators and their projects. I was responsible

Event Coordination Announcement Moderation

As part of my role as a community strategist, I’ve been responsible for curating brand events to engage the communities of companies such as Kickstarter and LifeStart by Virgin Money.

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for the success of the events from ideation to production and moderation. As part of my role as Kickstarter’s Outreach Lead, I’ve also hosted dinners and lunches for creators and influencers.


http://MKANOKOVA.com

MONIKA KANOKOVA

For StaRating, I was responsible for activating an early community of user testers, which I solved by organizing meet-ups at pubs where we watched football together. It was an opportunity for us to engage our target group and turn them into ambassadors directly. Within a few weeks, our meet up group had almost 200 members.

For LifeStart by Virgin Money, I organized intimate gatherings for students. I’ve always organized a professional thought leader from companies such as Intercom or the V&A to join a small group of students to give them one-on-one mentoring. I aimed to help increase social mobility amongst students who might not have access to professional mentors. All events were organized for free, and our mentors joined us voluntarily. Additionally, I also got to host a career festival for 120 students in Bangor, Wales. As the creative director, I developed a highly interactive program to engage the audience, organized and consulted all speakers and also briefed the moderator. I was also responsible for smooth coordination with our production partners.

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

Case Study: LifeStartFest What would you say are the ingredients of an exceptional event? What has to happen for you to go home and feel like attending an event was worth your time? To me, it’s always been about the connections I’ve made and the people I’ve met. The conference or networking event could’ve been just average, yet my experience could be elevated if I met someone worth meeting again. In my opinion, it’s something that can’t be fixed with great catering or good speakers. I firmly believe that how we feel at an event is what creates a lasting impression. Now, let me turn the question around and ask from an events organizer’s perspective: how do you make sure that creating moments of connection isn’t serendipitous and only experiBangor University, Wales, UK September, 2018

enced by a lucky few? How do you help your audience make meaningful connections? On my latest assignment, I thought about this a lot. I thought about how to make it my mission to help as many people in the audience meet someone and have a conversation that goes beyond small talk. I thought about how I can make sure attendees of the event, which I got to program, feel encouraged to talk with someone they just met again, all while making sure as many attendees as possible have a fun time they’ll remember fondly. When I was first asked to organize a careers festival on behalf of the organization I work with, Student LifeStart, in Bangor, Wales, I was wondering if that was something I could pull off easily. My first question was: how will I ever get speakers when the budget doesn’t allow to fly some key people in? I knew I’d have to have some speakers, but I also knew I’d have to think of alternative ways to fill an afternoon in a way for students to feel inspired and encouraged to think about their careers differently. Technically, one could say the event was “branded content.” Sponsored by Virgin Money and Virgin StartUp, the business objective was to create a space to build a positive relationship with the Virgin brand. Given Virgin brands are exceptional to work with, we had a lot of freedom and were able to approach a career event more like what I’d like a career event to be. Those who know my story, and how I went from studying interior architecture to working in digital strategy and writing three books on going freelance on the side, will realize that I’m hardly someone who would tell students to decide early on what to study and how that determines the rest of their lives. If anything, I always tell people to follow their curiosities, be open about their passions, and connect with others who care deeply about the same things. (Probably what Richard Branson would also tell people he meets. :) )

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MONIKA KANOKOVA

In my belief, there are many ways to making a career,

LifeStart is a website and a growing community for

and the more diverse things one knows and is inter-

students to take real business challenges, evolve their

ested in, the more exciting their career can become.

professional skills, and receive mentorship directly

Knowing this event was about creating a branded con-

from associates who work in top UK companies. The

tent experience, the feeling the students would leave

platform’s concept is grouped around multiple pillars,

with was key to how we thought about this experience.

and there are business challenges for students to solve, which can unlock great prizes. It’s insightful con-

When thinking about careers and the vicious circle

tent to help understand the world of work, and most

students face of having to have work experience in

of all, it’s the community LifeStart has been created for

order for them to get work experience, I knew I had to

(and with).

invite speakers who demonstrate different aspects of how to get into the doors of a company and land a job.

The LifeStartFest seemed like an opportunity to take

Simultaneously, and as someone who’s now worked

all that makes LifeStart and bring it into the room. This

for several years, often it’s the people we meet and

is what we did and how the event was different from

who we studied with and have developed a meaningful

others...

relationship with that will help us get ahead in life. The students might not yet realize that who will really help

The event started at 2pm. We were ready at the door

them get ahead are the people who sit with them in

to sign everyone in. My first goal was to break those

class or at an event, such as the LifeStartFest. Thus, my

apart who arrived as a group. I wanted to create a

personal objective was to help as many attendees as

more inclusive environment and equalize everyone

possible make new connections. In the ideal scenario, I

by making sure that they all start out alone in order

wanted all attendees to find a new friend and some-

for those who arrived by themselves not to feel left

one they can collaborate with on future projects, or at

out. For that, we used 12-piece jigsaws that were

best, submit to a LifeStart Challenge as a team.

all designed in different colors. That was crucial, as we wanted for the students to find their new group

We had five hours to fill, and I decided to spend more

quickly. Each of the jigsaws featured a question for the

than three of them helping students connect with oth-

students to answer. Questions such as, “If you could

ers in the audience. When you think about it, there’s

go on a holiday to any decade, where’d you go?” or “If

a lot of content online and at everyone’s fingertips. In

you got paid in happiness, what job would make you

my opinion, events nowadays play a different role. The

rich?”. (Slightly provocative I know) With every new

role of an event organizer is no longer so much about

person arriving into the group, they’d have one more

curation as it is about facilitating connections.

piece of the puzzle and would be closer to completing it. The challenge of this exercise to actually work out is

To give you some background on the framework for

that you need people to arrive simultaneously and also

this student career event, which we organized under

not give away too many different puzzles at once while

the umbrella of the Student LifeStart Project;

making sure friends don’t have pieces to the same jigsaw.

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

My tip after this event is to start with three to four puzzles and then introduce new colors, and not give away pieces from all puzzles one has prepared for the event. You want for people who arrive to have a welcoming experience and also make sure they can start the conversation you’ve designed quickly. Once we had everyone in the room, the moderator, Cleo Anderson, set the tone of the event. We didn’t start with the program immediately. Instead, we focused on helping people feel comfortable by once again focusing on the audience instead of the speakers. When we were planning the event, we were looking for an ice breaker that would work in such a large group. We felt like introducing yourself to the person next to you is something Bangor University, Wales, UK September, 2018

many event organizers ask for, yet you also end up saying the same thing over and over again. I can only speak for myself, but at 32, I’m quite bored by my own answers whenever I’m asked to do this. We decided to introduce the toilet paper game, which works as follows: Right after Cleo welcomed everyone and explained the objectives for the day, she said we now needed to have a serious conversation. Another helper and I walked along the sides of the rows and handed out one toilet paper roll to the people sitting at the end of each side and per row. While handing out the toilet paper rolls, Cleo said everyone should take how much they usually take when they go to the bathroom. This is, of course, super awkward and everyone breaks out in laughter. The exercise is quite innocent because once everyone has their piece of toilet paper, the audience is asked to say something random about themselves for each tile they took off. Having set the tone of this exercise and making everyone laugh was key, and with this exercise, we knew we had them. I happened to also be the photographer at this event (talk about wearing multiple hats) and can say there was a significant difference in everyone’s facial expression. I’ve hardly ever taken as many pictures of genuinely happy people as I have during this event. (You can look at them here.) After the toilet paper game, Cleo asked the audience for the most interesting answers, which helped carry the tone that was set, and we expected for the audience to actively participate in the event. We wanted everyone to know they’ll be heard. Then, the obvious part of the program began and Cleo introduced the first speaker. We had prepared four talks. One on the dos and don’ts when applying for jobs online.

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MONIKA KANOKOVA

One about not having a set path, yet still making a great career. One given by the former LifeStart winner, who happened to get a job after his work experience week, which was one of the rewards of the LifeStart competition. And one on using social media and turning side projects into a portfolio to get the job one wants. (I gave that one as you can guess.) I must admit, I only finalized the program and informed everyone the night before. I was so aware of the flow of the talks and how I wanted people to feel guided through the program that I didn’t leave much up to serendipity. Before the event, and given our speakers were doing this for the first time, we spoke with everyone at least once and helped them shape their story. In my head, the flow of the event went something like this: Inform (Dos and don’ts...), make them feel safe and understood (No set path...), give them a challenge to solve as a group (to make them feel connected and invested), give them a break (and ice cream), announce the winners after the break (to ensure the students came back), have the last winner and Bangor alumni explain his journey from participating in three LifeStart Challenges and what he’s done to win (to take away the students’ fear), then announce the new round of LifeStart Challenges (the 10 minutes dedicated to the actual branded content), close off with an actionable talk on how to use social media and get the job one would love (which fulfilled the promise of the event), then finish off with pizzas to give everyone a chance to wind down and exchange contact details.

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

We planned about 20 minutes for all talks. Cleo introduced every speaker before their talk and explained what they did for a living, how we met them, and why we thought they had an interesting story to share with the audience. We made sure to contextualize before we handed over to the speakers. After each session, we opened up to Q&A. Cleo was instructed to have questions prepared for each speaker should no one from the audience ask anything. It was important to us to make sure all speakers feel valued and like people were listening to their stories. Thus, and in case no one would ask anything immediately, we didn’t just want to send the speaker off the stage without giving them a final opportunity to shine. Given the platform’s main purpose has always been about challenges and proactive thinking, I wanted to recreate that experience in the room and have attendees work in groups by Bangor University, Wales, UK September, 2018

having them solve a mini challenge. This was also a great opportunity to give away prizes and demonstrate that solving a challenge isn’t too hard and that collaboration is key. We had 50 minutes scheduled for this challenge: students had 20 minutes to brainstorm how they’d improve co-living communication between students who just moved in together, which we believed was a question everyone in the room had to deal with. While students were brainstorming in groups of four or five, we assigned them to a judge by giving them a balloon, asking them to go to the judge who had the same color balloon and present their ideas to them. We made sure each judge had four to five groups to give feedback to. For this exercise, we used the space outside the lecture hall and also in front of the building. We were lucky it was sunny and warm(ish). We asked every judge to select one winner from their groups, which meant we’d give four winning groups Virgin Experience Days Vouchers. Given each judge finished with their groups at different times, we instructed the judges to let everyone off into their break, but tell the students when they needed to be back in the hall for the winner announcements. Breaks are usually when many students leave, so we wanted to make sure they were invested in the event and had a reason to come back.

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MONIKA KANOKOVA

The event went on until 7pm. After the last speech, Cleo came back on stage and contextualized and summarized the entire experience. She highlighted what she’s learned to help the audience reflect on what they’ve learned. It was important to us to appreciate the experience and appreciate everyone who joined us for the day. We then invited the attendees to join us for pizza, which gave the students an opportunity to approach the speakers individually and ask them the questions they weren’t able to ask during the Q&A. We also used this time to say thank you to our speakers. Of course, everyone also got a Virgin Experience Day Voucher :) All in all, creating this event was a rewarding experience and something I’d like to do more often in the future. I’m grateful Virgin Money and Hanzo trusted me fully and allowed me to focus so much on connecting the audience, which also meant they waved off the toilet paper game, which I know raised many eyebrows when we first presented what we were planning to do. For that, I’m thankful.

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

Strategic Partnerships CL I E NT N A ME

Veganz

For Veganz, I’ve created a social media strategy that was based on sharing reach with other brands (such as Eco Brotbox, Avesu, etc.). Based on Veganz’s planned product launches, we created a theme-

Kickstarter

calendar and approached brands to accompany our product roll-out. To increase reach and engage the existing community, we have traded

LifeStart by Virgin Money

products and organized raffles for the communities of both partners. We’ve also increased our social media partnerships with the different

(via Hanzo Studio)

retail partners.

D E L IVE RE D

Strategy Research Outreach Negotiation

Having mostly worked with companies that only have access to minimal marketing budgets, I’ve often focused on setting up strategic partnerships. I look for partners with aligning brand values and identify how to best set up cooperation for all parties to positively benefit.

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copyright Valerie Sick


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MONIKA KANOKOVA

For LifeStart by Virgin Money and together with the team, we have set up partnerships with 36 universities in the UK, primarily focused on Wales. Our university partners helped us advertise our offerings to their students.

For Kickstarter, I set up partnerships with co-working spaces, universities and alumni entrepreneurs in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands to increase Kickstarter’s lead generation. Our partners also provided us with space for Kickstarter to host events.

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

Public Speaking

copyright Julian Present

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MONIKA KANOKOVA

S ELECT E D EVE NTS 2019

TEDxLend 2018

LifeStartFest Lond 2017

Creative Mornings Vienna 2016

Fashion Camp Vienna Pecha Kucha Utrecht Copenhagen TechFest Business Riot Vienna

DESCRI PTI O N

As an author, I’ve been invited to speak at several events. In 2019, I was asked to speak at TEDxGraz under the theme “A Beginner’s Mind.” I spoke about “The Gift of the Blank Slate” and shared my views on the power of social media and why starting with zero followers can be a gift. In 2017, the theme was Moments; I spoke about “Why Plan B is always better.” I also spoke at the TechFest in Copenhagen, the Business Riot Festival, the Sticks & Stones, Marketing Natives, Investor Day, and the Pecha Kucha in Utrecht. Some of the topics were “How to build a community,” “How to start as a creative freelancer,” and “How to harness the power of social media for building a pow-

2015

erful network.” I also discussed newsletters and how to run a Kickstarter project.

re:publica Berlin Investors Day Berlin Marketing Natives Vienna Sticks & Stones Berlin

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

Team Leadership CL I E NT N A ME

Veganz

For Veganz, I got on board as a brand strategist, yet had to step up and manage the marketing department of 12 people. For three months I was responsible for optimizing the works flows to help the brand

LifeStart by Virgin Money

manager, social media managers, the e-commerce and the customer support teams better collaborate and also other departments. We

(via Hanzo Studio)

hired freelance language specialists to better support international expansion, which required me to adapt our communication and general

StaRating

workflows to support remote work.

D E L IVE RE D

Hiring Team Restructuring Training Workflows

In my time as a freelance community strategist, I’ve also had the opportunity to manage teams. I’d either be hired as an interim manager to help re-focus the marketing efforts or to train juniors and help them up-skill.

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copyright Valerie Sick


http://MKANOKOVA.com

MONIKA KANOKOVA

For StaRating, I was responsible for sourcing and leading creative talent, training them to work independently, i.e. without my guidance. To do so, I built a team of junior writers and trained them on the ins-and-outs of social media marketing, blogging and event organization.

For LifeStart, I was in charge of coordinating a team of remotely working students who acted as brand ambassadors and content creators. I set up a hiring and interview process to help us source the best talent and coordinated briefings and delivery.

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

Employee Engagement Strategy For the NYC-based agency Badger and Winters and the Hanzo Studio, I’ve worked as a community strategist, helping them create employee and sales representative engagement concepts for leading fashion luxury fashion brands and beauty direct selling brands. With a community focus, I’ve helped identify possible touch points between HQ and the individuals. I helped them create online and offline measures to reach and activate their most important assets: their sales representatives.

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Workshops I’ve been invited to share my knowledge and help develop community engagement strategies. In my workshops, I use various methodologies such as personas, user journeys, and value mapping to co-create humancentered strategies. I’ve given workshops to brands such as SOS Kinderdorf, Intellyo, Virgin Money, Anitar and even hosted workshops via Video Chat to Go Global Outsourcing.

copyright Christa Gaigg

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SELECTED WORK

Instructional Design CL I E NT N A ME

Kickstarter New Design University Skillshare DATE

2015 – 2019 D E LIVE RE D

Webinars & Online Classes

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MONIKA KANOKOVA


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D E S CRI PTI ON

The internet is a powerful tool as it enables everyone to acquire the necessary knowledge to develop - regardless of their financial situation or personal background. That’s why I have been creating instructional webinars for my clients. I also pass on whatever I’ve learned in online classes, which I share on SkillShare. For Kickstarter, I’ve produced webinars in German to explain how to create a Kickstarter page and spread the word about their project. On Skillshare, I’ve created classes to teach people how to structure a website, how to edit photos using a mobile phone, how to self-publish a non-fiction book and others. Furthermore, I teach a class “Social Media for Designers” at the New Design University in St. Pölten, helping students understand social media as a tool to help them position themselves online.

copyright Aaron Dey

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

Copywriting of automated response communication

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http://MKANOKOVA.com

CLI E NT N A ME

SCHED.org LifeStart by Virgin Money Norn DATE

2015 – 2019

MONIKA KANOKOVA

DESCRI PTI O N

When I worked for Somewhere.com, I received considerable positive feedback for my the automated copy I had written. Most people thought they’d received personal messages from me and many would respond directly. My talent is to sound highly personable, even in

D E L IVE RE D

User Journey Analysis

automated UX copy. Some of the former community members of Somewhere reached out and asked me if I could create autoresponders for their brand.

Funnel Analysis

For SCHED, I wrote an automated copy to be sent to

Copywriting

former event organizers to re-activate them and make them aware of the service. SCHED is an event scheduling app for conference attendees to keep track of their schedule. For LifeStart by Virgin Money, I wrote autoresponders targeted at students to help lower their fear of “professional jobs,” teaching them how to apply for internships and paid work placements.

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SELECTED WORK

Website Copywriting

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MONIKA KANOKOVA


http://MKANOKOVA.com

MONIKA KANOKOVA

DESCRI PTI O N

I’ve helped companies outline their wireframes, clarify their messaging and draft their website copy. I’ve created website copy in English and German, partly also produced copy for bilingual websites. I usually schedule at least one workshop with the client to better understand their values. I interview their past clients and collect references for their work. I research industry keywords and use these to create compelling website texts.

CL I ENT NA M E

Ananda Yoga Double Underscore Go Global Outsourcing Ruby Cup taliaYstudio DATE

2015 – 2018

copyright Talia Radford

DEL IVERED

Wiref rames Copywriting

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SELECTED WORK

Website Copywriting D E S CRI PT I O N

I’ve produced the website copy for the design company taliaYstudio, and the hospitality-focused Go Global Outsourcing service that provides sales representatives to large hotel chains. I’ve also written the text of the digital web design studio Double Underscore. I crafted the German copy for RubyCup, a feminine hygiene brand. For the Viennabased Ananda Yoga studio, I created content in both English and German.

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MONIKA KANOKOVA


http://MKANOKOVA.com

MONIKA KANOKOVA

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

Interviews Whenever I begin to explore a new subject, I write down a list of people whom I consider inspirational. I approach these people and interview them. Given that as a community strategist I always focus on the consumer, which in this sense is the reader, I edit the interviews to make them sound like the advice of a good friend. You can find an example of an interview I’ve conducted, transcribed, and edited on the following page.

>> https://99u.adobe.com/articles/51038/starting-afreelance-career-doesnt-mean-you-have-to-work-forfree

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http://MKANOKOVA.com

MONIKA KANOKOVA

IN TERVIEW WIT H O R E N L A SRY What did you study and why?

What were the first steps to start your own business?

I studied interior design at the Holon Institute of

I printed myself business cards and brought them with

Technology. I wanted to become an event planner and

me everywhere I went. I said I was an interior designer

producer and felt confronted by all the questions I

and asked people if they knew of any interesting

had about space and spatial design. I planned to study

projects I could get involved with. I was constantly out

business management afterwards, but during my stud-

meeting and talking to people. This was before I even

ies I fell in love with creating interiors. I had found my

knew the value of networking and how to do it right.

passion.

Today, I’m much more organized and I understand the value of networking effectively.

What happened between your university diploma and your current career?

Back then, I also had two jobs to make some sort of a living. I worked in a gallery, which I thought would help

Straight out of university, I took on a handful of

me connect with the right audience, and I also worked

projects together with a friend. While this cemented

in a bar, which was very a valuable time as it shed a lot

my determination to succeed in this business, I didn’t

of light on what to consider when I would later design

want to feel like I was compromising any part of my vi-

nightlife spots. It took me about ten months until a

sion, so I decided to set up my own independent studio

friend of mine called me and said she had a project

to specialize in commercial spaces.

and asked if I was interested. I got to design a Mexican restaurant, which turned into a chain, and I then

What made you decide to become self-employed im-

designed all of the subsequent restaurants. That’s how

mediately after graduation?

everything started.

I’ve always been a very independent person. I couldn’t

What were your first steps to create a successful busi-

imagine sitting in a grey office every day from nine un-

ness?

til nine, designing and drawing blueprints in someone else’s name.

I’ve never worked in an architectural office, so every-

I went to a couple of job interviews, but because I

thing I do is self-taught. I have developed a system that

never was that interested to become established in

is my own and works for me and, mostly importantly,

any of these companies, it didn’t work out, which was

is best suited to meet my clients’ needs. After about

probably for the better. Instead, I decided to look for

six months, I got myself some marketing help. I hired

my own projects. I have been self-employed for about

a marketing consultant who could tell me how to best

two and a half years now.

and most effectively position my business.

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

Interviews

This Year Will Be Different: The Insightful Guide to Becoming a Freelancer Selfpublished in 2015 I needed to learn how to use Facebook, Pinterest, and all the other platforms, and also how to treat my former clients so they would keep me in mind and then refer me to their friends and acquaintances. I’ve learned to understand that you need to spend about half of your time building your business instead of spending all of your time working on projects. It’s often challenging because you’re busy working on projects and don’t have time to do anything else, but if you want to expand your business, you must become more attractive as a company. You must work on your business and not just in your business, no matter what! How do you work “on” your business? I believe that creating the right kind of spaces can help add value to people’s lives. Recently, I designed a new kindergarten concept, but not because I was getting paid for it. I noticed this area was underdeveloped, so I spent months researching several educational approaches. I prepared a detailed presentation and started pitching it to the municipality here in Tel Aviv. It was a lot of work with no remuneration in return, but they really liked it and now we’ve been receiving a budget. There are over 450 kindergarten classes administered by the Tel Aviv municipality and if the pilot proves to be successful, we could launch it on a national level. That might then be mutually beneficial for the children and teachers of the city.

image copyright Ewelina Dymek 44


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MONIKA KANOKOVA

I’m also teaching at The College Of Management to

Usually, before I start working on a project, I estimate

give back to the community. In general, I do my job

how many professionals I need to involve to get the

not just because it pays the rent, but I believe I can im-

best possible outcome.

prove people’s lives. I often start working on projects because they’re in a direction where I want to evolve.

How do you represent yourself online and what platforms do you consider important?

How do you calculate your remuneration? I’ve been using my Facebook as a business page since Usually, in architecture, it’s common to take a certain

I started. I am now building my own website because

percentage of the overall costs of the project. I believe

although no one will hire you based solely on your pro-

that just because someone doesn’t have much of a

file, eventually they’ll probably end up googling you.

budget doesn’t mean I will work less on their project than I would on one with enough money. I always try

It’s crucial that when they do, they find a strong,

to estimate how much time I need for a project and

credible site: one that represents your business in the

explain to the client what I’ll do during these days.

best possible light. I also use Instagram and Pinterest

I know what an hour of my time is worth, but I give

to show design ideas and share my process with my

discounts based on the size of the project.

clients. I am a visual person, so I think it’s easier for others to understand how I work and how much time

I still don’t earn what I feel would correlate to my

it takes to develop a great space when they can follow

efforts, but I can only get there if I continue working

my process on social media.

as I do at the moment. In the beginning, when you don’t have much experience to prove you can actually

Could you give some practical tips to someone who

achieve something, people might not trust you, so it’s

wants to become an interior designer?

better to do projects for less and gain the work experience in return. If possible, don’t work for free.

You must keep learning because this is a world that is constantly evolving. Everyone can become an interior

How big is your team?

designer nowadays, so the more you know, the better equipped you are to create versatile and intelligent

It depends on the amount of projects I’m working on.

state-of-the-art spaces. Everybody does things dif-

Sometimes I work with two other freelancers, some-

ferently, and that’s great because it creates different

times with one, and sometimes it’s just me plus my

styles. Always make sure you double check everything

expert handymen for things like wood, marble, air

you do. Any mistake you make is not only dangerous,

conditioning, iron, etc. I really believe in teamwork and

but it can also be really expensive for you and your cli-

I always try to involve as many people as possible. I like

ent. Most of all, you always have to believe in yourself

to work with a graphic and a product designer. It gives

for others to be able to believe in you.

me a new perspective on the process and I learn a lot while working with people that possess different skills.

[You can buy “This Year Will Be Different” here and learn more about Oren’s business here.]

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SELECTED WORK

Writing

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MONIKA KANOKOVA

DESCRI PTI O N

Given my educational background in interior architecture and my interest in how digital media is changing the way we live, I’ve explored the topic of community gatherings in urban areas. I’ve interviewed thought leaders and turned their experiences into stories. Beyond Small Talk is my current side project, which is a collection of stories and observations about how food can be used to gather people from various social backgrounds. I love merging real insights while making people feel as if they were part of the story I describe. I write blog posts, personal newsletters, editorial articles and also books.

B LO G

http://mkanokova.com/blog

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

Editorial Content Creation CL I E NT N A ME

99U Amazing Creative Boom Freelancers Union StartUpGuide Travelettes Vina and others...

To promote the launches of my guides for creative freelancers, I’ve produced articles for media outlets targeted at the creative community. I’ve had articles published on websites such as

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http://MKANOKOVA.com

MONIKA KANOKOVA

D E S CRI PTI ON

To promote the launches of my guides for creative freelancers, I’ve produced articles for media outlets targeted at the creative community. I’ve had articles published on websites such as

https://99u.adobe.com/articles/52662/a-portfolio-for-clients-a-beginners-guide-to-getting-more-gigs http://www.travelettes.net/7-easy-steps-to-planning-for-a-vacation-as-a-freelancer/ https://www.creativeboom.com/tips/want-to-be-a-digital-nomad-here-are-10-things-to-consider/ https://blog.amazing.com/side-projects-your-first-step-to-transitioning-into-starting-your-own-business/ https://vinazine.com/2017/02/21/get-back-on-track-by-defining-your-life-goals/ https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2017/07/18/7-steps-to-planning-for-a-vacation-as-a-freelancer/ http://berlinlovesyou.com/2017/02/01/four-female-entrepreneurs-started-creative-businesses-berlin/ https://startupguide.com/cities/vienna … and others http://monika.contently.com

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

Publishing D E S CRI PTI ON

Due to personal circumstances, I needed to find a way to become a remote freelancer quickly. Going freelance wasn’t something I had planned, which is why I thought of the most efficient way to not just learn how to become self-employed but D E LIVE RE D also create a reference that I was able to use freely - and for which I hadn’t signed an NDA. I decided to write a book. With “This Year Will Be Different” I’ve written a guide for creatives who wanted to go freelance. Simultaneously, I’ve hired a production team, managed the project, acquired funding via Kickstarter and also handled my own PR.

image copyright Christiane Wallner-Haas 50


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MONIKA KANOKOVA

REVIEWS

In the following year, I’ve explored the subject of creative self-employment by interviewing diverse creatives. I have written thought pieces to summarize the learnings and published two more books. In 2016, I published My Creative (Side) Business, exploring the subject of so-called “passive income streams.” In 2017, I released Work Trips and Road Trips, taking a closer look at flexible and remote work culture. The books have been popular and have earned some rave reviews. They were featured in online and print outlets such as Inc. Media, Girl-

“This book is not a fairytale story or book of inspirational quotes, it is full of solid advice that you will keep with you throughout the rest of your career.”

boss, Creative Boom and 99U a.s.

Emma Gannon, author and host of CtrlAltDelete Podcast. *** Sean Blanda, editor-in-chief and director at 99U: “With so much blustery, useless career advice out there, #MCFSB is a revelation: actionable, practical advice that you can use the moment you put down the book. A must-read for those looking to develop their side hustle.”

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SELECTED WORK

Press Outreach D E S CRI PT I O N

As my books were self-published, I was my own PR agent. Given my books had all been created with a specific target group in mind, I was very successful in positioning articles in various online outlets. My articles reflected the different topics I covered in my books, and they also had a byline with a clickthrough link to my Kickstarter page. My books and interviews with me have also been selected for roundups on sites including Inc. Media, Girlboss, Creative Boom and others. 99U, Adweek, The Gap, and others...

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MONIKA KANOKOVA

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SELECTED WORK

MONIKA KANOKOVA

My Clients I choose to work with clients that put people first. I generally work with socially-conscious businesses. My clients are forward-thinking and embrace creativity and technological development.

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Ananda Yoga

NDU St. Pรถlten

Anitar

Norn

Badger&Winters

OikoCredit

Beluga

Raven & Finch

Creative Region

RubyCup

DoubleUnderscore

Sched

Fronteer Strategy

SOS Kinderdorf

GoGlobalOutsourcing

StartUp Guide

OikoCredit

taliaYstudio

Kickstarter

Veganz


http://MKANOKOVA.com

MONIKA KANOKOVA

CLIENT STATEMENTS

NEILL DAVID WATSON

SEAN LEOW

CLEO ANDERSON

Virgin Money

Kickstarter

Hanzo Studio

“Monika provided community, event and content services for the project LifeStart from Virgin Money. She is a master at event organisation and ensuring the right people get connected on and offline. She’s also

“Monika is community builder extraordinaire. She is equally comfortable at giving an inspiring talk to hundreds of people as she is at working deeply with individuals 1:1. Her ability to rally a community online is second to none. On top of her expertise with communities, she brings a diligence and trustworthiness that is hard to find when working remotely.”

“Monika is a pleasure to work with. If you want someone to strategise, manage teams and deliver on content and events; Monika can do this and more. She is always willing to share her wideranging skills with others and has been an invaluable mentor figure for me. She gets the job done whilst always reflecting on how the project was delivered and how it can be improved or communicated differently.”

skilled at distilling creative thinking from groups into a focused approach and a great person to work with - highly recommended.”

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Thank You Address :

Contact :

Monika Kanokova Harzer StraĂ&#x;e 6 12059 Berlin Germany

P : +491777942973 E : hello@mkanokova.com W : mkanokova.com


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