Tell us a bit about yourself – where do you work and what do you do?
Hey! I’m Laura Toledo of Minneapolis, Marketing and Communications Manager at the 50-ish-lawyer firm, Nilan Johnson Lewis. If I had two words to describe what I do at work it would be: content and technology. Add that to some finely honed organizational skills, and you’ve got someone who appreciates a lot of automation.
To translate: I write, edit, facilitate lawyer content; manage RFPs, pitches, etc.; define our content strategy and pair it with social and tech platforms to make the most out of it for my lawyers (think LinkedIn ads); and do some fun business development skill-building (individual planning, internal resources, etc.).
I also can’t tell you about me without mention my family: husband, Josh (friend of 30ish years), my two kids who are ages 4 and 5, and two sweet and sassy (respectively) doggos.
What’s your volunteer role in LMA?
I’m currently the President-Elect for the Midwest Region and chair of our communications program.
What do you enjoy about volunteering for LMA?
Oh, lots of things. Among them are the life-long friends I’ve made. Even beyond besties, I grow through each interaction with someone from LMA. And one of the things I covet: learning. Yes, I have access to webinars and the like, which is fantastic; but through volunteering, I’ve been able to learn actual skills by serving in volunteer roles. Sometimes it’s learning from another member who’s take me under their wing (and there are so many who do this!), and sometimes it’s from experimenting in my position. It’s afforded me a wider education than just doing my job.
What new hobbies have you taken on since quarantine?
I’m what you would call a big nerd. I love office supplies: pens, fountain pens, brush pens, paper, etc. I do a lot of handwriting. That’s pre-pandemic, mind you. I’m more of a writer-creative than an art-creative. My creative space is now my desk space, so it’s been hard to get into that activity at the moment. So, I’ve been obsessing over WordPress, automation, and creating digital images. A bit new for me, but I’m really into it. Oh, and writing reviews of horror movies!
Describe your desk at home.
Instead of describing it, it’ll show you.
Book or movie?
I can appreciate movie adaptations, but rarely do they hold up to the original (book, because I refuse to entertain movie-to-book books). For example, the newest It version (yes, there’s a book AND an original movie adaptation) is absolutely terrible (I could go on about this, but I’ll save it for my book reviews). However, I recently found one exception: Doctor Sleep. It’s almost better than the book. And that’s saying something.
Favorite author?
Stephen King.
Do my other answers make sense now? 😉
Be honest, how many days do you work with your pajama pants on?
I don’t know what jeans feel like anymore.
