Hello, world!
That is, after all, the way to start every HTML doc.
My name is Niels Christian Laursen, and I'm the newest DLC/add-on to the COMA team at Umbraco! I will be working as a DXP at Umbraco, i.e. a Digital Experience Promoter, aka a digital marketing manager 😉
My daily job at Umbraco will be to create awareness and interest in Umbraco and Umbraco products worldwide. More precisely, I will be working on paid marketing campaigns, setting goals and KPIs, creating landing pages, and monitoring performance. Put simply, I will help spread the word about the world's friendliest CMS.
The first time I came across Umbraco was when I worked as an intern at an agency that developed websites with another competing .net CMS (the Agency is an Umbraco Partner today). That was back in 2015, where I was fortunate enough to get a free Umbraco Certified Professional certificate (thank you, Niels Hartvig).
I look forward to helping Umbraco leverage their digital campaigns and marketing automation.
The baron from Jutland
Yes, I do have a baron title. However, it's one of those you can buy online for next to nothing. To accompany the title, I can claim to be the owner of a unique Baron action figure. I like to keep it in the original package - you know how it is with collectibles when they stay in the original packaging 😉
I'm 30 years old, and I'm originally from a tiny Danish town in Jutland's eastern part (you probably haven't heard of it before - no seriously).
A real Niels Christian Laursen Baron action figure
I moved to Odense to study at the University back in 2010 after finishing my conscription in the Navy. Then comes the famous love story about finding local love. And I proposed to her in December 2020. Which means she is totally head over heels, planning our future wedding :)
Combining marketing and tech
I started fiddling around with electronics and computers at an early age. Around the age of 5 or 6, my dad placed his old Windows 3.0 in my room. Today, at the age of 30, I have dedicated many hours to modding games, playing around with Linux, and all sorts of electronics and Raspberry Pis. I can do some minor coding, but I'm mainly limited to HTML and basic CSS.
I have found a great way to combine this passion for tech and the digital world with my marketing competences now.
For the last 6 years, I have worked full-time in digital marketing, from websites and campaign landing pages to Google and Facebook campaigns. I have worked with both minor and major companies with their digital marketing campaigns – from driving webshop sales to lead generation. Second, I have coordinated and scoped a couple of great web projects, ranging from landing pages to webshops and even a new website for a national radio broadcaster.
When not “fixing” devices or playing around with computers, I enjoy other hobbies.
At a training session. Back then, I spent 3-4 days a week on shooting ranges when I was not in high school, either in training or competitions.
Between the ages of 4 to 20 years old, I participated in shooting competitions with .15m and 50m .22 caliber rifles.
I got this hobby from my parents, and have been told that when my parents were at competitions when I was still a baby, I would sleep in the back in their rifle cases.
When I got a bit older, I wanted to try some other disciplines. So I tried my luck with the greater calibres and distances, which resulted in me winning a lot of medals. Unfortunately, it's an expensive hobby, so once I moved out, I could not afford it anymore.
But it was great fun! Maybe I should consider trying my luck again.
Teaching my dad a thing or two in the kitchen
I do not claim to be the most awesome super Masterchef or anything, and I have absolutely no intention to try my luck at those TV programmes, but I really enjoy cooking and experimenting with new techniques. But it is really fun to take some basic ingredients and create something great.
And I don't stop at cooking. I have picked up various skills along the way – I enjoy brewing my own beer, which can be both really fulfilling and sometimes a great disappointment when you open a bottle and the whole ceiling gets painted with your latest and greatest dark ale recipe.
"Sorry love."
My newest addition to the skill list is homebrewed cider. Now, this sounds like something that can truly go all wrong and end up like moonshine, but my goodness was it GREAT when we popped the first bottle.
In the spring and summer, we spent many hours in our allotment garden, which has a tiny house on it.
Part of the cider process: We used around 35-40 kgs of apples for 23 litres of cider
Here we have a fruit and vegetable garden, and we enjoy most of the spring and summers there. There's no electricity, so it is almost truly off-grid.
At the house we bought in 2016. A lot of things inside and in the garden have changed since.
When the world is not in lockdown due to Covid-19, we love to travel. The last couple of years, we have been travelling through the United Kingdom and Ireland. There's nothing better than fish and chips and a pint after a rainy day.
I’m looking forward to new adventures in Umbraco, the community and in the COMA team.
