Me-as-a-product

For more than two three decades, I’ve delivered measurable results in customer experience integration and digital platform delivery using various management methodologies and engineering delivery models.

I thrive on multidimensional teamwork, including people and change management and using smart practices to satisfy all types of customers. I look for environments open to making incremental organizational improvements, learning continuously and having some fun along the way.

I’m an extremely curious, inquisitive, creative and entrepreneurial person. I’m also a lousy self-promoter. I like to get things done and sing the praises of others and be part of a team.

🎒

Always ready with my office in a backpack. I began working from anyplace during the days of dial-up (that’s how we accessed the internet before fiber, cable, satellite) which helped me build some of my unique strengths: adaptability, resourcefulness and making real connections with systems and, more importantly, with other people.

Early Adoption

I jumped on the digital adoption train early. It came naturally and even though at the time, folks thought I was off my rocker, I am still totally the train of learning and trying new things. Some of those areas of work:

  • Distance-based university web services and usability assessments with scorecards for intranets in the 1990’s.
  • Blogs for content marketing in early 2000’s.
  • Email marketing for pretty much everything around 2010 (sorry).
  • Mobile-friendly content before iPhones, then responsive and native apps starting in 2011.
  • Employee portal software as a service in 2013.
  • Patent-pending syringe label design for hospital pharmacy robotics at Omnicell in 2023.

WORK HISTORY

In 2024, I realized I’d been working legally for 40 years. So I made a list of jobs that came after babysitting and the neighborhood paper route.

2011-2025 🎨 🏦 👧🏻

  • Independent Experience Designer 2025
  • Digital Product Manager · Lone Star Communications 2024
  • Digital Marketing & Website Manager · Aspyn’s Table, Root Kitchen Catering 2023-24
  • Manager & Principal Designer · Omnicell 2022-24
  • Design Strategist · Citi 2022
  • Product Management & Designer · Prudential 2020
  • Career Coach · CareerFoundry, Designlab 2018-22
  • Design Instructor & Mentor · AGI Training, CareerFoundry, Designlab, Kenzie Academy 2015-22
  • UX Design Manager · PrismHR 2016-17
  • UX Design Lead · Moody’s Analytics 2015-16
  • Senior UX Designer · Mercer 2014-15
  • Digital Solutions Program Manager · Aon Hewitt 2011-14

2001-2011 🤖 🎨 👧🏻

  • Digital Strategist & UX Generalist · Analysis Group, Fielding, HGF, TPC, Zipcar 2006-11
  • Associate IT Director · Facing History & Ourselves 2005-06
  • Web Marketing Manager · Fielding Graduate University 2002-05
  • Creative Services Manager · Hewitt Associates 2001-02
  • Electronic Communications Consultant & Producer · Hewitt Associates 2000-02

1990-2000 💻 🎨 🎞️

  • Internet Marketing Specialist · The Fielding Institute 1999 2000
  • Organizational Development Associate · ABC-Clio 1998-99
  • Web Designer & Developer · The Claremont Colleges 1997-99
  • Executive Producer · The Tenth Street Journal 1996-98
  • Media Services/PR Associate · Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital 1994-96
  • Studio Manager · The Wedding Photographer 1994-95
  • Graphic Designer · Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District 1993-94
  • Photographer · Jeep Aloha Bowl 1990-93
  • Office Manager · Del’s Camera 1990-91

1980’s 📷 🍿 🍔

  • Store Manager · Hallmark Photo Labs 1986-89
  • Store Associate · Brook’s Pharmacy 1985-87
  • Front of House · Chequer’s Restaurant 1985-87
  • Head Popcorn Scooper · AMC Movie Theaters 1984-85
  • Kitchen Staff · Burger King 1984

EDUCATION

🎓

Master’s in business, management and information technology. Claremont Graduate University (1998)

Undergrad degree in photography, marketing and visual communication. Brooks Institute of Photography (1992)

TRAINING

🤺

CompTIA A+ Calbright College (2023)

Certified Scrum Master (CSM)® @ Scrum Alliance (2022)

Clinical Psychology @ California Southern University (2020)

Coaches Training Institute (2004)

Usability & UX Certification NN/g (1999)

TOOLS

🛠️

I’m capable of learning any software because I’ve had to! I learned to write BASIC when I was a kid, taught myself HTML early on during Web 1.0 along with design in the digital world, and then moved into product management. Here’s an A – Z overview of what I’ve clicked on recently:

Adobe Creative Suite, Agile, AI Tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Gemini), Atlassian, Balsamiq, Basecamp, CMS's (Drupal, Joomla, Sharepoint, Sitecore, WordPress) Figma/Figjam, GoogleSuite, Analytics/Search, HTML, Jira, Mac/PC, Microsoft 365 (Word · Excel · PowerPoint · Outlook · OneNote · OneDrive, Teams), Miro, Pens/Pencils, SAFe, Scrum, Slack, Storybook, Trello, Wagile, Waterfall, Zeroheight, Zoom.

This page was created by Larissa Schwartz. No AI was harmed or used in the process. Go back to the home page.