Product Development & Brand Transformation

Four brands, four very different sets of challenges, and one big opportunity to build better products, stronger teams, and a smarter way of getting things done.

At Artica Collective, I led Product Development across SlumberPod, Colugo, Eversprout, and Doctor’s Choice, overseeing everything from design and engineering to global sourcing, manufacturing, compliance, and project management. Each brand had its own customers, opportunities, and challenges, so there was certainly no one-size-fits-all approach. That would have been far too easy.

1. For Colugo, we took a hard look at what parents actually wanted and rethought the product portfolio around moms on the go. We phased out products that missed the mark, redesigned others to deliver better features and value, and introduced thoughtful new products with improved design, quality, and manufacturing economics. The refreshed collection earned recognition from Good Housekeeping, Parents, and PureWow.
2. For Eversprout, we identified an opportunity to expand beyond its established extension poles and accessories into an entirely new line of attractive, functional, and affordable home-cleaning products. We developed a cleaner, more modern brand identity for the new collection while creating a distinct PRO identity for the brand’s existing heavy-duty products. Each line now had a clear purpose, its own visual identity, and products designed around the needs of its customers.
3. With SlumberPod, our focus was on making an already successful product even better. Through multiple iterations, we refined the flagship product’s features, materials, construction, and manufacturing processes, improving quality and usability while reducing costs. We also introduced new colors and complementary products, thoughtfully expanding the brand without losing sight of what made it successful in the first place. Sometimes the best innovation isn’t reinventing the wheel. It’s making a really good wheel even better.
4. For Doctor’s Choice, we expanded into new categories, including compression sleeves, while significantly increasing our suppliers’ production capacity and speed to support rapid growth at Walmart. We also developed nearshore manufacturing capabilities to shorten lead times and create a more flexible supply chain.

Behind all those products, I built a global, multidisciplinary Product Development team and completely overhauled the systems we used to get things done. We introduced structured development processes, realistic timelines, better financial planning, clear stage gates, stronger testing and compliance capabilities, and much more effective supplier communication. The result was a team capable of managing several times the original project load, with greater independence, predictability, and confidence. And a LOT less firefighting.

Of course, none of this happens entirely behind a desk. I made seven trips to China, visited dozens of factories, drank a lot of baijiu, and traveled extensively throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas to develop suppliers, solve manufacturing challenges, and build relationships on the ground. We expanded our global manufacturing network, negotiated meaningful improvements in costs, payment terms, and lead times, and navigated an ever-changing landscape of tariffs and supply-chain disruptions. There were plenty of long flights, factory floors, and unexpected challenges along the way, but that’s also where some of the most interesting problems get solved.

Ultimately, we built a much stronger product development organization while transforming and expanding four very different consumer brands. Better products, award-winning designs, more capable suppliers, and a global team with the tools and systems to keep improving long after any individual product launched.