2016-2021
Living Confidently - From MVP to Market Leader
Product Management
Digital Leadership
Know More
0 to 1 and Beyond: Scaling Guardian’s Financial Wellness Hub
Guardian needed a new way to connect their expertise in financial products—life insurance, annuities, disability benefits—with the real needs of families making decisions about health and money. The typical audience wasn’t the policyholder themselves, but the informed family member (most often a spouse) who managed relationships with insurance providers. Guardian wanted to earn their trust with a resource that felt educational, not promotional.
The problem was, they had no existing platform. They needed a vehicle for thought leadership—articles, tools, calculators—that could grow into a sister brand, credible enough to stand alongside Guardian but approachable enough to serve as a practical guide. Key measures of success would be engagement with content and, critically, clicks to connect with a financial professional.
0%
0%
Increase in itineraries created
From 1 every 4 days to 1 per day per agent
0%
0%
Increase in itineraries created
From 1 every 4 days to 1 per day per agent
0%
0%
Leads qualified automatically
Freeing agents for high-value client work
0%
0%
Leads qualified automatically
Freeing agents for high-value client work
0$
0$
Program MVPs
Delivered on time and budget
0$
0$
Program MVPs
Delivered on time and budget
0%
0%
Fewer Rescheuling Calls
In 12 weeks during the MVP pilot
0+
0+
Questions Answered In App
AI Assitant deflected routine desk asks
0%
0%
Stakeholder In the Know
At every step in the process
Key Success Metrics
Key Success Metrics
✔ 3× increase in average read times on articles
✔ 12× increase in clicks to connect with financial representatives
✔ Site performance improved from 5–6 second load times to <2 seconds
✔ WCAG 2.0 AA accessibility compliance, validated by third-party testing
Approach
Approach
I led the program from ideation through five years of growth, working closely with Guardian’s product owners and gaining buy-in from the C-suite as the platform matured. We began with an MVP: a lightweight blog site to test demand. Once traffic and engagement validated the opportunity, we launched a first redesign to expand formats—adding video, podcasts, and infographics.
The second redesign was transformative. We overhauled the visual language for accessibility, achieved WCAG 2.0 AA compliance (verified by third-party audit), and introduced interactive features like quizzes and a save-for-later tool. Performance also became a priority: load times dropped from 5–6 seconds in the early site to under 2 seconds. At every stage, I guided usability studies and market research, ensuring the site competed not just with other insurers but with the best digital publications anywhere.
Solution
Solution
The result was a sister brand to Guardian that balanced credibility with clarity. The site became a trusted financial wellness hub—rich with tools to demystify disability coverage, life insurance, and planning for the future.
To adapt to changing user behavior, we pioneered shorter, high-engagement formats—like frictionless quizzes tested through live interviews and panels—that kept pace with the rise of TikTok-style content without compromising depth. The platform matured into a responsive, fast, and highly usable experience that not only supported Guardian’s mission but consistently surfaced in competitive benchmarks against top consumer content sites.
Over the program’s lifecycle, I acted as both strategist and steward: keeping the platform fresh, aligning on KPIs with executives, and ensuring Guardian stayed ahead of market and user expectations.
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
0→1 is only the beginning. Launching the MVP validated demand, but the real value came from sustained iteration—treating each redesign as a chance to rethink experience, not just refresh visuals.
Trust beats marketing. Positioning the site as a sister brand required restraint. When content felt like sales copy, engagement dipped. When it felt independent, users leaned in.
Performance is part of UX. Cutting page load times from 6 seconds to under 2 didn’t just check a box—it directly impacted engagement and conversions. Speed builds trust.
Accessibility drives innovation. Designing for WCAG 2.0 AA compliance didn’t limit creativity; it expanded it. Features like frictionless quizzes emerged from thinking inclusively.
C-suite KPIs matter. Framing design and content decisions in terms of business impact (read times, conversions, load speed) kept executive sponsors invested through five years of growth.
More Work
More Work
FAQ
FAQ
01
What types of projects do you take on?
02
Who are your typical clients?
03
How do you add value to digital projects?
04
Can you help with digital transformation?
05
Are your engagements flexible?
06
What’s the best way to start working together?
01
What types of projects do you take on?
02
Who are your typical clients?
03
How do you add value to digital projects?
04
Can you help with digital transformation?
05
Are your engagements flexible?
06
What’s the best way to start working together?
2016-2021
Living Confidently - From MVP to Market Leader
Product Management
Digital Leadership
Know More
0 to 1 and Beyond: Scaling Guardian’s Financial Wellness Hub
Guardian needed a new way to connect their expertise in financial products—life insurance, annuities, disability benefits—with the real needs of families making decisions about health and money. The typical audience wasn’t the policyholder themselves, but the informed family member (most often a spouse) who managed relationships with insurance providers. Guardian wanted to earn their trust with a resource that felt educational, not promotional.
The problem was, they had no existing platform. They needed a vehicle for thought leadership—articles, tools, calculators—that could grow into a sister brand, credible enough to stand alongside Guardian but approachable enough to serve as a practical guide. Key measures of success would be engagement with content and, critically, clicks to connect with a financial professional.
0%
0%
Increase in itineraries created
From 1 every 4 days to 1 per day per agent
0%
0%
Leads qualified automatically
Freeing agents for high-value client work
0$
0$
Program MVPs
Delivered on time and budget
0%
0%
Fewer Rescheuling Calls
In 12 weeks during the MVP pilot
0+
0+
Questions Answered In App
AI Assitant deflected routine desk asks
0%
0%
Stakeholder In the Know
At every step in the process
Key Success Metrics
✔ 3× increase in average read times on articles
✔ 12× increase in clicks to connect with financial representatives
✔ Site performance improved from 5–6 second load times to <2 seconds
✔ WCAG 2.0 AA accessibility compliance, validated by third-party testing
Approach
I led the program from ideation through five years of growth, working closely with Guardian’s product owners and gaining buy-in from the C-suite as the platform matured. We began with an MVP: a lightweight blog site to test demand. Once traffic and engagement validated the opportunity, we launched a first redesign to expand formats—adding video, podcasts, and infographics.
The second redesign was transformative. We overhauled the visual language for accessibility, achieved WCAG 2.0 AA compliance (verified by third-party audit), and introduced interactive features like quizzes and a save-for-later tool. Performance also became a priority: load times dropped from 5–6 seconds in the early site to under 2 seconds. At every stage, I guided usability studies and market research, ensuring the site competed not just with other insurers but with the best digital publications anywhere.
Solution
The result was a sister brand to Guardian that balanced credibility with clarity. The site became a trusted financial wellness hub—rich with tools to demystify disability coverage, life insurance, and planning for the future.
To adapt to changing user behavior, we pioneered shorter, high-engagement formats—like frictionless quizzes tested through live interviews and panels—that kept pace with the rise of TikTok-style content without compromising depth. The platform matured into a responsive, fast, and highly usable experience that not only supported Guardian’s mission but consistently surfaced in competitive benchmarks against top consumer content sites.
Over the program’s lifecycle, I acted as both strategist and steward: keeping the platform fresh, aligning on KPIs with executives, and ensuring Guardian stayed ahead of market and user expectations.
Lessons Learned
0→1 is only the beginning. Launching the MVP validated demand, but the real value came from sustained iteration—treating each redesign as a chance to rethink experience, not just refresh visuals.
Trust beats marketing. Positioning the site as a sister brand required restraint. When content felt like sales copy, engagement dipped. When it felt independent, users leaned in.
Performance is part of UX. Cutting page load times from 6 seconds to under 2 didn’t just check a box—it directly impacted engagement and conversions. Speed builds trust.
Accessibility drives innovation. Designing for WCAG 2.0 AA compliance didn’t limit creativity; it expanded it. Features like frictionless quizzes emerged from thinking inclusively.
C-suite KPIs matter. Framing design and content decisions in terms of business impact (read times, conversions, load speed) kept executive sponsors invested through five years of growth.
More Work
FAQ
01
What types of projects do you take on?
02
Who are your typical clients?
03
How do you add value to digital projects?
04
Can you help with digital transformation?
05
Are your engagements flexible?
06
What’s the best way to start working together?
2016-2021
Living Confidently - From MVP to Market Leader
Product Management
Digital Leadership
Know More
0 to 1 and Beyond: Scaling Guardian’s Financial Wellness Hub
Guardian needed a new way to connect their expertise in financial products—life insurance, annuities, disability benefits—with the real needs of families making decisions about health and money. The typical audience wasn’t the policyholder themselves, but the informed family member (most often a spouse) who managed relationships with insurance providers. Guardian wanted to earn their trust with a resource that felt educational, not promotional.
The problem was, they had no existing platform. They needed a vehicle for thought leadership—articles, tools, calculators—that could grow into a sister brand, credible enough to stand alongside Guardian but approachable enough to serve as a practical guide. Key measures of success would be engagement with content and, critically, clicks to connect with a financial professional.
0%
0%
Increase in itineraries created
From 1 every 4 days to 1 per day per agent
0%
0%
Leads qualified automatically
Freeing agents for high-value client work
0$
0$
Program MVPs
Delivered on time and budget
0%
0%
Fewer Rescheuling Calls
In 12 weeks during the MVP pilot
0+
0+
Questions Answered In App
AI Assitant deflected routine desk asks
0%
0%
Stakeholder In the Know
At every step in the process
Key Success Metrics
✔ 3× increase in average read times on articles
✔ 12× increase in clicks to connect with financial representatives
✔ Site performance improved from 5–6 second load times to <2 seconds
✔ WCAG 2.0 AA accessibility compliance, validated by third-party testing
Approach
I led the program from ideation through five years of growth, working closely with Guardian’s product owners and gaining buy-in from the C-suite as the platform matured. We began with an MVP: a lightweight blog site to test demand. Once traffic and engagement validated the opportunity, we launched a first redesign to expand formats—adding video, podcasts, and infographics.
The second redesign was transformative. We overhauled the visual language for accessibility, achieved WCAG 2.0 AA compliance (verified by third-party audit), and introduced interactive features like quizzes and a save-for-later tool. Performance also became a priority: load times dropped from 5–6 seconds in the early site to under 2 seconds. At every stage, I guided usability studies and market research, ensuring the site competed not just with other insurers but with the best digital publications anywhere.
Solution
The result was a sister brand to Guardian that balanced credibility with clarity. The site became a trusted financial wellness hub—rich with tools to demystify disability coverage, life insurance, and planning for the future.
To adapt to changing user behavior, we pioneered shorter, high-engagement formats—like frictionless quizzes tested through live interviews and panels—that kept pace with the rise of TikTok-style content without compromising depth. The platform matured into a responsive, fast, and highly usable experience that not only supported Guardian’s mission but consistently surfaced in competitive benchmarks against top consumer content sites.
Over the program’s lifecycle, I acted as both strategist and steward: keeping the platform fresh, aligning on KPIs with executives, and ensuring Guardian stayed ahead of market and user expectations.
Lessons Learned
0→1 is only the beginning. Launching the MVP validated demand, but the real value came from sustained iteration—treating each redesign as a chance to rethink experience, not just refresh visuals.
Trust beats marketing. Positioning the site as a sister brand required restraint. When content felt like sales copy, engagement dipped. When it felt independent, users leaned in.
Performance is part of UX. Cutting page load times from 6 seconds to under 2 didn’t just check a box—it directly impacted engagement and conversions. Speed builds trust.
Accessibility drives innovation. Designing for WCAG 2.0 AA compliance didn’t limit creativity; it expanded it. Features like frictionless quizzes emerged from thinking inclusively.
C-suite KPIs matter. Framing design and content decisions in terms of business impact (read times, conversions, load speed) kept executive sponsors invested through five years of growth.
More Work
FAQ
What types of projects do you take on?
Who are your typical clients?
How do you add value to digital projects?
Can you help with digital transformation?
Are your engagements flexible?
What’s the best way to start working together?