Sam Howard - Product Management & Creative Operations Executive

About Me

Hi! I’m Sam, a product management and creative operations executive who enjoys removing bottlenecks to progress and is passionate about operations research, innovation, and industrial design.

My 22 years of product management and creative operations experience began as a graphic designer at age 14 due to a chance meeting at an event. I started my first business in the niche of adoption or “Dear Birthmother” brochures. In just a year, I had over 100 completed projects and a profitable business. I built exclusive partnerships with agencies and solid relationships with local print shops.

A dedicated self learner and problem solver, I noticed that software solutions for my needs were exorbitantly expensive yet inadequate. I slowly began developing one of the first dedicated creative operations management software solutions for use in my company. As I decided to step away from day-to-day design work and focus on operations. the company transformed into a creative operations outsourcing firm. It was acquired in 2014.

Multiple successful startup launches (and over $30m in annual revenue) later, here I am – ready to use my entrepreneurial spirit and skills to help your company succeed!

Career Highlights

Accelerated company growth from $70K to $24M gross sales over 5 years at Argeron by revamping the user experience, using cross-functional team project management skills to guide 120+ workers in one of the first distributed creative operations firms

Thrived as the chief representative of the design function within the organization by actively participating in quarterly board meetings, earning a reputation as a visionary and strategic leader

Created and executed strategies to innovate and improve 180+ retail SKUs at craftfinch, using data insights to improve the efficiency of products throughout each iterative development cycle

Preferences

Currently resides in Murrieta, CA

No interest in relocating at this time

Prefers flexible hours

Accustomed to US, UK, Australian, and Chinese time zones

Open to travel starting November 2024

Remote work only, no hybrid/onsite days

Selected Skills

Innovation & Leadership

Operations Management

Process Improvement

Strategic Planning

Creative Visioning

Technology Integration

Operations Research

Team Building

Product Lifecycle Management

Data-Driven Insights

Information Architecture

Industrial Design

Communication

Metrics & KPIs

HTML/CSS

Jira

Budgeting

Vendor Management

Cross-Functional Leadership

Conceptual & System Thinking

User Research

Knowledge Base Management

Trend Assessments

Adobe Creative Suite

Professional Experience

HEAD OF PRODUCT & INNOVATION

craftfinch
August 2021 - Present

Devise and lead strategies to innovate and improve 180+ retail products through investigation and competitive analysis of the product and the product market.

● Designed innovative consumer products that improved aesthetics, quality, and ease of use over current market offerings - including patented product features developed based on market research, rapid prototyping, and testing.

● Reduced total cycle time by 37% over 6 months by establishing key performance indicators aligned with outcome-based goals.

● Expanded domestic and overseas manufacturer partnerships from 9 to 32, increasing product quality by 33% and decreasing time to market by 24%.

● Spearheaded recruitment strategies targeted at developing and training for 5 new key positions.

● Improved overall customer satisfaction 42% by identifying and resolving critical industrial engineering issues.

● Translated product strategy into detailed requirements for prototype/MVP construction and final product development by engineering, design, and UX teams/agencies.

● Minimized development iterations by implementing a bi-monthly process review cycle, saving an average of 15 days per project and accelerating time-to-market.

● Navigated and mitigated the impact of risks, ensuring minimal disruption to operations and business objectives.

● Cultivated a data-driven yet human-centered culture, improving the efficiency of feature deployments after each development cycle.

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER & ADVISOR

The Misfit Advisor
March 2013 - December 2019

Served as a one-on-one operational counsel to 83 underserved local entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations to enhance revenue generation and increase donations for each organization.

● Spearheaded the end-to-end creation of the knowledgebase website and a diverse content repository.

● Conducted quarterly content audits to guarantee precision, with information architecture and database administration skills used to maintain the structured terminology, taxonomy and ontology implementation over time.

● Curated and organized 300+ articles, accompanied by numerous videos and infographics, offering insights into small business and nonprofit procedures for convenient stakeholder access.

● Managed content lifecycle, ensuring seamless updates and alignment with current industry standards.

● Increased client revenue by 64% on average by using communication skills and interpersonal skills to implement targeted marketing and sales strategies.

● Guided multiple startups through market entry, leading to a 12% increase in market share within the first 6 months.

CHIEF DESIGN OFFICER, CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Argeron
March 2010 - December 2014

Launched a creative operations firm with a B2B software solution for creative workflow management. Built and led distributed teams of over 120 people across the organization. Oversaw budgets of up to $24M.

● Accelerated company growth from $70K to $24M gross sales over 5 years by revamping the user experience for businesses and creative professionals.

● Conceived and designed end-to-end ERP SaaS solution from scratch, including building wireframes, user research, UI & UX development, and external workflow models; innovation was recognized across the industry and resulted in company acquisition.

● Fostered a productive strategic partnership with external software developers to program, secure, store, and maintain the platform, ensuring a better learning curve and reduced bloat for end users.

● Cultivated a vibrant community of designers by orchestrating monthly town hall gatherings, providing a platform for collaboration, idea exchange, and mutual support.

● Acted as the chief representative of the design function within the organization by actively participating in quarterly board meetings.

● Launched strategic subsidiaries, including a retail stationery store and a creative department outsourcing unit, as part of the organization's growth and diversification strategy.

PRINCIPAL GRAPHIC DESIGNER

The Brand Agency
May 2005 - December 2009

Created cohesive brand identities and marketing strategies for use in digital and print media.

FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER

May 2001 - May 2005

Spearheaded a creative industry career at age 14 by designing adoption brochures.

Portfolio & Patents

Due to non-disclosure agreements, my portfolio does not exist. My resume contains everything that I can disclose. Feel free to ask me more about my skills directly.

Howard, Samantha P. Two-way Cosmetic Brush Cleaning Jar. March 25, 2023. 63454662 (Provisional).