Product Management

One of the roles I had during my corporate life was that of a Product Marketing Manager. In this role I was responsible for a range of products ‘from cradle to grave’. It was my task to plan every aspect of the product’s existence from the original definition of form and functionality through to sales forecasting, pricing, service and repair and even market withdrawal. Always the hope was to anticipate the need of the market and to match the product such that it would enjoy ready market acceptance and achieve maximum profits. My business plans would forecast the costs of development, the cost of sales, sales volumes and so the net profit of the venture over its lifetime. Our CEO expected us to be God to our products, to know everything about them and the market into which they were to be introduced, to bestow their personality and the seductive appeal of their form. We were product champions.

After several years away from the corporate business environment I reflect on the experience with mixed emotions. The work was wide ranging, engaging, very demanding and hugely enjoyable. At the top of my game I felt empowered, driven, fiercely competitive and highly protective. I was able to convey my dreams and wishes to the teams of professionals that would implement the design and bring it to market. In every case our joint creation matched or exceeded my original concept. Along the way however I became so focused on the company’s product creation that I neglected my own. I saw little of my young family, when I did I was impatient and demanding so that, after several years, my wife eventually threw in the towel. Our divorce was the most painful experience of my life.

My current work as a Health Coach is a lot more rewarding and I know that everything that has gone before has prepared me for the task in hand. I see my new role as a catalyst, helping clients to shift perspective and to achieve the health outcomes that they desire. Like me, many of them have become derailed by life events. It is my pleasure, challenge and privilege to get them back on track and to walk their journey with them. Of necessity the work is holistic rather than medical. No tablet can mend a broken heart. No drink can restore healthy self esteem. So often it is these deeper issues which need healing before an individual can set about picking up the pieces. Perhaps that’s where the ultimate product manager can help.

In the beginning there was God. There was perfection of creation. There still is, though it has become more difficult to see. We bring our imaginings into being but allow them to be directed by others.  Our minds are filled with dreams of someone else’s making. Our workplaces are often unnecessarily stressful. We live in fear of dismissal, reduced hours, ‘downsizing’, loss of income and inability to service mortgages or debts that we took out in better times. To ensure our survival we’re driven to become more competitive. In that place it’s difficult for anyone to ‘think big thoughts’.

Today’s Product Manager role is for everyone. Every individual has the right to bring themselves to fruition, to define their own lives, to live in freedom. I’ve come to understand that the closer we keep to the evolutionary blueprint the healthier we become. With proper nutrition for both mind and body we have all we need to grow healthy. I can now convey my dreams and wishes for good health to a highly professional subconscious knowing that my body has the necessary raw materials to achieve all of which I’m capable. The market opportunity is immense. There’s never been a greater need for healthy living and the only profits sought are that, when our product is withdrawn from the market, we leave it better than we found it. How will you manage your finest product?