About
Hi, I'm Mel.
I'm a neuroscience-informed product growth strategist, content designer, and the founder of Product Charm.
I help growth-stage health, wellness, fitness, and wearables companies solve the retention problem most teams don't realize they have.
Why I do this work
Dropout and churn are the same problem.
Before my product career, I was an ACE certified personal trainer, working one-on-one with people trying to build habits that actually stuck. I spent 12+ years after that working across content, product, research, and growth, including time at Meta, Intuit, and various startups.
In both worlds, I kept seeing the same pattern. People would start something, feel the early momentum, and then quietly disappear before the results ever showed up. In fitness, we called it dropout. In product, we call it churn. The mechanism is identical.
That parallel never left me. When I moved into product full-time, I kept running into teams building genuinely good products and still losing users before those users ever experienced the value. The missing piece wasn't better features or more onboarding steps. It was an understanding of how the brain actually processes change, builds habits, and decides whether to stay or go.
That's what I bring to every engagement. Not just product and content strategy, but the neuroscience behind why users behave the way they do and how to design for it.
Grounded in behavioral science
This isn't background reading. It's the foundation.
I'm currently completing a postgraduate certificate in the Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health.
I apply what I'm learning directly to product strategy, specifically around cognitive load, habit formation, motivation, and the stress responses that drive disengagement. The result is a consulting approach that connects the decisions your team makes about onboarding and content to the way the human brain actually works.
I'm not interested in manipulative engagement tactics or dark patterns.
I care about retention that's earned, sustainable, and grounded in genuine user value. The neuroscience of habit formation is powerful. It should be used to help users succeed, not to trap them.
What I've built
Everything sits at the intersection of behavioral science, human resilience, and practical application.
Podcaster
Exploring the intersection of behavior, resilience, and identity
Audiobook narrator
Lending voice to stories and ideas that matter
Author
Upcoming book on burnout and resilience, InterVarsity Press, 2027
App builder
Apps that apply neuroscience to personal growth and emotional wellbeing
Work with me
Two focused engagements.
The CHARM Adoption Audit
For product and growth teams who suspect retention is suffering but aren't sure where adoption is breaking down. You walk away with a scored CHARM assessment, prioritized findings, and a clear path forward.
Learn moreResilient Product Growth Strategy
For product and growth leaders at Series A/B companies. We identify the behavioral and psychological friction driving churn, then build the onboarding, messaging, and lifecycle experiences that move users toward habits that stick.
Learn more