Building brands at breakneck speed (and knowing when to pause): Alan Roll, LinkedIn

Alan Roll has built a career across culture-defining brands, high-growth tech, and deliberate time away. In this episode of Changemakers, he joins host Dave to reflect on a journey that began with fine arts and filmmaking at Washington University in St. Louis, and led to creative leadership roles at Gap, MTV, Interbrand, LendingClub, Opendoor, Airtable, and Deel.  Now Senior Creative Director of Brand at LinkedIn, Alan has a strong track record of building up brands from the agency side, from the inside, and at breakneck speed. And he’s learned that sometimes, stepping away matters as much as pushing on. In this episode, he unpacks: The creative edge: Why judgment, taste, and courage will always outlast technical skill. Agency vs. in-house: Eight years at Interbrand, then brand turnarounds from the inside - what each experience taught him, and how that experience compounded Creating at speed: What hyper-growth at Airtable and Deel really demands of a creative leader. The case for taking a break: Why intentional sabbaticals aren't a career pause, but a career move. Starting out now: How to build a creative career when the old playbook no longer applies. Whether you’re starting out in your creative career or ten years in, this is one to make time for. Listen today🎧  Timestamps 00:00 - Introductions 01:47 - Forging a self-taught path in fine arts and motion design at WashU 05:34 - Dynamic in-store media at Gap during the Mickey Drexler era 10:17 - Run-and-gun filmmaking, 9/11, and production detours 12:30 - Systems, technology, and early dual-screen experiences 15:30 - Interbrand: An 8-year masterclass in strategy, identity, and UX 21:24 - Embedded teams and LendingClub's post-IPO turnaround 27:15 - The art vs. science of team building 34:36 - Using sabbaticals to unpack lessons and avoid burnout 40:18 - What really makes a great creative 45:30 - Creative entrepreneurship, multi-threaded paths, and networking Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics 👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration And finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it! ✌️