Allison Roger

The reconnect roadshow took a turn down referral way recently when Megan Averell suggested that I catch up with creative director and brand storyteller Allison Roger. Allison is a kindred spirit on a similar career journey at the moment. During our conversation at Cafe Umbria in Pioneer Square, there was a lot of head nodding and “I know, right?”.

Allison spent six years in-house at Converse, then jumped out west (on her own, mind you) to try agency life at Tether Inc. in Seattle. She than got recruited by Hornall Anderson to lead their brand writing discipline, which later became Sid Lee. Allison articulates brand storytelling like few I’ve seen. She’s clearly vital on any brand team and a star in any client meeting. She is also a kind and generous soul, which you immediately get when talking with her.

A few quick takeaways from our all-too-brief chat;

1) Be ready for anything. Allison’s career got started when she was working in a coffee shop in a small Massachusetts town and struck up conversation with one of the customers. He eventually said, “What are you doing here?” and handed her his card. He was the CMO of Converse.

2) Process is paramount. Creative work is collaborative and so much of it, especially when everyone is working remotely, is dependent on good process to help people feel connected and create a culture of trust and belonging.

3) The world needs more women CDs. The scales are still tipped too far toward men in the creative industry, particularly in leadership. Women’s voices and creative talents are vital in broadening the exploration of ideas, the expression of those ideas, and connecting with a larger audience.

Our coffee-fueled conversation was just an hour, but it felt like the prelude to many more. Allison is a gem and a prodigious creative talent. Can’t wait to catch up with her soon. Thank you Allison!

#branding #brandstorytelling #creativedirection#womeninleadership #thankyou