How this Former NFL Cheerleader, Turned Youngest SVP in a Fortune 500 Company, Turned Serial Entrepreneur

Kelly Roach is a former NFL cheerleader who has transformed into a powerhouse entrepreneur, business mentor, and best-selling author. From her impressive rise as the youngest Senior Vice President in a Fortune 500 company to building a multi-figure empire, Kelly’s journey is one of grit, ambition, and strategic success. 

Now the founder and CEO of Kelly Roach International, Kelly has grown her portfolio to six thriving companies while balancing family life with grace and purpose. In an exclusive interview with PVM Magazine, we uncover the secrets behind her remarkable career and what it takes to achieve business greatness.

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Kelly, you have a remarkable journey from an NFL cheerleader to becoming the youngest SVP at a Fortune 500 company. Can you share how your experiences as a cheerleader influenced your leadership style and approach to business?

Being an NFL cheerleader requires an extraordinary amount of passion, conviction, and discipline. The pay is not high, which means almost everyone works multiple jobs. In my case, I was in school full-time while juggling several other jobs.  

You have to genuinely love what you do and demonstrate great discipline in your preparation and readiness for public appearances and performances. Effective time management is essential for managing your schedule.  

Additionally, strong communication skills are vital, as you’ll interact with everyone from the average Joe to the CEO, and you need to be prepared for those interactions.  

I learned a lot about discipline through this experience, and working for the NFL, which sets extremely high standards, was invaluable. It helped me establish a foundation for long-term success in my career.

Starting in corporate and achieving such a high position at a young age is impressive. What were the key challenges you faced during this phase of your career, and how did you overcome them?

Taking on a high position at a young age, where I was managing people with 15, 20, or even 30 years more experience, presented unique challenges. Sometimes, I was managing individuals who were my parents’ age, and they weren’t always welcoming at first.  

I had to continually prove myself, demonstrating that I could lead maturely and that working for me would positively impact their lives—specifically, that they would earn more and achieve greater success. I embraced this challenge and focused on earning their trust and respect over time. Ultimately, we all thrived because of it.

Your first company achieved seven-figure success while you were still working in the corporate world. How did you manage to balance both roles effectively, and what strategies did you use to ensure the success of both?

Number one, I had worked diligently for nearly ten years to build a strong leadership team in my corporate career. By the time I was ready to start my own business, I had been developing, promoting, and elevating leaders to support me for many years, creating a solid infrastructure for a self-sustaining team.  

Additionally, I had limited time to work on my business, which forced me to focus on the key activities that would truly move the needle. This experience taught me what actions positively impact the growth and success of a business. By honing in on a few core strategies—creating content, booking consultations, serving customers, and building the brand—I was able to achieve success.

Today, your company has grown to over eight figures, and you own six companies. What are some key strategies or principles that have guided your growth and success in managing multiple businesses?

I believe in resilience, discipline, and focus, along with knowing your core values. Setting ambitious goals and committing to learning how to achieve them is crucial. Building winning teams that share the vision and are eager to embark on a great adventure with you is essential, as is maintaining perseverance in the face of the pressure and expectations that come with high-profile recognition.

Your achievements have been highlighted by Forbes and Business Insider. How do you handle the pressure and expectations that come with such high-profile recognition, and what keeps you grounded?

I view every single day as an opportunity to earn success. I never wake up and think, "Oh, I’ve been so successful," or "I am so successful." Instead, I ask myself, "What can I do to share my gifts today?"  

I focus on making a difference and winning the day without getting overwhelmed by future challenges. I concentrate on what I can do in the present to make the most significant impact, consistently putting one foot in front of the other while balancing my career and family. 

Balancing a successful career with family life is no small feat. What strategies do you use to remain fully present for your family while managing a growing business portfolio?

Often, I leave my phone at home when spending time with my family to ensure I can fully concentrate on being present with them. I prioritize the big rocks first. I recognize when important events come up for my family or my daughter, and I treat those as non-negotiable.  

I make it a point to be intentional about spending time with my husband and now, with the significant life change of homeschooling my daughter, it requires a huge amount of time and energy from both of us. This endeavor is my top priority because I have no more valuable and treasured student than my own daughter.

With a goal to build your portfolio to over $100M, what are your next big plans or projects that you’re excited about, and how do you plan to achieve them?

Over the past couple of years, I’ve focused on launching several new companies, bringing my overall portfolio to six. In the next five years, my goal is to execute effectively. I project that it will take us 7 to 10 years to surpass $100 million, but it could happen much sooner.  

The key over the next couple of years will be to stay focused, continue developing and elevating strong leadership, and keep our North Star at the forefront, avoiding distractions. It’s essential to follow through until completion.

Looking back on your journey, what would you say was the most pivotal moment in your career, and what lessons did you learn from it that continue to influence your work today?

I believe creating The Live Launch was the most pivotal event in my career, as it catapulted us into a major role in the online coaching space. This innovation helped us grow from seven to eight figures and enabled us to assist many clients in achieving their own six and seven-figure successes.  

This moment was significant for me, particularly because it emerged from some of my biggest failures. I struggled with launching and faced challenges with existing methodologies that weren’t delivering the results I wanted. I realized it was time to break away from the pack, trust my intuition, and develop my own approach.  

Coincidentally, this shift aligned with the emergence of live streaming, which proved to be very beneficial. Out of the stress, struggle, and failures came the most pivotal intellectual property methodology that has brought me to where I am today. I am confident it will play a major role in helping us reach the $100 million mark and beyond.

You’ve transitioned from a corporate executive to a serial entrepreneur. How do you maintain your competitive edge and stay motivated in the ever-evolving business landscape?

I believe the key is to stay curious and excited about pursuing new challenges. It’s about learning, growing, and maintaining focus. This journey is a long one; it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Keeping this perspective in mind is essential for sustaining success in the long term.

In your opinion, what are the most important qualities for a successful entrepreneur, and how do you cultivate these qualities in yourself and others?

The most important qualities of a successful entrepreneur include self-leadership—having the ability to take initiative without seeking permission or needing someone else to dictate what you can or can't do.  

Resilience is also crucial, as you will face numerous failures along the way. Additionally, humility is important; you must be willing to do whatever it takes, even if that means stepping outside your comfort zone or doing things that look different from what you might have envisioned.

You’ve built a reputation for being a top podcaster and best-selling author. How have these platforms contributed to your overall business success, and what message do you hope to convey through them?

They’ve absolutely contributed to my success. Long-form content has been the foundation of my career, from live launching to podcasting, live streaming, and writing books. Deep dive, long-form content is essential for establishing yourself as a thought leader and gaining the trust of your audience as an authority. 

This trust makes people more willing to invest significantly in working with you. All of these elements have played a major role in my success, and I highly recommend them to anyone serious about claiming category leadership in their space.

Finally, for those who are inspired by your story and aspire to follow a similar path, what piece of advice would you give them as they embark on their own entrepreneurial journey?

My advice is to pursue a path that is unique to you. Build your faith, identify your mission, and treat it as a lifelong journey. If it’s you against you, you have the opportunity—and the invitation—every single day to be a little better than you were yesterday by taking what you’ve learned and applying it. I always say that big dreams come down to small actions taken with intention and executed with great love.