Kelly Roach is one of the only female founders in the online space to build her company from 0 to 8 figures with 0 debt, investors, or outside funding. Kelly is a former NFL cheerleader and Fortune 500 executive turned 8-figure+ entrepreneur empowering thousands around the globe to achieve financial and lifestyle freedom through entrepreneurship.
Kelly is a multi-international best-selling author, Top 20 podcast host, and philanthropist who has been featured in major media such as ABC, NBC, Fox, and Forbes – as well as the recipient of prestigious awards such as #287 on the Inc. 5000 list, The Stevie® Awards Woman of the Year, TITAN CEO of the Year, and Inc.’s Best in Business.
Company: Kelly Roach International
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company
Kelly Roach: I spent several years working in a Fortune 500 company, where I was promoted seven times in eight years and became the youngest senior vice president in the organization, managing a team of 100 people across 17 locations. I absolutely loved the work—I thrived on teaching, coaching, and training others, as well as the sales, growth, and business management aspects. However, I realized that the work itself didn’t truly fulfill my desire to make a meaningful impact in the world. I yearned for more hands-on, direct engagement with people and wanted to leverage my business knowledge for a greater good.
This realization prompted me to take the expertise I gained in corporate settings and teach it to others. My goal was to help them blend billion-dollar corporate strategies with innovative internet marketing techniques, enabling them to scale their businesses. I wanted to share my story of overcoming challenges during my own journey, illustrating how these combined strategies could create transformative opportunities for others.
How has your approach to leadership evolved to meet the changing expectations of today’s workforce, especially regarding remote and hybrid work?
Kelly Roach: I’ve been managing remote teams for almost 20 years, both in the Fortune 500 space and now within my own companies. Leading remotely for so long has taught me the importance of intentionally building a strong team culture. Unlike in traditional offices, remote teams miss out on casual interactions—like chats by the coffee machine or lunch breaks—where people naturally get to know one another.
To bridge that gap, it’s essential to create deliberate opportunities for connection. Scheduling co-working sessions, collaborative brainstorming, and team projects helps team members build relationships. It’s also important to integrate remote team members into any in-person events to strengthen bonds and keep them feeling connected. Above all, it’s crucial to make time to engage personally with those who report to you, beyond just task-focused meetings. Without in-person interactions, it’s easy to miss out on building real relationships, so being intentional about this is key.
What specific strategies have you implemented to foster Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within your organization?
Kelly Roach: Regarding workplace diversity, I believe it’s about creating an environment where every voice is heard, every idea is valued, and diversity is seen as a core strength. This approach has served us well, contributing to a richly diverse team and client base.
How do you keep your team engaged and motivated in a workplace culture that increasingly values flexibility and work-life balance?
Kelly Roach: We keep our team focused on both their personal and professional goals. For example, next week, we’re having everyone come together on Zoom to share their dream boards and their top three personal goals for the upcoming year. This process builds a strong connection between the company’s goals and each team member’s personal and professional aspirations, ensuring they can see a clear path to achieving what matters most to them. When you’re flexible with employees, they tend to be flexible in return. We work hard and put in a lot of hours—our industries are demanding—but because people give so much of themselves, they also enjoy a high degree of autonomy.
What do you see as the biggest challenges in preparing for the future workforce, and how are you addressing them?
Kelly Roach: The speed of change will likely be the biggest challenge for small businesses in the coming years. Building a highly agile workforce and having team members who are comfortable with rapid change will be essential for gaining a competitive advantage.
How has the shift toward digital and remote collaboration affected your company culture, and what adjustments have you made to maintain a strong, cohesive team?
Kelly Roach: Looking ahead, AI will play an increasingly important role in our daily operations. The challenge lies in finding the right balance between human interaction and digital automation. Many rush to over-digitize areas that still need a human touch, while in other cases, they could benefit from automating repetitive tasks. The key will be finding a harmonious blend where technology supports human engagement, rather than replacing it.