Kelly Roach Of Kelly Roach International On How We Can Increase Women’s Engagement in Leadership and Management
An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Showcase women who are making a powerful impact and creating pathways for others by “sending the elevator back down” to invite the next generation into leadership.
Despite strides towards equality, women remain underrepresented in leadership and management roles across various sectors. In this series, we would like to discuss the barriers to female advancement in these areas and explore actionable strategies for change. We are talking with accomplished women leaders, executives, and pioneers who have navigated these challenges successfully, to hear their experiences, tactics, and advice to inspire and guide the next generation of women toward achieving their full potential in leadership and management roles. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Kelly Roach.
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.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
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.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I would say the biggest thing was that the greatest success that we’ve had was developing the Live Launch Method, which is now a registered trademark methodology.
We have talked to over 100,000 people around the world. It was created out of frustration and failed launches and lots of struggle and really became the turning point for the business because I realized I just needed to kind of find my own way, create my own way.
And out of that, the Live Launch was born, which not only took our company to over eight figures, but it also allowed us to help so many other people around the globe to have these unbelievable levels of success.
So I just think it’s such a testament to when you are having a struggle or when you have a frustration many times you’re being called forward to also find a solution to it.
That’s where the magic lies sometimes — trusting yourself and finding your own way.
Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that significantly influenced your path to leadership?
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.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
The person I’m most grateful to in my business journey is definitely my mentor, Dave.
He taught me everything I know about business.
He was my manager, my leadership, and my corporate career for over a decade.
And I really owe him the world.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
One book I revisit every year is Think and Grow Rich. Each time I read it, I gain new insights that resonate with my journey. It truly helps me understand the immense opportunities that arise when you take ownership of your life. The lessons within the pages inspire me to embrace my potential and seize the possibilities that come with personal responsibility.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
Be the best that you can be in everything that you do.
Every day is a blessing and it’s an opportunity to begin again and to be a better version of yourself.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
The work that we do makes an impact in the world with literally every single person that we impact because lives get changed when successful businesses are built and people get to be home and present with their families.
They get to travel the world, they get to get out of debt, they get to give back to their families, and they get to make a difference in their community.
So that’s directly every day, but indirectly, we’ve been able to build a well in Malawi, we’ve been able to fund water projects in Nepal.
We’ve been able to give to all different charities and we’ll continue to do that.
So that’s an amazing opportunity.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this report, only about 31.7% of top executive positions across industries are held by women. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from leadership and management?
I don’t think there’s anything holding women back from leadership in management. I stepped into an executive role very early in my career and have helped many other women achieve similar goals. Across my companies, I have a strong presence of female leaders, along with many women on paths to continue advancing.
As more women see others stepping up as role models and leaders, I believe even more will feel inspired to follow that path. At this point, I don’t see anything standing in our way. My best advice is to fully seize this moment — it’s a unique opportunity to stand out and make an impact.
This might be intuitive to you but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become leaders and managers?
I believe that when you pursue success in a one-dimensional way — only focusing on your career or job — you often end up not truly fulfilled. When you step into management and leadership, helping others achieve success brings a high level of fulfillment and a sense of contribution to the world. I think that focusing on something bigger than yourself has a positive impact on your long-term job satisfaction.
Can you please share “5 Things We Need To Increase Women’s Engagement in Leadership and Management?”
1. Showcase women who are making a powerful impact and creating pathways for others by “sending the elevator back down” to invite the next generation into leadership.
2. Shape a work environment that accommodates the dynamic roles of women as wives, mothers, and leaders, providing the flexibility they need to truly thrive.
3. Make more opportunities visible for women leaders to secure funding, access grants, and be featured as speakers at prominent events.
4. Address male-dominated event lineups by ensuring women are included as keynote speakers and panelists at major gatherings.
5. Elevate women in these ways to not only highlight their achievements but also inspire others to see themselves in leadership roles and reach for similar successes.
In your opinion, what systemic changes are needed to facilitate more equitable access for women to leadership roles?
Because, in my experience, I’ve personally seen equity in action. I had a male mentor who created opportunities for both male and female leaders to rise. Throughout my career, I’ve committed myself to doing the same — opening doors for all emerging leaders, regardless of gender. I believe the time is now, the opportunities are there, and it’s up to us to seize them.
What strategies have you found most effective in mentoring and supporting other women to pursue leadership positions?
I’ve been incredibly blessed to coach, develop, and mentor hundreds of women over my career, promoting many, leading many, and supporting their journey into leadership roles. For me, it’s all about recognizing talent early, casting a vision for what’s possible, and dedicating the time to invest in their growth — helping them build both the skill set and mindset they need to reach their fullest potential.
How would you advise a woman leader about how to navigate the challenges of being a woman in a leadership role within a male-dominated industry?
My biggest piece of advice is to maximize it because it means that you can stand out more.
How do you balance the demand for authoritative leadership with the stereotypical expectations of female behavior in professional settings?
I believe that every leader must develop their own unique style and approach to interacting with the market and leading their team. No two leaders possess the same persona. The key is to grow into a leader who is authentic to their own style while also being effective in how they deliver their message and lead their team.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Kairos is something brand new that I consider a movement that I launched in 2023.
It’s really about helping business leaders to build faith-filled multimillion-dollar companies that allow them to put their families first. It’s really about building capacity shifting, identity, up leveling strategy so that leaders of today and tomorrow can truly have it all.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Website: https://kellyroachinternational.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyroachofficial/?hl=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyroachint/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelly.roach.520
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/kellyroach
Twitter: https://x.com/kellyroachlive?s=20
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kelly-roach-show/id1052353755
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.
Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and X and of course on her website VanessaOgle.
Kelly Roach Of Kelly Roach International On How We Can Increase Women’s Engagement in Leadership… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.