Keely Roberts doesn’t wait to feel motivated. She relies on discipline and on keeping the promises she makes to herself, a mindset that has carried her from coaching gymnastics and working in healthcare to her role as an Account Executive at John Edwards Inc.
Keely was born in Vietnam and grew up in Illinois, and being adopted has been part of her story throughout her life. She has never seen it as something that held her back. If anything, she’s grateful for the opportunities it brought her, and it shaped a belief she carries today: where you come from doesn’t have to determine where you’re going.
Learning to Lead Before Sales
Some of the most important people in Keely’s life were her gymnastics and tumbling coaches, a married couple who both worked full-time jobs and still poured themselves into coaching. They taught her discipline and commitment and showed her the fulfillment of watching others grow. Keely went on to coach gymnastics and tumbling herself for about four years, learning how to develop people and hold them accountable as part of a team.
After high school, she studied nursing while working on a dementia and Alzheimer’s unit at a nursing home. That work taught her compassion and how short life can be, and it made her want to live fully and work hard. It also taught her that you never really know what someone else is carrying, a lesson she brings into every conversation today.
Finding John Edwards Inc
Eventually, Keely realized she wanted something completely different. A friend told her she’d be great in sales because she was social, hardworking, and loved working with people, and John Edwards Inc was the first company she interviewed with. She joined our team in July 2026. She calls it a bit of luck, but she believes things happen for her, not to her, and the longer she’s here, the more she sees it was exactly what she needed.
Her growth came quickly. Keely was promoted within her first week, and since then she has kept raising her sales performance while taking on more responsibility, from sitting in on interviews to help build her future team to training and developing new team members.
“I’ve never been part of a company where I felt like my age or how long I’ve been there limited how quickly I could grow.”
Growing Through the Hard Days
Not every day has been a win. Early on, Keely had a day where nothing went right. Her mentality was shot, but she went back out for another hour because she had promised herself she would keep going. She still finished with zero sales. It hit her harder than expected and showed her how much she truly cared. Now she treats setbacks as lessons, and she wants to be there for teammates on their own tough days because she’s been there.
That persistence paid off. Keely recently set a personal record of 60 sales in one week, the current record for her position in our office. For her, the number matters less than what it represents: consistency, discipline, and proof that she can accomplish what she commits to.
What She Values Most
Hard work is one of Keely’s core values, alongside her faith, and she has found it throughout our team. She loves being surrounded by ambitious, like-minded people who want to see each other succeed. To her, that’s what keeps the competition here healthy. When one person wins, it doesn’t take anything away from anyone else. It raises the standard for everyone.
“You can compete with the people around you while still wanting them to win.”
Working here has also made Keely more intentional about the person she wants to become, not just the position she wants to hold. She reads personal development books, listens to podcasts, and keeps a structured routine built around eating well and working out. As a leader, she follows her coaches’ example and starts with one simple question: “How can I help?” When she helps someone else improve, she improves too.
Looking Ahead
Keely is working toward Assistant Manager by early 2027 and Marketing Manager by the end of that year. Long term, she plans to open her own market outside of Illinois and build a social media presence alongside her career. It fits someone her coworkers describe as a workaholic, goal-driven, and stylish.
Her advice to anyone considering John Edwards Inc is straightforward: “If you’re willing to work hard, you can be successful.” Be coachable, stay competitive, and keep going when things get difficult, and you can create a lot of opportunity for yourself.
Keely’s story shows what’s possible when discipline meets opportunity. If you’re ready to see what your own work ethic can build, explore open roles with our team today!
