Being the First with Kanoa Greene

“We are all built with and for magic,” says Kanoa Greene, internationally celebrated fitness trainer and outdoor adventurer. As a plus-sized leader and new face of the industry, Kanoa is breaking down barriers and introducing much-needed representation, inclusion and belonging to those spaces. Though she was trained as an opera singer and was a success in the corporate world, Kanoa followed her authentic desire to take up fitness and inspire others by sharing her story. Bringing diversity to every aspect of fitness, she has since worked with several major brands and become the first plus-sized trainer to appear on Good Morning America. 

 

Forging your own path is rarely a linear journey. You will make mistakes and that’s OK. Kanoa relied on a supportive network who believed in her–even when they didn’t understand her mission–until she could empower herself. Now, she works to inspire others to empower themselves in return. 

 

Everyone has a story that the world needs to hear. Kanoa’s story proves that even without a roadmap, by following your own inner voice and overcoming your fears, you can tap into your own unique brand of magic. 

 

Quotes 

• “As fearful as I was in taking those steps, I just continue to do it. I continue to show up for me. And over time I realized I was helping other people. I was helping my mother, I was helping my best friend, I was helping my best friend's mother. It was just all of these little things and then I got to see value in in me, right? Even in the body that I'm in right now, even being on my own journey, I still have sparkle in me that is shining and can help someone else on their journey.” (11:12 | Kanoa)

• “I had to spend time alone just knowing in my heart that I made the right decision and that the right thing is going to come to me. It worked out when I left the music amazingly. So I had to believe that following my gut was the right thing and that the right thing was going to open up.” (15:49 | Kanoa)

• “It’s okay to doubt and it's okay to have a lot of fear and to struggle through it. I mean, I would say it wasn't pretty. People would look at maybe my social media now and just seems like oh, it's all glamorous. But it was not glamorous early on, butI think it was extremely important for me to have the people that truly had my best interest at heart and were going, they were in it. It was like heels in the ground. They were going to help propel me forward with as much love and support as they could until I was ready to fly on my own.”  (20:26 | Kanoa)

• “When you're younger, especially when you're in your teens, there's a lot of insecurity. For me, I never felt like I belonged to my body. Iit felt so awkward and it felt like navigating through life was hard. It was challenging” (37:38 | Kanoa)

• “I felt inside of me that I was made for something bigger. It’s like sometimes you just feel like you are special, but the outside world tells you that maybe you're not and you really don't know where you belong or how it's gonna play out. And you don't have the answers, so you don't know that it is gonna work out. What I would tell myself is that feeling inside of you, it is so valid and it feels big for a reason because it is big. It is bigger than anything anyone could ever imagine for you. And so it's gonna feel awkward because you have this big ball of magic inside of you that is bursting to come out.” (37:57 | Kanoa)

 

Connect with Kanoa Greene:

Find Kanoa on IG: https://www.instagram.com/kanoagreene/

 

Connect With Leslie:

Six Steps to Help Your Teen Cultivate Confidence: https://www.confidencecoachforgirls.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_coach_chronicles/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachChronicles/

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