Finding Her Voice: How Kimberly Cano Is Turning Experience into Empowerment
Photography by @mova.masha
From Environmental Talks to Empowering Lives
Photography by @mova.masha
For Kimberly Cano, the stage wasn’t part of the original plan — it was an unexpected calling. Long before she became a certified life and health coach, bestselling author, and founder of Kawaiola Life Design LLC, Kimberly’s first encounters with public speaking came through something far more practical than personal development: environmental education.
“I was assigned to present at large conferences in hotels,” she recalls. “They were training sessions for corporate employees — teaching them how to properly handle environmental waste and manage sustainable processes.”
Her early talks weren’t about motivation or mindset. They were technical, specific, and high-stakes — delivered to serious audiences like utility companies and electrical contractors across Hawaii. But even then, something clicked. She discovered not just the ability to inform, but to inspire through communication.
“It taught me how to connect,” Kimberly reflects. “When people understand why something matters — whether it’s managing waste responsibly or managing their own growth — they begin to change.”
A Shift from Technical to Transformational
Photography by @mova.masha
Those early experiences built the foundation for a voice that would later evolve into something much more personal — motivational storytelling.
Today, as she prepares to officially launch her public speaking campaign, Kimberly envisions taking the stage not as a lecturer, but as a messenger of resilience, creativity, and reinvention.
Her speaking topics bridge both the entrepreneurial and the emotional — covering subjects like business in real estate, project management, modern publishing, and what she fondly calls “the era of being your authentic self is actually welcomed by the world.” But at the heart of it all lies something deeper: her commitment to helping others uncover strength through storytelling.
“I want to speak about the power of coming back from adversity — about what it means to rebuild your life with purpose,” she says. “Because I’ve lived it.” “You Can’t Keep It Unless You Give It Away.”
Returning to the Place That Changed Her
Photography by @mova.masha
Perhaps the most meaningful chapter in Kimberly’s speaking journey began at a place few would expect — the rehabilitation facility Habilitat, Inc. located in Kaneohe, Hawaii where she once spent three and a half years in treatment as a full-time resident with six months of being trusted to reside off the facility with a relative. It was while living at this relatives house, she witnessed a sad truth, the feeling of failure as a mother. She watched her son, then age seven (7) adopted by a famous surfer, “Clyde Aikau” walk past her window and not know his mother was living in the cottage. This article doesn’t have the room for the tales here!
When she completed her program, she didn’t just walk away — she came back. “I started returning regularly as a public speaker,” she shares. “I wanted to give hope to the people still inside — to show them that healing wasn’t just possible, it was beautiful.”
Her talks there weren’t scripted or polished; they were raw, real, and deeply human. They became a bridge between her past and her purpose. For Kimberly, the power of speaking was never about performance — it was about connection.
Though the pandemic eventually paused those visits, the experience continues to shape her mission today. “I haven’t been back since Covid because of new rules and I sold all our properties in Hawaii this year,” she says, “but Hawaii is my hometown — and that facility — will always have a piece of my heart. It’s where I learned that my story mattered.”
Investing in Her Voice
Photography by @mova.masha
Now, as Kimberly prepares to expand her reach, she’s approaching public speaking with the same dedication she brings to every endeavor — training, refining, and learning.
She’s investing in professional speaker development programs to strengthen her delivery, broaden her impact, and prepare for the national and international stages ahead live and virtually. But her motivation goes beyond personal growth — it’s also deeply tied to her nonprofit mission.
“I want to use my talks to fundraise for my foundation,” she says. “To turn my voice into something that directly supports the causes I believe in — education, empowerment, and uplifting communities impacted by wildfires in Hawaii, Colorado and Los Angeles.”
For Kimberly, every speech is both a performance and a promise: that authenticity and resilience can build bridges where ambition alone cannot.
Speaking with Purpose
Whether she’s addressing corporate professionals about innovation, creatives about courage, or communities about recovery, Kimberly Cano’s message remains consistent — success is not a straight line. You are faced with challenges on the daily and you must live in the present and always put your best foot forward. Always set goals that are scary as that causes significant change.
Her voice carries the wisdom of experience, the discipline of business, and the compassion of someone who’s walked through both chaos and clarity.
“I’ve learned that speaking isn’t about having the perfect story,” she smiles. “It’s about having the courage to tell it — and letting it remind others that they can rise, too.”
As she embarks on this next chapter, Kimberly’s stage is no longer a conference room in Hawaii — it’s the world. And her mission is simple yet profound: to empower others by speaking the truth of her own journey. Please visit her nonprofit where she’s changing lives one youth at a time. The Aloha Jigsaw Foundation, a Hawaii and Colorado 501c3 corporation, serving the youth impacted by wildfires in Hawaii, LA and Colorado. Please check her site for exciting news and events.
📚 Explore her books on Amazon
🌐 Connect at KLifeDesign.com
✨ Discover her universe: WiseMarie.com | AlohaJigsawFoundation.org | WazzCleaning.com | TheWiseLadybug.com
