Kwanua Robinson is an American Mom on a mission to use exercise, play, music and art to foster healthy development and bring joy to all who encounters her space. She is a Ghanaian woman who immigrated to America at 18 years old to attend college in hopes of achieving the American Dream. Twenty years later, Kwanua is now the owner of Power Play SF and mother of two children.
Power Play SF is a multi-function space focused on providing a creative and healthy environment to ignite creativity and enrich families in the community.
“I call my space a lifestyle brand, an active space for kids and adults to be able to move and experience joy. You have to find a way to play, and I find that using movement, music, and art you can find elements of joy.”
At Power Play SF you will find a variety of activities for adults and children such as; adult workouts, movement and music classes for kids, Moms paint night, and clay modeling night. Kwanua has created community events to raise money for breast cancer, provide a safe trick-or-treating environment with a tricky-tray event, and is finding ways to support low-income mothers with the ability to work-out without the stress and worry of a gym membership.
The inspiration to develop her own fitness space was derived from her love of exercise and desire to work-out in a place of comfortability. “I enjoy the feeling I get when working out. You can put all walks of life in a room and they all are on the same page when working out. They let go of all the “life” stuff. At the end of every session, they are happy and I am happy.”
Managing Work Life Balance
Work life balance is a constant struggle for entrepreneurs. In January of 2019, Kwanua completed her first year of operation and spends 120% of her time on the business. “I keep telling myself it is a start-up and it will get better. I have a lot of mom guilt, but if I can’t set this up right now then I won’t be there for them when they really need me. Kaden lost a tooth and I didn’t know. I come home when he is asleep and he is still asleep when I leave. It’s hard, and there are lots of tears. It comes with a price.” One must be intentional in scheduling time for family when starting a business. “My husband and I made this decision together, so we knew what we were getting into. I’ve got a startup while he is growing in his career. I’m not generating enough cash, but I’m using all of my time, so I have to outsource my time to others. We are working on being more deliberate with our time, like having a lunch date rather than a dinner date.”
Overcoming the Challenges of a Male Dominated Business
As a female in the fitness industry, there is an element of trying to find the balance with male trainers and getting their respect. “I have to give them a seat at the table while simultaneously making it clear that I am in charge, but their input is welcomed. Conversely, I have always had to fight for my seat at the table and find ways to make sure my input mattered. Men seem to find ways to cheat me and take advantage of the way my system operates. I am working on holding them accountable and creating a structure of discipline.”
Creating a Cultural Identity for my Family
As an immigrant, it can be challenging to find balance when creating a cultural identity for your family. “It is important for my children to be proud of being American but also identify with the culture of Ghana. I was raised in Ghana and there are many things that my American born children have that I couldn’t even fathom. They are growing up vastly different than I did in Ghana. They are crafting a culture of their own. I have to bring the Ghanaian culture to them, and I wasn’t always conscious of that. When my mom came to visit once, she brought my son an outfit from Ghana. Kaden said, I don’t want to wear that, I’m not from Ghana, I’m American. In that moment I realized that in order for him to identify, I have to figure out how to incorporate the Ghanaian culture into our daily life. The way that I approach child rearing, meal preparation, principles and morals are the same. So, I made the assumption that the culture was being absorbed but it wasn’t. I am being more deliberate now by sharing stories of my childhood.”
My Hope for my Daughter
Kwanua aims to be the best role model she can for her children. She wants to exemplify that anything is possible through hard-work, determination, and strong work ethic. Her hope for her daughter is “to know that she doesn’t have to be the nurturer or the organizer. I want her to have no fear, pause, or hesitation and to go for whatever she wants.”
Kwanua Robinson is an American Mom that made a decision to follow her passion. She is an example of strength and prowess that is inside of us all.
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