Empowerment or Nothing

Etienne Asselin -  Frustrated to Serve

In this episode, I sit down with Coach, Educator and Founder of The Exercise Mechanic, Etienne Asselin.   Etienne is a bi-lingual personal trainer and educator with 15+ years of experience based in Geneva, Switzerland. He offers in-person, online, and hybrid exercise solutions for both sensitized populations and athletes alike. He believes in taking a collaborative approach to coaching that prioritizes mutual understanding, compassion and sustainability.

As an educator, he believes his primary responsibility is to cultivate the minds of his students with their long-term development in mind. For this reason all of the courses through The Exercise Mechanic prioritize critical thinking and learning the "why" behind the "what and the how". His goal is to elevate the standard of care in the fitness industry by fostering a clinical understanding of personal training, one trainer at a time.

There were a lot of great takeaways from our conversation. Below I have listed my top 10, but I encourage you to listen to the podcast to get the full scope of our conversation.

10 Key Takeaways from Empowerment or Nothing

Frustration as Fuel for Growth

Etienne shared how his early frustration with feeling unable to adequately help clients became his primary driver for education. Rather than giving up, he channeled this feeling into relentless learning, viewing each client challenge as an opportunity to expand his knowledge base and capabilities.

Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge Creates Breakthroughs

One of Etienne's most compelling insights was how he found profound connections between seemingly unrelated fields, such as fear conditioning research and pain science. This cross-pollination of knowledge has allowed him to develop unique approaches that wouldn't be possible through traditional, siloed learning.

Invest Disproportionately in Initial Consultations

Etienne allocates 2.5 hours for initial consultations, recognizing that this front-loaded investment pays dividends throughout the coaching relationship. This depth allows him to understand not just physical needs but the person's complete context before designing interventions.

Recognize the Healthcare Impact of Coaching

"The fitness industry is a healthcare powerhouse," Etienne emphasized, noting that coaches often see clients more frequently and build deeper relationships than traditional healthcare providers. This positioning creates both responsibility and opportunity for coaches to influence overall wellbeing.

Be Transparent About Not Having All the Answers

Etienne explicitly tells clients, "I'm making this up as much as you are," acknowledging the inherent uncertainty in any coaching process. This honesty builds trust and positions the relationship as a collaborative journey rather than a hierarchical one.

Know Your Service Capacity Limits

Understanding his threshold of 20-25 online clients allows Etienne to maintain service quality. He's clear that exceeding this would compromise the attention and care each client deserves, highlighting the importance of quality over quantity.

Maintain Some In-Person Coaching

Despite the convenience and scalability of online coaching, Etienne maintains in-person work because it sharpens his coaching eye and deepens his understanding of movement nuances that translate to his remote work.

Lead With Empathy Through Personal Struggle

Etienne shared how he works to see himself in each client, acknowledging that everyone's struggles deserve respect. By recognizing that his own challenges might seem trivial to others, he creates a judgment-free environment for clients to work through their difficulties.

Build Through Relationships, Not Marketing

Etienne's business growth has come primarily through referrals and relationships rather than aggressive marketing tactics. This organic approach has created sustainable growth built on genuine impact rather than persuasive sales techniques.

Embrace the Nuance

Perhaps most importantly, Etienne recalled his mentor's advice: "If you're not comfortable with nuance, you're in the wrong profession." This acceptance that coaching rarely offers black-and-white solutions has allowed him to develop more sophisticated, individualized approaches to helping clients.

These insights from Etienne demonstrate that exceptional coaching transcends technical knowledge or business acumen. At its core, transformative coaching emerges from a genuine desire to serve, a willingness to continually evolve, and the humility to collaborate rather than dictate. As you implement these principles in your own practice, remember that the journey of becoming a truly impactful coach is ongoing—each client interaction offering new opportunities to refine both your methods and your mindset. The most powerful question we can continually ask ourselves as coaches isn't "How can I grow my business?" but rather, "How can I better serve the person in front of me?"

Find Etienne:

Website - www.theexercisemechanic.com

Instagram - @easselin_official @theexercisemechanic

Find the podcast:

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