We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melissa Moore. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melissa below.
: Hi Melissa, so excited to have you with us today and we are really interested in hearing your thoughts about how folks can develop their empathy? In our experience, most folks want to be empathic towards others, but in a world where we are often only surrounded by people who are very similar to us, it can sometimes be a challenge to develop empathy for others who might not be as similar to us. Any thoughts or advice?
I feel very fortunate to have worked with a diverse population which has definitely grown my empathy. I’ve worked at a YMCA in Minneapolis for over a decade that has a variety of diversity from age to culture to race to religion to ethnicity, and on and on. I believe it’s true that the more you get to know someone, the more you understand them, and out of that comes empathy. At least that has been true in my life.
I was raised in a small town in Wisconsin, but now I live and work in Minneapolis. Those are two very different environments, but I am grateful to have experienced both as it gives me a bigger perspective on the world and people’s life experiences. It has opened my eyes that not everyone has had the same path or experience as me. That sounds kind of obvious to say, but I think a lot of us just have the assumption that if this was my experience then everyone must have a similar experience. Being close to people who are different from me has been one of the best things that has happened to me. I have learned from them and have grown in empathy because of it, and also have been blessed with some wonderful friendships and a beautiful community. It’s helped me to start see some of my own biases and judgements and work at correcting them.
I’ve also found it helpful to listen to many different voices. I’ve learned to diversify the books I’m reading, podcasts I’m listening to, and people I’m following on Instagram. This has definitely helped to increase my empathy because I’m once again hearing from people who have had different experiences than me. It opens my eyes to different perspectives I’ve never thought of. It doesn’t mean I agree with everything I hear or everyone I follow, but it does give me empathy to understand where they are coming from and why they might have a certain viewpoint.
I would encourage people to be open and curious as they meet new people. That’s one thing that I’ve learned and try to do. The world is diverse and beautiful, and the more we can learn from each other, the safer we will be and the more empathy our world will have.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’ve been a Certified Personal Trainer for over 10 years now, and I love it! My clients are the best part of my job and why I’ve stayed in this career. I enjoy getting to know them and understanding their goals to help them achieve them. We just celebrated the 3 year anniversary of Moore Fit. Moore Fit is a personal training business dedicated to cultivating a welcoming space where you become empowered to achieve your goals and have fun along the way. I am passionate about building relationships with my clients and seeing them succeed in developing holistic health habits that bring them freedom and joy.
I offer personal training, buddy training, and small group training packages with virtual or in-person options as well as individualized monthly workout programs. I also do challenges a few times a year for extra accountability. These include the Holiday Challenge, Spring into Summer Challenge, 10 Day Summer Reset, and our most recent: Transform 30 where we are taking 30 days to focus on transforming our habits.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I really do believe my empathy has helped me as a trainer because it has helped me to connect with so many people in a genuine way. Being open to new people and listening without judgement really helps with this.
I also believe being organized as a trainer is very important! You want to make sure you’re there for your clients at each appointment as you expect them to be, so keeping track of all the appointments can be a challenge but is necessary. Along with the appointment time, you need to stay on top of writing the workouts for each session, so organization is a must. I make sure to update all my appointments in my calendar and check the night before to make sure I have all those workouts written so I’m ready to give my client a great session.
Lastly, I would say a willingness to learn and grow. There is always more to learn in the field of fitness. It takes humility to admit you don’t know it all and that’s okay! That’s how we learn as trainers and get better. Looking for people to learn from and having the flexibility to change and grow as a trainer is important.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client is someone who is ready to make a change. They may not know what that change is – that’s what I can help with – but they know they’re ready for something different and ready to make that a priority. I think it can be hard for us to prioritize our health and fitness. There are so many other things to focus on. There are so many other things that need our time and attention. Working out is tough! It’s not always fun and sometimes it seems like sitting on couch is all we have energy for. However, the more we can make small changes little by little that prioritize our health, we will see differences. It takes commitment but working with a trainer can help with that. I hear from people all the time that they wouldn’t have shown up to a workout if they didn’t have a session or class. I get that – it really does help to have extra accountability. So I can help with that and help with a plan if the client is ready to commit and prioritize their health. If that sounds like you, I’d love to work with you!
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