By Jean Paul Desrosiers Jr., Co-Founder of EQwell

My experience in the United States Marine Corps laid the foundation for what would eventually become EQwell’s approach to corporate wellness. While my journey later included endurance athletics and building successful fitness businesses, the core principles that guide our work today were first forged during my military service. The principles I learned helped me soar beyond limitations, and today they elevate our clients’ wellness programs to new heights through personalization and accountability.

The Challenge HR Leaders Face Today

When my co-founder approached me about developing a new wellness solution, we identified a critical gap in the market. Traditional programs focus almost exclusively on access rather than engagement. They provide resources without driving utilization. The result? Participation rates hover around 30%, behavior change is minimal, and ROI remains elusive.

This reminded me immediately of a fundamental Marine Corps truth:

Having equipment is not the same as knowing how to use it effectively.

In the military, we never confused access with engagement – a distinction that’s often overlooked in corporate wellness.

Marine Lesson One: The Power of Personalization

In the Marines, training officers quickly identify each recruit’s strengths and weaknesses. Some excel at marksmanship but struggle with endurance. Others demonstrate leadership potential but need technical skill development. The Corps doesn’t waste resources trying to make everyone identical. Instead, it targets interventions precisely where they’re needed.

This personalized approach became a cornerstone of my later work as a fitness entrepreneur and eventually EQwell’s first foundational principle.

Key Insight for HR Leaders: Effective wellness programs must begin with comprehensive assessment across multiple dimensions. At EQwell, we evaluate six domains of well-being: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, occupational, and spiritual.

This approach allows HR leaders to:

• Identify organization-wide patterns and risks
• Develop targeted interventions for specific employee segments
• Allocate resources more efficiently
• Address the root causes of disengagement and burnout

Marine Lesson Two: The Necessity of Accountability

In the Marines, no one trains alone. Performance expectations are clear, progress is monitored, and support systems activate when someone falters.

This wasn’t just about authority figures enforcing standards – it was about creating a culture where everyone was responsible for each other’s success. During difficult training exercises, we learned that collective accountability drove individual performance far more effectively than isolated personal motivation.

I carried this lesson through my later athletic pursuits and coaching career, but its origins were clearly in those formative Marine years.

Key Insight for HR Leaders: Access to wellness resources without accountability structures virtually guarantees low participation.

To drive engagement, HR leaders should implement:

• Live accountability support that provides regular check-ins
• Goal-setting frameworks with clear metrics
• Team-based challenges that foster peer support
• Recognition systems that celebrate progress
• Data tracking that demonstrates program impact

Marine Lesson Three: Strategic Intensity

In Marine training, we operated with a deliberate balance of challenge and support – pushing individuals beyond their current capabilities while providing the structure needed to prevent failure. This balance maximizes growth while minimizing dropout rates.

My later experiences in extreme athletic competitions like the Marathon des Sables reinforced this principle. Growth happens when we step beyond comfort zones but with sufficient support to prevent disengagement.

Key Insight for HR Leaders: Effective wellness programs create appropriately calibrated challenges for each participant, coupled with support systems that prevent failure. When employees remain in their comfort zones, behavior change is minimal. When pushed too far, they disengage entirely. The key is creating personalized challenges supported by accountability frameworks.

What Marine Corps Precision Can Offer for Corporate Wellness

For HR leaders seeking to transform their wellness initiatives, a Marine-inspired framework offers a systematic approach:

Assessment: Begin with a comprehensive evaluation of individual needs across all six wellness domains. Identify specific gaps, prioritize interventions, and establish baseline metrics.

Personalization: Develop targeted wellness plans that address each employee’s unique needs rather than forcing everyone through identical programs.

Engagement: Make wellness accessible through varied content formats, gamification elements, and mobile-first design that meets employees where they are.

Accountability: Implement structured coaching, peer support mechanisms, and regular progress reviews to maintain momentum.

Measurement: Track participation, behavior change, and business outcomes to demonstrate ROI and continuously refine the program.

The Path Forward for HR Leaders

The challenge for today’s HR professionals isn’t convincing leadership that wellness matters – it’s implementing programs that actually work. By applying these military-tested principles, you can:

• Increase program participation rates
• Drive sustainable behavior change
• Improve employee satisfaction and retention
• Generate measurable business outcomes
• Demonstrate clear ROI on wellness investments

These results aren’t anomalies. They’re the predictable outcomes of bringing military precision to corporate wellness.

Your employees don’t need another generic wellness platform. They need what every effective military unit provides: personalized assessment, targeted intervention, consistent accountability, and the recognition that their individual wellness contributes to organizational strength. Think of it less as a top-down directive and more as building a high-performing team where each member is equipped and supported to thrive – a principle applicable to any environment where people work together toward a common goal.

As you evaluate your current wellness initiatives, ask yourself these three questions:

1. Are we truly addressing individual needs?
2. Have we built in real accountability?
3. Are we measuring what matters?

The transformation begins with these questions. The results will speak for themselves.

Semper Fly!