The founder, Carla Nokes, began her journey in the fitness industry as a professional tennis player, deeply committed to elite sport and physical performance. Following a family dissolution, Carla was faced with the reality that her tennis career could no longer be financially supported, meaning she had to find ways to fund her professional tennis journey independently. Shortly after, a serious shoulder injury forced her to step away from competitive tennis and transition into a career as a fitness professional.

In early 2019, during a three week reflective holiday in Thailand, the idea for The Fitness Directory was born. At the time, Carla was determined to build a business that could generate income to support her return to competitive tennis after multiple shoulder surgeries.

While working day to day in the fitness industry, Carla experienced first handedly the ongoing challenges gyms and fitness professionals face... unreliable staffing, last-minute cover issues, inconsistent payments, and a lack of streamlined recruitment solutions. These frustrations sparked a clear vision: to create a single platform that could simplify gym staffing while creating more opportunities and stability for fitness professionals.

Beyond recruitment, The Fitness Directory was created with a bigger purpose: to build a true fitness community within an industry that has too often worked against itself. By encouraging collaboration over competition, transparency over uncertainty, and support over isolation, the platform aims to unite gyms, trainers, and fitness professionals creating a stronger, more connected industry where everyone can grow together.

From that moment of inspiration, The Fitness Directory evolved into a platform dedicated to transforming the fitness recruitment landscape. Connecting people, creating opportunity, and redefining how the fitness industry works.