Her Story
About Christine
Christine Howe is the founder of Fit Pro Finders, a recruiting firm dedicated exclusively to the fitness and wellness industry. Her career began far from the recruiting world — she completed both undergraduate and graduate studies with the intention of becoming a school guidance counselor, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UCLA and a Master of Arts in Education from Loyola Marymount University. After relocating from California to New York City, she redirected her psychology training into a career in staffing, entering the field in 2012 through a nonprofit staffing organization before discovering her true niche in fitness and wellness recruitment.
Over the following years, Howe built a reputation as a trusted recruiter for some of the industry's most well-known names, including Equinox, SoulCycle, Planet Fitness, and Crunch Fitness, where she spent more than three years as an East Coast regional recruiter. She later returned to California to serve as Director of Recruiting for Xponential Fitness before taking the leap to launch her own company. Today, Fit Pro Finders partners with brands such as Crunch Fitness, SLT, and Club Pilates, placing candidates in roles ranging from entry-level to executive leadership across the fitness and wellness sector.
Howe's success has earned her multiple awards for high-volume, high-retention placements, particularly through her long-standing partnerships with Equinox and SoulCycle, and she has been recognized as one of the Influential Women representing New York for 2026. Outside of her business, she remains deeply engaged in her community, holding memberships with organizations such as Within Walks, Founders Sports Club, and Young Catholic Professionals, where she has chaired leadership events benefiting the Champion for Quality Education nonprofit. For Howe, professional achievement and community involvement go hand in hand — a philosophy rooted in her belief that lasting success is built through genuine relationships and a willingness to invest in others.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Christine
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a genuine love for this work and the fitness and wellness industry, a psychology background that has sharpened my ability to assess and match people to the right opportunities, and the strong professional relationships and networks I've built and maintained throughout my career.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is to build your expertise before you build your business. Learn from strong leaders, invest real time in developing your network, and earn the trust of the industry first — entrepreneurship is far more sustainable when it grows out of experience rather than ambition alone. I'd also encourage anyone entering this field to focus on relationships and referrals rather than relying solely on job-board applications, since introductions tend to open doors far more reliably. Gaining hands-on experience and building genuine connections before launching your own business is essential, because this work is deeply people-driven.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges is that building a brand takes time — networking is essential, but so is being prepared for the administrative side of running a business, which can be tedious. This is also a niche category with very few established professional organizations or governing bodies, so business owners often have to wear many hats, from payroll to taxes to insurance, and make constant decisions about what to outsource. At the same time, I see real opportunity in the fact that the sector is expanding, drawing in more companies and specialists and creating steady growth in hiring demand.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Beyond my business, I believe deeply in the importance of community and professional relationships. I'm involved with organizations that support entrepreneurship, leadership, and service, and I've had the opportunity to chair leadership events through groups like Young Catholic Professionals. These experiences have reinforced something I've learned throughout my career: success is never achieved alone — it's built through authentic relationships, collaboration, and a willingness to invest in others. At the core, I value service to others, a genuine passion for fitness and wellness, and staying actively engaged in my community.
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