Owner and Founder of Diligent Fitness, Carly Britton.
Wife. Mother. Entrepreneur. Carly Britton is all of that and more. Now, in her role of fitness guru, she is teaching others that a healthy lifestyle does not have to be hard. With the launch of Diligent Fitness, Britton hopes to share some healthy habits to not only get the body in shape but increase the quality of life for her clients.
As a University of Michigan track star, Britton is used to keeping her physical form intact. A full-time employee with the Detroit Institute of Arts, Britton works in event fundraising but has always found time to move her body and exercise. Though her career was not fitness-related, the budding owner knew it was a passion point and a potential career avenue.
“Ever since I graduated from there, I’ve been asked to coach a track team or train a friend or train a family member, and I would always say ‘no, I don’t know enough to do that.’ I never pursued those opportunities but I kind of knew there was something I was supposed to be doing with fitness,” said Britton.
With the onset of the pandemic and events at a standstill, Britton embark on a journey that originally began as a way to engage coworkers. Soon, it grew into a fitness brand serving those with more than a desire to shed excess pounds.
“One day we were on a call and my boss said ‘hey, why don’t you take us through some classes a couple times a week while we’re home.’ We thought we’d be home for a month or two. It started with no name, no nothing. Nobody was paying. It wasn’t a real thing. It was something my boss asked me to do,” said Britton.
Soon, Britton had gained several clients and began to brand Diligent Fitness. Choosing a name that mirrored her own dedication to health, Diligent Fitness is an homage to the owner’s ability to roll with the ebbs and flows of life.
“I thought it described my own fitness journey. I was a college athlete so it was kind of ingrained. Working out was never a chore, it was something that I just did,” said Britton. “But I’ve been diligent through all of life’s changes. Having babies, I worked out both pregnancies all the way through; getting married, starting a career, fitness has always been a constant,” said Britton.
As the brand began to grow, the husband James Britton decided it was time to add merchandise to the fold. Planning a surprise party for Carly’s 40th birthday, he enlisted the help of her brother and friends and family to help bring the vision to life.
“He told me I was going to my parents’ house for lunch. We pulled up and the driveway was full of people and everyone has on a Diligent Fitness shirt,” said Britton. “My brother, who does have a T-shirt clothing line, helped my husband get my logo, put all of this stuff on Shopify and people who came to the party were able to go on the website to purchase their Diligent Fitness stuff to wear to the party.”
Diligent Fitness offers an 8-week course and features 30-minute workouts that extend beyond weight loss. Designed to not only introduce exercise to the body, Diligent Fitness is Britton’s way of helping all, but especially African Americans, avoid medical conditions they are already at high risk for.
“A lot of people think I’ll work out because I ran track so that’s just what I do. I really work out because I’m predisposed to high blood pressure, heart disease, all these other things. Even though I’m healthy, I’m fit, I’m strong, I eat healthy, I still have high blood pressure,” said Britton. “I still have to take medication for it. Just imagine if I wasn’t healthy. If I ate terribly. I would be in very poor health,” she added.
The program was created to allow clients to go at their own pace and move their bodies without overexertion, tiredness or becoming ill from intensity. Britton hopes to continue to grow the brand and the 8-week program from 40 participants to 100 by the end of the year.
“I want you to be healthy. I want you to be strong. I want you to get off your high blood pressure medication, and movement is one of those things that’s going to help you reach those goals,” said Britton.
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