When Pam Danzig drove by a Highland Park fitness studio she had never noticed before, she decided to stop in and inquire about the business she thought was new. To her surprise, she found out the studio had been there for a year.
“It made me realize that there are so many businesses that people don’t know about because business owners don’t have time to promote themselves,” said Danzig, a lifelong fitness enthusiast, who is a certified nutrition coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.
It was an experience Danzig said caused her to come up with the idea for FitRats.com, the website she recently launched with her business partner, Stacey Portugal.
“There really is a wealth of opportunities in our area for people who are looking to improve their health, but the reality is that they don’t know about places right in their neighborhood,” said Portugal, a Board Certified Life Coach and a Leader Coach for Weight Watchers.
With 40 advertisers so far and growing rapidly, FitRats.com connects top-quality providers of fitness, wellness and life-enhancing services with North Shore customers. The goal is to increase the visibility of the businesses through the use of informative content and a rewards program.
“We’re building a real community with our partner businesses and our site visitors, and our personal attention to that community makes it a positive experience for everyone involved,” said Portugal, who lives in Highland Park with her husband, Gary and their three children.
The site includes detailed information and photos of all participating businesses, a blog with content on industry trends, a calendar section that showcases advertisers’ special events and promotions, and an awards program, where users can collect “FitBucks” which can be used for purchases at the businesses.
FitRats also gives away free workout classes and other discounts for participating businesses.
“When people tell me, ‘I have a backache,’ or ‘I want to lose weight,’ I love referring them to my listings,” said Danzig. “I’m helping them, along with the businesses.”
Desiree Rijos is the owner of Highland Park’s 2HOT Yoga, a FitRats advertiser.
“I did it for the exposure,” said Rijos, whose studio has been open for nine years. “People who wouldn’t otherwise know about us can see what we offer.”
“FitRats offers a specifically targeted opportunity for people who live or work in the North Shore community, who are already looking to improve their health, but don’t know what’s right in their neighborhood,” said advertiser JoEllen Kaufman, who is the owner of her Northbrook based nutrition practice, Nutrition and Health Consultants. “It is a one-stop site for resources, motivation, and education.”
Danzig and Portugal, who live in the same neighborhood have known each other for 18 years, said they have gotten to be close friends during the past few years because of their mutual passion for health and wellness.
“We’d go for two hour walks and talk, and we both knew we wanted to do something in the industry that was entrepreneurial,” said Portugal. “I had a lot of experience on the consumer side and Pam had this huge network of health and wellness business owners.”
“The site is a good, safe place to peruse wellness options,” Danzig said. “We’re making really great connections.”