Last updated March 13th 2016

Welcome to our first Secret Tel Aviv ‘Olim Business of the Week’ – every week we are going to be talking with an awesome Olim Business, to learn more about the founders and the business, how they got started, and what tips they can offer to any other Olim looking to start up their own business…

… and what better way to start that with Joel and Daniel Yekutiel from Outdoor Fitness Israel!

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Hey Joel & Daniel Yekutiel, thanks for taking part. Many people in the Group will be familiar with you from Outdoor Fitness Israel – how many people do you think you have helped ‘get in shape’ in the Group?

Daniel: We love Secret Tel Aviv – most of our members are part of the group, and many of them first heard about us from the Group!

Awesome – after that great answer, we can start the workout gently (before we crank it up)… Tell us a little bit about yourselves? Where are you from, when did you make aliyah, all that good stuff?

Joel: Well, we are brothers from London, UK. We also lived in Liverpool for a few years, which is where we learnt to be tough! From an early age we both wanted to move to Israel.

Daniel: I am the youngest and made Aliyah ten years ago. When I arrived I served in the Paratroopers (Palchan Tzanchanim). After a short sabbatical back to the UK to study as a personal trainer, I returned to Israel, and recently got married and had a baby nine months ago (mazal tov!).

Joel: I was a few years behind Daniel, and made Aliyah in 2012. I did my first personal training course in the UK in 2004 and had a successful fitness business in the UK. I had always wanted to set up an outdoor fitness business, and obviously the weather in the UK doesn’t really allow that!

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Exercise of the year…..TRX Jack Knife with a 10kg power bag and 82kg Joel on top. Don’t try this at home!

So where did you get the idea for Outdoor Fitness Israel?

Joel: Two years before I made Aliyah I came across a new concept of fitness in the UK to charge less and give more without compromising on quality – by taking advantage of the available outdoor space. We didn’t just want to be another Boot Camp so we decided to be like a gym where under one brand you can find all the classes you would find in a gym such as TRX, Yoga, Pilates, Circuit Training, Boxing and more.

Time for three quick press-ups! In between, what are the best three things about Outdoor Fitness Israel?

Daniel: Let me take this:

  1. Social – We have almost 50 classes a week with 5-20 people in each. Mothers bring their babies and dog owners bring their dogs. It’s great.
  2. Friendly – We love working with people and we make all our new and old members feel comfortable in a group environment. We also expect the same from our instructors.
  3. Value for money – gym fees can be expensive and complicated with cancellation fees and costs for extra classes. With us what you see is what you get. Memberships are from 150 -250 NIS a month for unlimited classes and there are massive discounts for students and married couples.

We have heard great things about your app – can you tell us a little bit about it?

Joel: Yes, we are super proud of our app – we think it is the only app of its kind in Israel – it was made especially for us! We wanted it to be really simple and accessible to everyone – you don’t even need to be a member to see our weekly schedule. Once you are registered you can see all our classes for the week, and book or cancel through the app. The other nice thing about the app is we can send notifications, so it could be a fitness or nutrition tip or even just an update on a new class.

You can download it on IOS and Google Play: “Outdoor Fitness Israel”

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What are your plans for the future of Outdoor Fitness Israel?

Daniel: We just want to keep on growing and growing, and help as many people as possible get into shape!

Joel: We just employed 4 new instructors so we can open more and new classes and recently opened in Herzliya, our first city outside of Tel Aviv. Eventually we want to be in every major city and town across Israel. We also just signed a really exciting three month trial Adidas – more details will follow shorty.

This all sounds awesome! How do I sign up?

Joel: It’s very simple. Just go online and click on ‘Book A Free Trial’ – the form takes less than one minute to complete, then you are good to go! Once you have done that, go to our schedule, find any class that suites you and sign up. All you need to bring with you is water and a towel we will do the rest.

Final Push Guys… keep it up!!! Any tips for Olim looking to set up their own business?

Joel: Yes. People will say to you Israel is hard and you are better off with a job, but don’t listen to them. If you are passionate about what you do and you believe in yourself and your product you will go far. You might have to sacrifice a few things along the way, like taking advantage of Tel Aviv’s great night life all the time, but it will be worth it in the end! Anyone can build something, just remember you have choices in life and you make your own. Don’t let anyone else make them for you. Good Luck!!!

Do you have any other favourite Olim Businesses?

Daniel: A few of our members have some great start ups for example Gabrielle Manase has a website localisation called Bablic.

Joel: And we obviously love Secret Tel Aviv!

Great answer guys… for that you can relax a little… What are you favourite things about Tel Aviv?

Joel: The beach – we are from the UK, the beach is a novelty for us that will never wear out!

Daniel: We also love the international aspect of the city – we meet so many different people from different backgrounds every day.

And any special Secrets you can share:

Joel: Breakfast at the Alma hotel on Ahad Haam – it’s a little pricey at 92 shekels, but there is a huge buffet and there is a lovely garden to sit in – it’s worth every penny!

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Thanks Guys! You can check out Outdoor Fitness Israel on their website or Facebook Page. You can also see them in person at this year’s Secret Tel Aviv Olim Expo on 27th and 28th November at the Dizengoff Centre!