Amber and Charlie Goodwin talk about their love of fitness; working together in their business, Nutrishop; and more.
How did you meet?
Amber: We met in Las Vegas at the age of 21. I was there with girlfriends celebrating a birthday, and he was there with a group of friends that knew my friends. We hung out pretty much all weekend together. We didn’t start dating until five or six years after that.
What was your first date?
Charlie: We went on a Valentine’s Day hike. She knew I wanted to go out, as I was very keen on cardio.
What keeps you busy during the week?
A: I work at Nutrishop pretty much every day, helping customers crush their health and fitness goals.
C: Working as a mailman (yes, for USPS), doing things to help around Nutrishop, and working on my fitness goals. I keep my days on the fuller side.
What’s it like to work together?
A: It’s just like a marriage — it takes work, but in the end, it’s a freaking blast!
C: We work well together in the shop and the house. We try to tackle everything and go after most things with a team mentality.
What interests or excites you about working in the health care field?
A: Seeing people’s reactions when all of their hard work starts to pay off and you can see them fall in love with their own bodies.
C: I just love helping people reach and find new goals. Health and fitness can be as simple or as complex as you or your goals want it to be.
What do you like to do in your free time?
A: I compete in bodybuilding competitions, so I’m usually at the gym or riding my bike on the trails, or playing with my dogs.
C: I love doing anything active outside and trying out new activities like weightlifting, bodybuilding, and CrossFit, among others. But to the other extreme, it’s nice from time to time to just have a lazy day where I don’t get out of pajamas and do nothing productive all day.
What is your favorite art/culture activity in Columbia?
A: Columbia is an active community. I love all the trails, fitness groups, and options for physical activity.
C: Pre-COVID, I loved how there always seemed to be a festival or show happening or coming up with things like Roots N Blues, True/False, and Summerfest downtown.
What is the key to a lasting and healthy relationship?
A: Communication and laughter. Charlie’s grandmother gave me the best advice that I will remember forever. “Never go to bed mad at each other, and always say ‘I love you.’”
C: Having fun and experiencing new things together. Not being closed-minded and being open for adventure.
What is the best quality of your partner?
A: Charlie’s warm-heartedness gives me enough confidence to tackle anything in the world.
C: She loves the heck out of me, so that’s pretty important. She’s also my rock and is extremely dependable. If I fall, she’s there to pick me up.
What is unique about your relationship?
C: We share the same middle name, just with a different spelling. Mine is spelled Renae, and hers is Renee. And we constantly think and say the same things. She can ask me a question, like ‘Hey, what’s that band that I like?’ and I can successfully answer that somehow.
What does the future hold for the two of you?
A: Lots of travel plans. Seeing the world is the reason why I work so hard.
What is your favorite restaurant in Columbia?
C: I’m all about the meat, so either Buckingham’s or Como Smoke and Fire.
What brought you both to Columbia?
A: When we decided to leave California, I knew I wanted a completely different lifestyle. We had friends that moved here a couple of years before us, so they let my husband crash with them for a couple of months until we got our own place and jobs. We didn’t pick Columbia — Columbia picked us.
