Cathy Hetrick was back at the counter at Nutrition4Ever in Hudson on Thursday, preparing smoothies, when three customers in gym gear walked in through the back door of the store, which leads to two gyms, Riverfront Athletic Club and Ethos Performance.
This is Hetrick’s first foray into running a store on her own — she previously helped run River Falls-based RF Nutrition with her parents, Nate and Kelly.
Hetrick said he initially looked for a different location but liked this location because of its proximity to two gyms — so close, in fact, that the store has a one-way mirror behind the counter so potential customers can see what shakes and teas await them after their workout.
“So we end up making some awkward eye contact sometimes,” Hetrick said, “but sometimes it’s what brings them here.”
After graduating from St. Croix Central High School, Hetrick considered attending cosmetology school until an opportunity presented itself at a local nutritional supplement store. Although the opportunity ultimately fell through, Hetrick took it as a sign that she wanted to make a living selling nutritional supplements.
Hetrick, who has a kiosk in the front of his new store that sells smoothies and teas, as well as powders and other supplements, said he likes to have tea before he hits the gym and CR7 while he’s working out. After his workout, he likes to have a Rebuild Strength shake or a regular store-bought shake.
Notably, her store doesn’t sell the highly caffeinated, sugary drinks common in workout culture, like C4 Ripped or Beyond Raw Lit. Instead, Hetrick tries to highlight what she calls “the better kind of caffeine” rather than energy drinks like Monster Energy.
“Like most energy drinks and pre-workout supplements, there’s always a sudden drop in energy after you drink it. With our tea, you don’t get that, so I think that’s really helpful,” she said.
Currently, Hetrick’s only full-time employee at the Hudson branch is Jackson Turner, an Ellsworth High School graduate who said he joined the company because of Hetrick.
“She’s my girlfriend,” Turner says, “but I’ve always been into fitness,” adding that he’s always loved RF Nutrition, which is what inspired him to get involved.
The exterior of Nutrition 4Ever’s new store in Hudson. Photo: Jack White/Star Observer.
Katie’s parents still work at RF Nutrition. Nate and Kelly had separate stores just under two years ago when they decided to pool their resources in one location. Nate’s store was called Nutrition 4Ever at the time, which is where Katie’s name came from. Kelly’s store was called RF Nutrition, which is what they eventually adopted under one banner.
“It was hard to drop the name because the 4 in ‘4ever’ was for my four kids,” Nate said. “So [Caty] “It was like, ‘Hey, let’s take over Nutrition 4Ever.'”
Now that the acquisition is complete, anyone interested in the Hudson store can stop by 120 First St. on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
