Employee Name: Jackie Overom
Number of years of service at Pahl’s: 5
Briefly describe your job duties at Pahl’s: I am a greenhouse/market supervisor. I design custom planters and help customers select plants. I brought “fairy gardening” to Pahl’s and love inspiring clients to be creative. I also answer lots of gardening questions.
What is the most rewarding part of your job? I love using creative ideas to help people enjoy gardening. I also love watching parents show their children our fairy garden display.
Tell us about your family: I married my childhood sweetheart, Tim. We have two children. Both are married and live in the Twin Cities. We are blessed with four grandchildren that melt our hearts.
What story does your family always tell about you? This is silly…. When our children were young we were taking a family walk around Lake Harriet. There was a duck laying in some weeds, obviously dead. I told the kids it might just be sleeping. Now ~ every road kill is said to be “just sleeping”
What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year? Why? I love spring. I see miracles all around as plants begin to grow. It fills my soul with hope.
What is your favorite indoor/outdoor activity? I enjoy trying to make something useful or decorative out what I call “discarded treasures”.
What is the farthest you have been away from home? Tell us the most unique experience from that trip? The farthest I have been is on a Baltic cruise to St. Petersburg, Russia. The cruise ended in England and I was able to visit my ancestors church in Bedfordshire. I have a flower garden there called “Jackie’s Bed.”
What are three things on your “Bucket List” ?
1. I would love to go back to England
2. To live long enough to see my grandchildren grow up
3. Do some gemstone mining.
What do you miss most about being a kid? My Grandmothers, they were the joy in my world.
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? I would like to learn to make custom jewelry. I would also like to speak Spanish fluently.
What was the first thing you bought with your own money? I was working at a clothing store and I bought a yellow plaid jumper and some “Mary Jane” shoes.
If you could choose anyone, who would you pick to be your mentor? Why? My Grandma Lois, she had a life filled with challenges and she met each one with a smile and determination. She worked hard and I admired her. I also always knew she loved me.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? I would give a chunk to each one of my children and Tim and I would travel.
Which celebrity do you get mistaken for? The Energizer Bunny
What is your all time favorite movie? The Wizard of Oz
What song do you play the most often? Don’t Stop Believing by Journey
What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done? I believe the hard time we experience always leave behind a rainbow. I gave the eulogy at my Grandmother’s funeral and had to say goodbye to part of my heart. The rainbow is that now I have no fear of speaking in public.
Jackie, you are the greatest person I’ve ever met. Glad to work with you if there’s a chance.
And it’s not that hard to learn second or third language. All you have to do – listen and try to remember.
With all good wishes, Oleg
Thank you Oleg. Your kind words mean a lot to me. Muchas Gracias!
Pahl’s is very fortunate to have Jackie as an employee. Each time I drop by Pahl’s she greets me, asks about my gardening, has insightful tips and brings a small town feel to this big world we live in. It is connections and relationships to the customer that build businesses. I am lucky to have met this fine employee.