For Mother’s Day, The Bolt is proud to feature two of Abt’s favorite staff members, Shirley and Nina Hood! This mother-daughter team is well-loved across the store with over 30 years of experience at Abt. Most of that is thanks to Shirley, who started at our Morton Grove location back in 1994.
Bob Abt had heard of her reputation as a knowledgeable and kind saleswoman and recruited her, and the rest is history. Since then, Shirley has been performing tasks all across the store. She’s held many positions, but is most well known as “The Voice of Abt”. When you make a phone call, are put on hold, watch some of our YouTube videos or even see a commercial on TV, there’s a great chance that you’ll see or hear Shirley Hood. But behind the scenes she’s a creator, making content, marketing, writing scripts and more. Not only that, but she’s a motherly figure to many who work here. When people don’t know what to do, there’s a good chance they’ll head to Shirley for help (and she’ll always give it). Her favorite thing about Abt? “The people. You will make lasting relationships with people here.”
Meanwhile, her daughter Nina has been here at Abt since she was young. Whether it was Bring Your Child to Work Day or it was time to visit for our Charity Outreach program, Nina has always been by her mother’s side. It’s no surprise that this legacy staff member knew where she wanted to apply for one of her first real jobs. She began her career in Merchandise Pickup and has graduated to the Purchasing department (a space where staff members ensure all products come in, working with vendors to get the correct products into the store). She’s been working in Purchasing for over a year now, and coincidentally, her desk is just across the hall from her mother’s.
Unlike her mother Shirley, Nina’s best Abt memories are outside of working hours. From enjoying the annual Christmas party to playing in Abt’s volleyball league and watching the softball games, she’s always there to participate and make noise in the crowd. Summers at Abt are full of activities that everyone can enjoy, and Nina loves them all. And when it is time to head back to her desk the next day, Nina is ready to learn from Shirley’s vibrant work ethic. While working with family isn’t always what you expect it to be, both Shirley and Nina know they’ve got each other’s backs.
When they’re not working, these two love to make TikToks together. In her free time, Shirley loves to stage homes, tackle DIY projects on her own and with her husband on their home. Meanwhile, Nina is a social butterfly and loves going out on the town with her friends.
We’re proud to celebrate Mother’s Day with one of the best mother-daughter pairs at Abt!
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