In honor of Ann Franklin’s 3-year anniversary with McClain Insurance, we’re playing “Get to Know the McClain Team.” We hope you enjoy learning more about Ann, what she loves about insurance and our community, and her answers to our lightning-round questions.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, your family and where you grew up.
I’m a triplet! With my brother, sister, and I being “womb-mates,” we have always been rather close. A product of the Catholic school system, we went to Our Lady of the Lake through middle school and Bishop Blanchet for high school. My siblings and I all split up for college. I went to Western Washington University where I earned my bachelor’s degree in English Literature.
Ann and her family visit Cannon Beach every year
In Bellingham I met Harry and we’ve been dating for seven years now. We happily live in Everett where we are glad to be enjoying the beautiful Pacific Northwest that we both grew up in.
Our immediate family consists of a lot of house plants and the birds that visit our deck. A particular dark eyed junco with a bum right wing, whom we have affectionately named “Rightie,” frequently visits.
Rightie hanging out on Ann’s balcony
Tell us about your career. How did you get into this industry and when did you join the McClain team? Any notable non-insurance jobs?
After a merger at my previous company laid me off with the entire customer service department, I was looking for a career with a great team and job that would enable me to do what I do best – help others. My uncle Paul, a long-time client of the agency and friend of the McClains, heard that Claudia was looking to expand the team. He recommended I check it out, and I’m glad I did! With no insurance industry experience, but a lot of customer service and willingness to learn, Claudia hired me and placed me under Nick’s wing to train.
Ann recently earned her Certified Insurance Representative designation.
What do you like most about working for McClain Insurance?
Two things: who I work with, and what I get to do for others. I am so glad to be on a small team where I know everyone. I know everyone on the team wants the best for me and I want the best for them.
I love helping others. Not only do I do that daily, advising and educating everyone regarding insurance, but I am also able to help contribute to the community and the many charitable organizations McClain Insurance supports.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I consider myself a hobbyist. I love to learn and try new things. The hobby with the largest time commitment right now is probably Dungeons and Dragons. For the past two years I have been playing with the same group of friends for about three hours once a week. I enjoy stepping out of the daily grind and stepping into a world where just about anything is possible.
Ann is the McClain team’s resident green thumb!
Other current hobbies include keeping houseplants, a little patio gardening, casual bird watching, learning about native plants, crochet, reading fiction books, playing games with friends, and watching Netflix with Harry.
Ann is a woman of many talents, including crochet and needlework
Lightning-round questions!
1. What new hobby or skill would you like to learn? I always have a few on my wish list. Right now, I would love to learn tapestry weaving. I have a small loom and a bunch of homespun yarn but haven’t found the right inspiration or information to make it into art.
2. What’s your favorite local business or restaurant? Harry and I are expanding our knowledge of Indian cuisine and often find ourselves trying new dishes each time. We have particularly enjoyed ordering chicken butter masala, chicken tikka masala, and chicken mango curry from 5 Rivers Indian Cuisine through Grubhub.
3. What motivates you to work hard? I have always had a strong work ethic. I work hard because I want to do right by the person I am helping and by my team.
4. What would you sing at karaoke night? Despite loving to sing I haven’t done much karaoke. However, it is inevitable that I would sing along to “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, especially with a group, and duet “The Longest Time” by Billy Joel with Harry. I do know most of the words to “Without Me” by Eminem.
Ann with a plague doctor mask for a COVID Halloween
5. What did you want to be when you were a child? At first, I wanted to be a nurse just like my mother. A close second was to be a teacher. I always wanted to help people.
6. What are two things you know you should know how to do but don’t? I should know my multiplication tables, but they never stuck. Don’t worry, I have a calculator handy every day at work! I should know how to jumpstart a car, but the only thing I know how to do under the hood of a car is check the oil level.
7. Who would you most like to sit next to on a 10-hour flight and why? That would have to be Harry. I will sleep on a flight that long and it will be significantly less awkward if I end up with my head on his shoulder compared to anyone else. Also, it would mean I am traveling with my best buddy, which is always ideal.
8. What’s the most useless talent you have? I’m a jack of many trades and skills. Being able to hand spin wool into yarn hasn’t proved particularly useful to me, but it is relaxing.
Hand spinning wool into yarn
9. If you could start a charity, what would it be for? Some sort of charity, nonprofit, or community group to teach people more about native plants and maybe even propagate them so more people can enjoy them for free.
10. What topic could you give a 20-minute presentation on without any preparation? Type 1 diabetes: the impacts on the body, treatment options, and anecdotes. I’ve learned a lot in my 12 years of having diabetes.
11. What’s your favorite holiday tradition? Tradition is a big part of all my holidays. The best holiday traditions always combine food, fire, family, and friends.
Harry and Ann celebrating Yule
12. What pets did you have growing up? My childhood home has been affectionately called a zoo on a few occasions. One of my first childhood memories is seeing the fish swimming around in my dad’s saltwater tank. Our Dalmatian would dig up bottles she had stolen and hid in the yard and give them to me and my siblings when we cried as babies. At the peak of our “zoo” we had a few fish tanks, one dog, three snakes, two gerbils, one tortoise, and a handful of mice.
Right now Ann’s “pets” are houseplants and the wild birds who built a nest on her balcony.
I am currently pet-less in my apartment, but Harry and I are considering a cat, small dog, or possibly a pet bird when we move into a larger space.
We’re so glad Ann is part of the McClain Insurance family! To learn more about Ann and the rest of our team, visit autohomeboat.com/about.