In honor of Caitlin Klosterman’s 6-year anniversary with McClain Insurance, we’re playing “Get to Know an Agent.” We hope you enjoy learning more about Caitlin, what she loves about insurance, and her answers to our lightning-round questions.
Tell us about your family, where you grew up and what you were like as a kid.
I was born at Everett General Hospital in Everett, WA. I grew up here and went to Everett Public Schools (Monroe Elementary, Eisenhower Middle and Cascade High). My mom grew up in Everett as well and went to St. Mary Magdalen. She was in the first graduating class of Mariner High School. I have one older sister, Helene.
Soccer star Caitlin!
As a kid I was really into soccer and played for about 12 years.
Caitlin with her mom Linda at the Evergreen State Fair
My mom and I share a birthday in August and one of our family traditions is going to the Evergreen State Fair on our birthday and getting a photo button together.
Caitlin and Russ
My husband Akeem and I went to middle school and high school together but didn’t really know each other. We ran into each other many years later in the Providence Hospital cafeteria, and the rest is history. We live in Marysville with our dog Russ. I also have a wonderful stepdaughter, Kaitlyn, who will be 11 this fall.
Akeem, Caitlin and Kaitlyn at the Everett Community Ice Rink after Christmas
How did you get into the insurance field and when did you join the McClain Insurance team?
I started in insurance, working for Safeco, the week before my 19th birthday. My sister had started working for Safeco in Bothell in 2001 and I joined her in 2004. I’ve also worked for PEMCO and Liberty Mutual. The only non-insurance jobs I’ve ever had were working at Safeway and in a dental office while I was in high school.
Caitlin and sister Helene, who helped her get her start in insurance
Before I started working for McClain Insurance I was working as a claims adjuster for Safeco at their office in downtown Seattle. I joined the McClain Insurance team in July 2014.
What do you like most about working for McClain Insurance?
There’s a lot! Firstly, I feel really good, really proud, about working for a small business that does so much good in the community. I’m proud to work for Claudia McClain because she is an incredibly kind and generous person and takes such good care of everyone.
Caitlin playing in an Everett YMCA dodgeball tournament with McClain Insurance teammates Nick Pembroke and Ann Franklin
I really like my co-workers. I work with a lot of great people.
And lastly, I like educating people about insurance. I like helping people understand it better. Insurance can be a really frustrating thing. It’s not tangible – you can’t see, taste, touch or smell it, etc., but you put all this money into it year after year. I like being able to help people protect the things that are most important to them in a way that is affordable, and in a way that helps them understand and feel like they’re getting the best value.
What do you like to do outside of work?
At the moment, my favorite thing is home decorating! I love planning and searching for things, and then when everything comes together the way I envisioned it in my head it makes me happy. I’m the “brains” and Akeem is the “brawn.” I come up with the idea and then he perfectly executes it!
Caitlin and Akeem’s beautiful living room
Lightning-round questions!
1. What new hobby or skill would you like to learn? I would like to learn Spanish, and I would also like to learn how to play the guitar, the piano and the violin.
2. What’s your favorite local business or restaurant? I really like Emory’s on Silver Lake. I love their cheesy garlic bread and buffalo chicken strips and they have the best prosecco – LaLuca Prosecco (SO good).
3. What would you sing at karaoke night? “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon
4. What did you want to be when you were a child? I wanted to be the first female President of the United States. And that’s actually still a possibility! My other career choice was astronaut.
5. What are two things you know you should know how to do but don’t? I don’t know how to change a tire and I can’t whistle very well
Caitlin and Akeem on a hike
6. Who would you most like to sit next to on a 10-hour flight and why? Akeem! I’m serious. He and I have never been anywhere together on a plane. We’ve been together for 6 years and have never gone anywhere. We were supposed to go to Vegas this spring but had to cancel because of the pandemic.
7. If you were a superhero, what powers would you have? I would fly and read people’s minds.
Caitlin, Helene and their dog Lily
8. What pets did you have growing up? We had a dog named Lily and multiple cats – Rajah, Buster and Cleo.
9. What’s your favorite holiday tradition? In my family the adults don’t exchange Christmas presents, we play a white elephant gift exchange type of game. Each person that plays contributes a cool, silly, lame (one year my niece’s gift was a golf ball), ridiculous “gift” with a maximum price limit of $25. It’s really fun to see what the gifts are and get to steal gifts.
Caitlin visiting the Berlin Wall on her trip to Germany
10. What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done? I’m not much of a daredevil, so the most daring thing I can think of is when I was a sophomore in high school, we had an exchange student from Germany live with us for the school year. When the school year was up and she went home, I flew to Germany by myself at age 15 to stay with her and her family. I was there for 5 weeks and it was great!
11. What motivates you to work hard? My family and making sure they’re ok. I’m also very motivated by what we do for the community at McClain Insurance and I want to be able to help contribute to that. And also so my dog can have a better life!
We’re so glad Caitlin is a part of the McClain Insurance family! To learn more about Caitlin and the rest of our team, visit autohomeboat.com/about.