In honor of Kim Matthews’ 3-year anniversary with McClain Insurance, we’re playing “Get to Know the McClain Team.” We hope you enjoy learning more about Kim, what she loves about our community, and her answers to our lightning-round questions.
Tell us a little bit about you and your family.
I grew up in Kirkland, just north of Totem Lake with my mom and brother.
I remember graduating from High School and taking a trip with just my mom. I have traveled to Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Georgia. I do like to travel to Las Vegas and stay in different hotels.
My family consists of Phil and my stepson Ben. Sadly, my mom, brother and father have passed. We currently have one dog, Miss Sadie – she is a cocker mix. I try to post a picture of her on Facebook five days per week in a new sleeping position.
Sadie Matthews enjoying her daily nap
We hope to add to a new 4-legged family member in the future by adopting one through a rescue.
Tell us about how you got started in the insurance industry and when you joined the McClain team
I have been working in insurance since a year or so out of high school. I did a year at King County Medical Blue Shield – I typed contracts and sent them via certified mail (not joking, was most of my job).
I ended up in insurance when a position opened up at Johnson & Higgins – it was a Girl Friday position. I worked as a backup on a telephone system. All calls came into one number, there was no voice mail. We also reserved rooms and company cars and were in charge of transferring employees to a special number when dialing long distance. I also worked part time in the Personal Lines department, filing, typing, and learning about insurance. I stayed there for 13 years. I have also worked at other insurance agencies after that, of course. I joined the McClain team in 2017.
What do you like most about working for McClain Insurance?
The community which Claudia so generously supports.
Kim collects donations from clients during the Reach Out and Read Book Drive
What do you like to do outside of work?
I am a social person, so COVID-19 has been life changing. I enjoy camping with my husband and dog, which we are still able to do, thank goodness.
I like to find the time to do puzzles or read a book. Pre-COVID, we would have BBQ’s, get togethers and large gatherings at our house – just because or for our annual open house in December. Sadly, it won’t happen this year, but we have hope to do this again when our world is healthier. I enjoy going to hockey games, so I am hoping when our life changes again for the healthy, that will be an option.
Lightning-round questions!
1. What new hobby or skill would you like to learn? I would like to learn how to ride a motorcycle. I would like to be able to pull our camp trailer.
2. What’s your favorite local business or restaurant? I love Ivar’s – the restaurant and walk up counter in Mukilteo. But if going casual, I would say Mexican. Avocado’s is a favorite – we will frequent for lunch-to-go. If we were talking outside of our local area, I would say Salty’s Restaurant – it was my favorite place to brunch.
3. What is your biggest fear? I am uncomfortable with heights, I have discovered. Even driving over bridges makes me anxious. Also driving with ravines make me nervous. I am sure I was not great company on our drive to the Redwood Forest.
Kim on a camping trip to the Redwood Forest
4. What motivates you to work hard? Helping people make informed decisions about how they spend their money. For the people I am close to in my life, I truly feel I work hard at maintaining our friendship.
5. What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done? This is not daring, but I do like zip lining. If we get to travel to Maui, we would love to zip line there. But there is one available at the Grand Canyon, not sure I would be able to do that one. We meant to go to up north where there is one by a golf course, but I’m not sure they have survived the pandemic. I have also parasailed while on vacation in Hawaii (the Big Island).
6. What would you sing at karaoke night? Probably not. I have tried it once or twice, but that is best left for me in my vehicle, alone.
7. What did you want to be when you were a child? A flight attendant. But I have discovered, flying makes me tired, so probably not a good adult choice.
8. What are two things you know you should know how to do but don’t? Drive a manual transmission vehicle very well. I can still struggle getting our blower started every fall season when my husband is out of town and I need to blow leaves in the backyard.
9. If you could start a charity, what would it be for? Homeless dogs, probably.
Kim with Ann Franklin and Nick and August Pembroke at Everett Animal Shelter’s Mutt Strut event
10. Who would you most like to sit next to on a 10-hour flight and why? My husband. It would mean I am getting to go to my dream destination, France.
11. What’s the most useless talent you have? I used to be able to type more than 80 words per minute. I can back around a corner in reverse pretty well, but who does that, and why was it on my driving test?
12. What food do you love that a lot of people might find a little odd? I love seafood – crab, cooked oysters, mussels, clams, lobster, calamari. I could eat it a lot and never tire of it.
13. What’s your favorite holiday tradition? We have an open house to friends, family and neighbors. It is crazy chaotic, but fun all at the same time. The number of people has varied from 29 (bad weather, it was snowing) to more than 50. But keep in mind, this is over an 8-hour span.
14. What pets did you have growing up? I had a cat, named Lurky (sounds like turkey, but with a L). Had her for almost 20 years
We’re so glad Kim is part of the McClain Insurance family! To learn more about Kim and the rest of our team, visit autohomeboat.com/about.