Cole Julian was born in California but has called Leelanau County home since he was 5. He and his wife Maddie bought a place in Cedar about a year and a half ago, settling on the peninsula’s, where both sets of their parents live — his in Leelanau County, hers in Suttons Bay.
“We always want to live on the west side in Leelanau County,” Julian said.
Julian, 26, graduated from Traverse City St. Francis in 2018 and went on to play football at Butler University and earn a degree in risk management.
After landing an internship at Fitzmaurice-Garvin Insurance in Traverse City, he has stuck with the company for the past four years as a risk manager.
“There are so many ads on TV, whether it’s Progressive or State Farm... They make it seem all the same, and it’s really not the same, ” Julian said. “ A 26-year-old’s insurance policy looks a lot different than a 56-year-old’s insurance policy, especially when you get into business.
Two internships during his time at Butler led him back home after school. His parents were already clients of Fitzmaurice-Garvin, and Julian began exploring connections.
That was huge for me,” Julian said of trading a small Catholic high school for a campus of about 6,000 students in a big city.
What started as an internship turned into a job offer as Cole continued to support both personal and commercial lines. He holds a Certified Insurance Counselor designation.
“I think for someone who wants to protect what they have, the right coverages need to be in place. I love working with those clients. This gives me purpose, and people need insurance one way or the other,” Julian said.
In today’s age, Fitzmaurice-Garvin is going all in on local, especially amid the AI takeover already plaguing the insurance industry.
Every try to get ahold of someone at your big box insurance company?
Julian argued that the larger insurance conglomerates and national carriers that advertise heavily on television are training consumers to treat insurance as a commodity rather than a relationship, comparing the approach to buying “a box on a shelf.”
Julian said the current wave of consolidation and use of AI in customer-facing roles marks a departure from what has long set his and other local northern Michigan agencies apart: personal, “white glove” service that is nearly impossible to find nowadays.
“I love being in that consultative role,” Julian said. “I understand the policy. I know what they’re trying to do.”
Outside the office, Julian coaches eighth-grade football at St. Francis/St. Elizabeth, and volunteers alongside his wife at the Suttons Bay Art Walk, while serving as a board member of the Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce.
The couple has a golden retriever puppy named Sutton, a nod, Cole said, to the family’s habit of picking Leelanau County-inspired dog names — his parents’ dog is named Cleveland. Sutton recently had her own moment in the spotlight, appearing in a photo and video project Cole did for the Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce, highlighting local businesses for social media.
Whether it’s rain or shine, Julian has been making his mark in the insurance industry and can be contacted at [email protected].
