Marysville photo business rewarded for its story of transformation

MARYSVILLE — Daniel Jolly took over Clear Image Photo and Frame at a time of upheaval, invested heavily in high-tech equipment and grew the business into three stores.

And his story paid off in Microsoft’s recent Small Business Contest, earning him a tie for a third place in the national competition.

“I heard about the contest through the Small Business Administration,” Jolly said. “Entries had to include a short business video. Since I’d been wanting to make a video about Clear Image for a long time this was a good opportunity to do it.”

Jolly won with his two-minute video about his business and online voting from customers, friends and family. His prize was an $800 Microsoft Surface laptop and a one-year subscription to a Microsoft 365 small-business software program.

“Microsoft asked small business owners to tell how they creatively grew their business, what they learned and how they developed successful customer service,” he said.

Jolly bought Clear Image Photography in 2009 from Joe Gogal, who founded the business in 1988 and is now an Edward Jones representative in south Snohomish County. It was a challenging time when the mainstay of the business, developing film and printing, was waning as the era of digital cameras and home printers was growing at a soaring rate.

Jolly, who developed a passion for photography in college, managed Clear Image’s Lynnwood store, which is now closed. He transformed the business into a center for digital photography and began expanding his services.

Today Jolly and his wife, Christi, parents of four children, run the business. He and his staff handle professional photography for special events, school graduations and sports teams, pets, newborns and families as well as providing a large portrait studio at the Marysville store at 9023 State Ave.

His specialties include photo restorations and framing services for photos, paintings, documents or other items. His business growth has meant adding slide scanning, transferring home movies to CDs and handling any service related to today’s visual world.

Success led to opening a fast-growing Clear Image branch in Sequim and another in downtown Everett at 2806 Colby Ave.

In an online Microsoft video, Cindy Bates, vice president of Microsoft’s Small and Mid-Sized Businesses division, described the contest as an opportunity to recognize small businesses that have demonstrated inspirational performance in understanding their customers and responding to new market opportunities.

The grand prize winner of $20,000 and Microsoft computers and software, announced Jan. 30, was Citizen Frederick, a men’s clothing store in Frederick, Maryland; first-place went to Painted Zebra Designs, a clothing boutique in North Bend, Oregon; second-place honored iCPooch, a marketer of home video equipment for checking on pets in Spokane; and third place was shared by Clear Image and EmbroidMe, an embroidery franchise in New York.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Business

Black Press Media operates Sound Publishing, the largest community news organization in Washington State with dailies and community news outlets in Alaska.
Black Press Media concludes transition of ownership

Black Press Media, which operates Sound Publishing, completed its sale Monday (March 25), following the formerly announced corporate restructuring.

Maygen Hetherington, executive director of the Historic Downtown Snohomish Association, laughs during an interview in her office on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Snohomish, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Maygen Hetherington: tireless advocate for the city of Snohomish

Historic Downtown Snohomish Association receives the Opportunity Lives Here award from Economic Alliance.

FILE - Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs poses in front of photos of the 15 people who previously held the office on Nov. 22, 2021, after he was sworn in at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Hobbs faces several challengers as he runs for election to the office he was appointed to last fall. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs: ‘I wanted to serve my country’

Hobbs, a former Lake Stevens senator, is the recipient of the Henry M. Jackson Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Mark Duffy poses for a photo in his office at the Mountain Pacific Bank headquarters on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mark Duffy: Building a hometown bank; giving kids an opportunity

Mountain Pacific Bank’s founder is the recipient of the Fluke Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Barb Tolbert poses for a photo at Silver Scoop Ice Cream on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Barb Tolbert: Former mayor piloted Arlington out of economic brink

Tolbert won the Elson S. Floyd Award, honoring a leader who has “created lasting opportunities” for the underserved.

Photo provided by 
Economic Alliance
Economic Alliance presented one of the Washington Rising Stem Awards to Katie Larios, a senior at Mountlake Terrace High School.
Mountlake Terrace High School senior wins state STEM award

Katie Larios was honored at an Economic Alliance gathering: “A champion for other young women of color in STEM.”

The Westwood Rainier is one of the seven ships in the Westwood line. The ships serve ports in the Pacific Northwest and Northeast Asia. (Photo provided by Swire Shipping)
Westwood Shipping Lines, an Everett mainstay, has new name

The four green-hulled Westwood vessels will keep their names, but the ships will display the Swire Shipping flag.

A Keyport ship docked at Lake Union in Seattle in June 2018. The ship spends most of the year in Alaska harvesting Golden King crab in the Bering Sea. During the summer it ties up for maintenance and repairs at Lake Union. (Keyport LLC)
In crabbers’ turbulent moment, Edmonds seafood processor ‘saved our season’

When a processing plant in Alaska closed, Edmonds-based business Keyport stepped up to solve a “no-win situation.”

Angela Harris, Executive Director of the Port of Edmonds, stands at the port’s marina on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Edmonds, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Leadership, love for the Port of Edmonds got exec the job

Shoring up an aging seawall is the first order of business for Angela Harris, the first woman to lead the Edmonds port.

The Cascade Warbirds fly over Naval Station Everett. (Sue Misao / The Herald file)
Bothell High School senior awarded $2,500 to keep on flying

Cascade Warbirds scholarship helps students 16-21 continue flight training and earn a private pilot’s certificate.

Rachel Gardner, the owner of Musicology Co., a new music boutique record store on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. Musicology Co. will open in February, selling used and new vinyl, CDs and other music-related merchandise. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Edmonds record shop intends to be a ‘destination for every musician’

Rachel Gardner opened Musicology Co. this month, filling a record store gap in Edmonds.

MyMyToyStore.com owner Tom Harrison at his brick and mortar storefront on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burst pipe permanently closes downtown Everett toy store

After a pipe flooded the store, MyMyToystore in downtown Everett closed. Owner Tom Harrison is already on to his next venture.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.