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Company: Jolly Creative Agency
Owners: Sarah Jolly
Year Started: 2012
Employees: 1-10 (Emerging)

Welcome to An Agency Story podcast! I’m your host, Russel.

In this episode I have the pleasure of sitting down with Sarah Jolly of Jolly Creative Agency a remote agency based out of California.

In this episode, Sarah takes us through her agency’s unique path, from discovering a love for web design as a teenager to growing a quality business focused on intentional processes and white glove service. You’ll hear about many of Sarah’s lessons learned, her approach to maintaining authenticity, and hiring slowly and the art of meaningful training.

This conversation is filled with insights, entrepreneurial spirit, and some good laughs.

Enjoy the story.

Show Insights

Quality Starts with Intentional Review: Jolly Creative’s commitment to quality is rooted in their internal processes. After each project, they conduct debriefs to discuss what worked, what didn’t, and how to improve—both from the client's and their team’s perspectives. This proactive reflection ensures continuous improvement and keeps the agency aligned with their values of transparency and service. It reinforces the idea that external client success mirrors the internal health of the team.

Slow Hiring Leads to Lasting Teams: Sarah emphasized the importance of being intentional and slow when hiring, especially as a remote agency. Their hiring process involves multiple interviews, personality assessments, and creative ways to get to know candidates beyond surface-level interactions. Once onboard, new hires go through an intensive two-week training and a longer adjustment period to ensure a cultural fit and autonomy. This method has resulted in long-term team members and a tight-knit, high-performing group, demonstrating the value of prioritizing fit over speed when building a team.