Meet D’lynne Plummer of Late Bloomer Creative

Today we’d like to introduce you to D’lynne Plummer.

Hi D’lynne, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I began my career 25 years ago as a freelance arts writer in Boston. Writing was always at the heart of what I loved, and over time I found ways to translate that skill into new arenas, first in marketing for an architecture firm, then for a consulting firm. When I relocated to Atlanta, I launched a small business providing content and marketing services to organ, and quickly fell in love with both the city and the opportunity to grow my career and family here.

During COVID, I had the chance to collaborate with the NIH on its Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics initiative, helping companies with content, branding, and design as they worked on innovative health solutions. That experience deepened my passion for the life sciences space and showed me the impact of combining creativity with mission-driven work. It also grew my business exponentially, and I knew I was on a roll.

In 2021, I met Kevin McHugh, an extraordinarily talented creative director, and in 2023 we co-founded Late Bloomer Creative. Finding a partner whose skills, vision, and values aligned so perfectly with mine felt like a gift. Together we’ve built a brand studio that reflects the best of our combined experiences and passions, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’re creating.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Before launching Late Bloomer Creative, my business partner and I were briefly part of another firm that was formed shortly after the pandemic. It was the result of a merger between our relative businesses, and it was a short-lived disaster. The clients and the work were great, but the partnership had major philosophical differences that bore themselves out in ways that became personally devastating. But, in that two-year span, I learned a lot about myself … and a LOT about business law. There was a week or two during the fallout that I thought we couldn’t possibly recover. But we rose from the ashes before they were even cold, and now we have a team of incredible talent, extraordinary clients, and bonds that are stronger than ever.

Owning a business is never for the faint of heart, and running a creative one comes with its own set of challenges. Storytelling, branding, and design don’t always lend themselves to easy measurement. But in the end, it’s the strength of your relationships that carries you through.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Late Bloomer Creative?
Late Bloomer Creative is a brand studio based in Atlanta and Boston that thrives on curiosity and collaboration. Our work spans from life sciences to hospitality to nonprofits, but the through line is a commitment to sharp ideas, differentiated design, and an approach that never feels cookie-cutter.

Every project starts with research: digging into history, markets, competitors, and culture until we uncover what really makes a brand tick. From there, we bring in wit, flexibility, and a design sensibility that helps our clients stand out in meaningful ways.

Some of the work we’re most proud of has been in hospitality—reimagining historic properties as modern hotels with identities that feel rooted in place but fresh to today’s travelers. Other times it’s partnering with scientists and innovators to help explain complex ideas clearly and compellingly. In all cases, our best work happens when we become true collaborators with our clients.

At the end of the day, we see branding as a way of clarifying, sharpening, and elevating ideas so they can live fully in the world.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Everything is a risk. Especially today. We have no choice but to be risk takers. All of us. To have kids, to drive a car, to travel, to start a business, to hire employees, these are all totally bonkers ideas that require magical thinking.

The phone has been ringing steadily for me since I moved here in 2012, and I have to just keep believing that the phone will keep ringing, and that the great work we do will beget more great opportunities. There is no other way to participate in the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://latebloomercreative.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/latebloomer.creative
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/late-bloomer-creative-llc

Image Credits
Headshots by Artem Nazarov