Today we’d like to introduce you to Meredith Boas.
Hi Meredith, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember. Art and books were my safe haven growing up, and I gravitated toward every creative outlet I could find, as well as the people who shared those passions. Creativity wasn’t just something I enjoyed; it became the lens through which I viewed the world.
I earned multiple associate degrees in Graphic Design & Multimedia, Photography, Video Production, and Visual Communications before ultimately earning my bachelor’s degree in Integrated Arts from the University of Baltimore. Along the way, I realized that while not everyone sees themselves as creative, many people have incredible ideas and simply need someone with my skillset to help bring them to life.
In 2015, my husband Brandon and I launched Grunge Muffin Designs, a creative studio based in Cecil County, Maryland. We’re both graduates of the University of Baltimore, and from the beginning our strengths have complemented one another. While my background is rooted in design, storytelling, and visual communication, Brandon brings technical expertise and interactive media production experience. Together, we’ve built a multidisciplinary creative practice that allows us to work on everything from branding and websites to publications, social media, books, and print projects. One of the things I enjoy most is the variety. Every client, organization, and project brings a new challenge and a new story to tell.
As my work with independent authors expanded, I became increasingly involved in the publishing side of the creative process. What started with book covers and promotional materials eventually grew into helping authors navigate social media, production, and printing. That experience led to the opening of Grunge Muffin Press, a hybrid publishing imprint dedicated to producing professional, high-quality books.
I was fortunate to grow up in communities in both Delaware and Maryland, and those roots continue to shape who I am today. Beyond my business, I’m currently Chair of the Friends Foundation for Cecil County Public Library and am the Director of Delaware Fun-A-Day, a Delaware arts nonprofit dedicated to encouraging creativity and community connection.
Looking back, my career wasn’t built around a single grand plan. It grew from a lifelong love of art, books, storytelling, and community. My goal has always been to make a positive impact on as many individuals and organizations as possible because I truly believe we all do better when we support one another and rise together.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road definitely hasn’t been smooth. Like many small business owners, Brandon and I didn’t start with outside investment, a safety net, or a ready-made client base. We built Grunge Muffin Designs from the ground up, one project, one relationship, and one opportunity at a time.
While earning my degrees, I worked multiple jobs, paid my own way through school, and slowly invested every spare dollar back into building the future I envisioned. At the same time, Brandon and I were laying the foundation for a business that reflected our shared belief in creativity, community, and helping others succeed.
When we launched Grunge Muffin Designs in 2015, we had about $100 in the bank and a lot of determination. There wasn’t a grand funding plan or roadmap to follow. We simply believed in what we were building, took chances when opportunities presented themselves, and worked hard for every client and project that came our way.
One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is that relationships matter. Referrals have been the foundation of our success, and I’m incredibly grateful that many of our clients have been with us since the very beginning. Those long-term relationships mean more to me than any single project because they represent trust, friendship, and a shared investment in one another’s success.
One challenge I’ve continually faced is balancing affordability with sustainability. I’ve always wanted creative services, publishing, and design support to be accessible to the people and organizations that need them. At the same time, small businesses need to remain healthy in order to continue serving their communities. Finding that balance isn’t always easy, but it’s something I care deeply about because I genuinely want to make a positive impact on as many people as possible.
Looking back, every obstacle taught us something valuable. Building a business from scratch requires persistence, adaptability, and faith in yourself, especially during the moments when the path forward isn’t entirely clear. The challenges have made me more appreciative of the opportunities, the clients, and the community that helped make Grunge Muffin Designs and Grunge Muffin Press what they are today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Grunge Muffin Designs & Grunge Muffin Press?
Grunge Muffin Designs is a creative studio founded by my husband, Brandon, and me in 2015. Together, we help businesses, nonprofits, authors, artists, and community organizations communicate their stories through branding, websites, print design, social media, and creative support. Grunge Muffin Press is our independent hybrid publishing imprint, focused on producing professional, high-quality books and helping authors navigate the publishing process. We are not a vanity press; submissions open annually.
What sets us apart is our relationship-driven approach. We believe great creative work starts with listening. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions, we take the time to understand each client’s goals, challenges, and audience. Many of our clients have been with us for years, and some have been with us since the very beginning. Those long-term relationships are something we’re incredibly proud of.
Our partnership is also one of our greatest strengths. While my background is rooted in design, storytelling, and visual communication, Brandon brings technical expertise and interactive media production experience. Together, we’re able to approach projects from both the creative and technical sides, helping clients develop solutions that are not only visually engaging but also functional and effective.
We’re uniquely positioned to support a brand through every phase of development, from logo creation and brand identity to websites, online shops, social media, newsletters, product photography, packaging, print materials, and beyond. We also offer commercial illustration and illustrated maps, allowing us to provide highly customized creative solutions that many firms simply don’t offer under one roof.
One thing readers should know about our brand is that community has always been at the heart of what we do. Whether we’re helping a small business launch, supporting a nonprofit mission, branding a professional individual, publishing an independent author, or volunteering our time through local organizations, our goal is the same: to make a positive impact and help others succeed.
What I’m most proud of isn’t any one project. It’s the trust we’ve built over the past decade, the relationships we’ve formed, and the opportunity to help so many individuals and organizations bring their ideas to life.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was always creating something. Drawing, painting, sewing, and crafting. I never really stuck to a single medium because I wanted to try all of them. Looking back, I’ve always been a collector of creative hobbies and artistic experiences. Art wasn’t just something I enjoyed; it was how I made sense of the world.
I grew up loving colorful, imaginative worlds. Rainbow Brite, Care Bears, My Little Pony, Disney films, Studio Ghibli, and classic animated fantasy films like The Hobbit, The Black Cauldron, and The Thief and the Cobbler were some of my favorites. I also loved darker fantasy films like Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, and The Princess Bride. At the same time, I was a huge Star Wars fan and developed a wide range of interests thanks to my family. My grandparents introduced me to mysteries and true crime, my dad fueled my love of science fiction and action, and my mom shared her love of musicals, storytelling, and creativity.
I’m the second oldest of six siblings, so there was never a shortage of imagination, activity, or chaos. Growing up between Delaware and Maryland gave me a strong appreciation for community and connection, something that continues to influence both my personal life and my work today.
Books were every bit as important to me as art. Reading was both an escape and an education, and I’ve remained an avid reader throughout my life. Today, my personal library has completely taken over parts of my home. My lifelong love of books eventually led me into publishing, and my love of art became my career, so many of the things that shaped me as a child continue to shape my professional life today. It’s probably no surprise that I also gravitated toward cozy mysteries as both a reader and publisher; they combine many of the things I’ve always loved: storytelling, community, suspense, and memorable characters.
Interestingly, my husband Brandon and I were born just three days apart. We both grew up as the second-born child in our families, each with an older sister, and were exposed to many of the same pop culture influences. While I was immersed in art, books, fantasy, and storytelling, Brandon gravitated toward filmmaking, technology, gaming, comedy, and visual media. He grew up making films with friends, skateboarding, playing hacky sack, and eventually became a professional gamer on the Gears of War circuit. We met in college, but looking back, it’s funny how many interests and influences we already had in common. Those shared experiences would later become part of the foundation for both our relationship and our business partnership.
I’m also very much a 90s kid, and grunge music played a big role in my teenage years. “Grunge Muffin” started as a term of endearment among my friends in high school, and years later it felt like the perfect name for a business built around creativity, individuality, and authenticity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.grungemuffindesigns.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grungemuffindesigns
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrungeMuffinDesigns
- Twitter: https://www.etsy.com/shop/GrungeMuffinDesigns
- Other: https://www.grungemuffinpress.com/
