Home / Elizabeth Setterfield

Good writing matters.

Why? Because there are countless worthy stories competing for our attention and we live in a world that can leave us over-stimulated and ready to tune out.

The secret to connecting to your audience is to tap into your experience as one of them. Truly resonant writing requires empathy and humility. Your story is not just about you; it's about what your mission means to others. You must move people to action by touching on what matters to them, by including them in your story.

I have a decade of newspaper journalism experience, followed by a 14-year career in professional communications. I have used words to help organizations such as Children's Wisconsin, CaringBridge, and American Public Media (Marketplace) raise critical funds for their missions. In the corporate world, I use words - written and verbal - to inspire engagement, celebrate culture, and align the business.

~ Elizabeth

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin • 21st April 2014

Corporate Philanthropy Brochure

When TIME magazine decided to publish a story about the miraculous, life-saving advancements that have been made in the care of newborns and preemies, they didn’t go to Philadelphia or Boston. They didn’t go to New York or Chicago. They came here. They came to the nation’s highest-rated newborn program ... at the nation’s #4 ranked pediatric hospital. In Milwaukee.

1st January 2015

Corporate stewardship (excerpt)

The Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin story is a remarkable one, made up of thousands of smaller, but no less astonishing stories. But it’s not just our story. It’s a narrative that comes together on the strength of our friendships — on the strength of the partnerships formed with our supporters in the community. In short, we do what we do very well at Children’s, but we do none of it alone.

3rd August 2015

Investing in research for kids (excerpt)

When an infant or child becomes sick, questions need to be answered quickly, and without mistake. Often, the diagnosis is clear and the treatment plan well established. Those children leave our hospital happy and healthy. Sometimes, however, the answers don’t come easily. When it’s your child you need answers for, it’s not enough to have world-class pediatric health care on your doorstep — you want world-class research, too.

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin • 9th November 2015

Cancer Care Proposal (excerpt)

The inpatient cancer care unit at Children’s Hospital is a special place, serving some of our bravest kids. The children cared for on “East 5” are served by a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, social workers, nutritionists, child life therapists, chaplains and child psychologists. These professionals are intimately collaborative, coordinating care for each child. Sadly, the space our care providers and children inhabit does not do justice to the courage, passion and dedication that lives there. The unit is more than 20 years old and in serious need of renovations.

Apartment Therapy • 22nd February 2009

Joe's Industrial Milwaukee Retreat

What do you get when you take three creative artists, an old cream city brick hardware company building, abandoned industrial hardware, redwood forest scrap wood and passion for design? You get an amazing work-live space that inspires more of the creativity that built it.

Apartment Therapy • 22nd February 2009

Nick, Bryan and Otto's Milwaukee Studio

When you consider how much time we spend at work - it makes sense that we want to love our work space. If you're lucky enough to be an entrepreneur and in charge of your own studio, that's exactly what you can do. The men who make up Blend Studios in Milwaukee took a 1,350 square foot office space in an old building downtown and turned it into a creative haven ... for them.

Apartment Therapy • 22nd February 2009

Dahms Family LEGO House

Next time you step on a LEGO block and silently curse your children for leaving their toys all over the place, think of this home and smile. Fred and Julie Dahms built this bright, modern 2,300 square-foot home a few years ago, based on a LEGO design put together by Fred and the couple's son, Max.

Stella Photographs, LLC • 25th April 2010

Photography

As much as I love to tinker with words, I am also enchanted by a good photograph. Pairing words and images is, of course, the fastest way to connect with your reader. Stella Photographs, LLC was named after my grandmother, and was my weekend passion project from 2006 through 2015. I focused on interior design photography as well as portraiture, both with a modern and casual approach. This is a small sampling of my portraiture work. My interiors shots can be viewed in the Apartment Therapy posts above.