We’re all about you, but this page is all about us.
Here’s the deal: we’re here to help businesses succeed. We have a track record of doing that, and it’s something we’re proud of. But there’s more to success than meeting sales numbers. If you’re in business strictly to make money, we’re not a great fit for each other. If you have a bigger purpose with your business, though–doing work that helps someone, partnering with others who do that, or just putting some of your profits into the hands of people who need help–we might be a great match.
Creative Vixen Design is a progressive, woman-owned, Indigenous-owned business. Our passion is helping women and people of color who own businesses to amplify their voices. Visit the services page to see the ways we can work together.
Our business practices are based on the seven Lakota virtues
Fortitude: We accept challenges with courage, strength, and confidence and seek a solution that’s beneficial to everyone.
Generosity: We support our community by volunteering and donating, as well as doing our best to be a positive force in the world.
Kinship: We recognize that people are more alike than we are different, and that we all can work together to build something positive.
Gratitude: We practice gratitude for the opportunity to do work we love for clients who are dedicated to improving life for others.
Respect: We believe that everyone has something valuable to contribute to a project, and we give them the opportunity to be heard.
Wisdom: We listen to those with more knowledge so we can learn and apply it to our work.
Compassion: We believe that our work should support our clients’ goals without doing harm to others.
Meet the team
Charlotte Easterling
Charlotte Easterling is the owner of Creative Vixen Design. She’s worked in-house and in agencies around Madison since 1996. The most fulfilling aspects of her career have been working with not-for-profit businesses to help them with fundraising efforts, educational projects, and public awareness.
Charlotte is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and she’s also Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) by descent. Her design and illustration style are informed by her heritage as well as a wide range of interests including traveling, reading, art (making it and looking at it), and yoga.
Photo by Valerie Hesslink
Eric Shipley
Eric Shipley is Charlotte’s husband and business partner. He’s a writer, voice actor, and musician who has worked in-house and independently doing training materials, technical manuals, scripts, short stories, marketing copywriting, and more. When he’s not working–and often even when he is–he’s probably singing, thinking about singing, or just getting done singing. He also loves storytelling, traveling, reading, and cooking.
Louie Chatnoir
Louie Chatnoir is the newest member of the Creative Vixen Design team. He joined us in 2023 as our office manager, research assistant, and food service director.
Louie’s interests include strings, toy mice, scratching pads, and catnip. A true foodie, he’s a connoisseur of canned cat food and a variety of treats.
About our partners
Creative Vixen Design is a small business with lots of connections. Every project is a collaboration between us and the client, and some involve other partnerships as well. Anything that’s outside of the Creative Vixen Design wheelhouse is an opportunity to work with some of these partners, including photographers, videographers, writers/editors, voice talent, web/app developers, social media experts, and more. Everyone we connect with has the same values that Creative Vixen Design does, and they do fantastic work as well.