As the staff of Denver-based powerhouse lobbying firm Axiom Strategies sits down around a conference table in their second-floor office just a stone’s throw away from the State Capitol, one of the first things that’s obvious is the gender discrepancy — all but one of the firm’s team members is female. Owner and President Micki Hackenberger swears this was not by design but simply how the chips fell in the course of hiring from among the best and brightest in the field.

If Axiom’s growth and success are any indication, her instincts have been spot on.

Axiom (a derivative of the Greek word “axios,” meaning worthy) is widely regarded as one of the top lobbying firms in the state, boasting a diverse and deep client base that includes such prestigious names as Hewlett Packard, the Aurora Chamber of Commerce, WPX Energy, the Commercial Real Estate Developers Association and the Motion Picture Association of America. Their fiscal year 2015 billings exceeded $550,000 according to filings with the Secretary of State’s office, putting them in the top tier of Colorado lobbying firms.

Under its current name and ownership, Axiom has been around since 2003, but its roots stretch back further than that. The firm traces its beginnings to Hays, Hays, and Wilson, founded by former Lt. Gov. Frank Hays, Sr., and his business partner Jim Wilson, the company was Colorado’s first contract lobbying firm. Hays’s son, Frank “Pancho” Hays III, was described by many as a legend in Colorado’s government-relations world and created the model for the big lobbying firm in the state. When Hackenberger started at the company in 1998, she began to understudy Pancho Hays as executive vice president. When Hays’s illness prevented him from working day-to-day, he and Hackenberger negotiated a buyout — Hackenberger acquired the firm in 2003 and changed its name to Axiom Strategies.

Her first hire was Erin Goff, who remains onboard as the firm’s general counsel. Goff was the legislative director and staff attorney for the Colorado Municipal League before joining Axiom in 2009 and brought with her a wealth of knowledge on land-use and real estate issues, which were the firm’s bread and butter at the time. “I admired her tenacity and intellect,” Hackenberger said. Hackenberger then set her sights on Melissa Osse, Axiom’s current legislative director, who had previously worked for Wyoming state Sen. Craig Thomas and as legislative liaison for the Colorado Department of Transportation under Govs. Bill Ritter and John Hickenlooper.

IN 2014, Pancho Hays’s daughter, Lacey Hays, joined the firm her father help found as an administrative aid and is working hard to learn all aspects of the business.

With this base of talent, it’s no surprise Axiom has assembled a respected client list. “Most of our clients have come to us in the last 10 years,” said Hackenberger. “We like to foster that long-term relationship with our clients.” She added that Axiom’s focus is largely on the business world. “Ninety-nine percent of what we do is business-related issues, encompassing both large and small businesses.” Axiom is, however, starting to involve itself more in local governments, having recently picked up Jefferson County as a client. “That is not our typical client,” Hackenberger noted. “But there is a natural synergy between our core business and local governments, in terms of real estate, construction defects, and urban renewal districts.”

And where there is an opportunity, Hackenberger and her team will seek it out, she said. “We like to be in the middle of big issues.”

But Axiom doesn’t chase business in the traditional sense. “We don’t put ads out,” said Hackenberger. “We don’t respond to RFP’s (requests for proposal), unless asked to.” Axiom’s business model is to let the firm’s accomplishments advertise themselves. “The best referrals we receive are by word of mouth,” she said. “When people are looking for a government relations service, they generally know who they want to hire — they have done their research.”

Hackenberger says that the firm’s reputation has provided them with “solid, reputable clients, who have been around for a long time.” She says maintaining that reputation is key to their success. “We can talk with legislators on both sides, and when you ask, ‘Who is a good lobbyist?’ we will be mentioned more often than not.” To maintain that credibility, Hackenberger says the lobbyists need to remain consistent, true to their word and effective. “You have to know your position, as well as your opponent’s arguments against your position, and not be offensive.”

It’s also critical to understand the needs of clients, says Osse. “Most of our clients are reacting to what is out there. They don’t want to be overregulated, or overtaxed, so it is our job to know what is it is that they are facing and help them navigate it.” Osse — she’s the “unchallenged chief of the fashion police” at the state Capitol, the firm’s website proclaims — adds that for an increasing number of clients, the job’s focus is on helping businesses new to the state navigate the ins and outs of Colorado’s regulatory environment. “It is less about going to the Legislature, and more about helping businesses come to Colorado and get established.”

Nevertheless, much of the firm’s work still takes place under the Capitol dome, and Hackenberger says she’s excited about the coming legislative session.

“This will be an interesting year, with the split between the House and Senate, and this being an election year.” While she predicts that a lot of bills will be introduced on both sides designed mainly to make a statement, “a split legislature ensures that nothing really crazy will happen.”

Hackenberger is even more excited about the future of Axiom — and she credits her team with the company’s growing success.

“I have a lot of talent, some very talented individuals who can interact with both Republicans and Democrats, because they are all about the people and the issues,” she said.

The priority for the firm is to keep clients happy, and the teamwork evident among the firm’s people is a key to that.

“That team approach is why we work so well together,” said Osse. “We have chemistry, lots of resources and, most importantly, we have each other’s back. Sure, we have people who are leads for clients or issues, but we are all here to help, and we all have the knowledge to step in when needed.”

That spirit of teamwork, and the client relationships that are built as a result, are what makes Axiom such an attractive place to work, its employees say. “I enjoy getting to know different clients and what the issues are,” said Goff. “I enjoy developing and cultivating relationships on both sides, whether working to get a bill passed or killed. I like the variety.”

Asked why he wanted to work for Axiom, Steppat, the firm’s newest team member, answered: “They are well respected, and I wanted to learn from the best.” He added, “And it doesn’t get boring.”

As long as Axiom’s reputation keeps the firm in the thick of the biggest issues in Colorado, boredom is unlikely to be a problem.

— info@coloradostatesman.com