The owners of a new lobbying firm are working to use their bipartisan backgrounds to support small businesses across local, state, and federal levels. Matt La Crue, a Democrat, and Ellie Reynolds, a Republican, say their political differences allow them to do better work for clients through understanding both sides of the aisle.

La Crue and Reynolds are the founders of Purple Label, a Denver-based government affairs and consulting firm, offering a range of services including lobbying, stakeholder engagement, and business development. With over two decades of combined experience, the pair has worked extensively with municipal governments, small businesses, and legislators at the State Capitol.

“Working through different issues and campaigns, we came up on different sides of the aisle, but we always worked together because we really shared our passion for business,” said Reynolds. “We found that we had something unique to offer our clients, so we decided to start our own firm, and we pride ourselves on being a modern lobbying business. We always say we’re not nonpartisan, we’re bipartisan. And that’s really important. We lean into relationships that we have on both sides of the aisle, because in Colorado you need both sides of the aisle to get things done.” 

La Crue and Reynolds brought an extensive roster of clients with them from their previous work on coalitions, campaigns, and within the state legislature, including the Cities of Greeley and Brighton, the Colorado Municipal Judges Association, and the Colorado Manufactured Housing Coalition. 

“I think it speaks for itself that our clients have been legacy clients; we’ve had clients close to 10 years that have transitioned with us through many different transitions,” said LaCrue. 

Besides its bipartisan background, Reynolds believes another thing that sets Purple Label apart is its focus on business development.

“Other firms out there focus on a lot of things: they do campaigns, they do government affairs, they do public relations; we don’t do that,” she explained. “We do government relations and the cross-section of community relations. I always say we give companies the social license to operate, however that is: if it’s with outreach, if it’s with local electeds; we create that buy-in for those businesses to thrive where they’re at.” 

Reynolds and La Crue say they take an individualized approach to each client, ensuring they all receive the same level of attention and importance, no matter the size or scale of their project. 

“We’re a non-transactional firm, so when we’re hired, we don’t do the job and then we move on,” said Reynolds. “We take every client, no matter the size, no matter our monthly retainer, every client is the same. We have a hands-on approach. I think people like our personality and partnership because we’re very up-front with our clients to really help everybody reach their goals and bring their ideas to reality.”  

Although Reynolds is a Republican and La Crue is a Democrat, they say they go to great lengths to ensure their personal politics don’t interfere with their work. In fact, they believe their differing political views enable them to understand all sides of an issue and build relationships with key players on both sides of the aisle. 

For example, as the CEO of the Douglas County Economic Development Group, Reynolds says she has gained valuable insight into how businesses operate, particularly in conservative areas like Douglas County. La Crue, a Commerce City native, leverages his experience with Democratic organizations to assist clients in the deeply blue Denver metro area.

The duo also broaden their perspectives and build trust with clients by attending events hosted by organizations across the political spectrum — Reynolds frequently participates in Democratic events, while La Crue often attends Republican-backed gatherings.

Moreover, Reynolds pointed out that some of the most pressing issues facing Colorado, such as water, are not partisan at all. “If anything, it’s an urban and rural divide,” she said. “Not everything is red and blue, but a lot of times you do need both Republicans and Democrats at the table, and I think that’s really the value that we add.”

La Crue added, “We’ve got to bring both to the table on issues like public safety, housing, and healthcare for Coloradans. It’s really important that we don’t look at it as a partisan issue. We utilize our relationships on both sides of the aisle to work on the betterment of our clients.”  

Purple Label is in the process of expanding and hiring new employees, and Reynolds and La Crue are optimistic about its future. 

“I’d like to expand across the country perhaps, hire other partners in different states to really expand our profile,” said La Crue. “We’ve had the opportunity to learn and watch different lobbyists and consultants, and we know what we like and what we don’t like, what works and what doesn’t work.” 

“As the pendulum continues to swing back and forth, whether it’s in the state or nationally, we want to be able to say we are prepared today with our relationships and we are prepared in 10 years because of who we’re hiring and the work we’re doing,” added Reynolds. “I really think we will be successful long term no matter who’s in office or what the landscape looks like, just because of our personalities and our work ethic.” 

Visit Purple Label’s website here.