With her bright, effervescent smile and all her talents, Mrs. Crony looks like she’s ready to take Colorado by storm with her latest venture. When this great opportunity and concept knocked, Elizabeth Byrnes Crony answered.
Elizabeth is very excited about her new job with Brooks International Speakers and Entertainment Bureau. In her new role as Vice President of Marketing, Crony will be responsible for promoting Brooks International, as well as developing and growing the Denver market share for corporate and non-profit events.
Elizabeth enthuses: "For over 20 years, Brooks International Speakers and Entertainment Bureau have been helping organizations, individuals, and companies flawlessly execute their programs and events. As one of the top ten speakers’ bureaus in the United States, our company has brought world leaders, world champions, and world–renowned speakers and entertainers to the United States and around the world.”
Brooks President and Founder, Maureen Brooks says: “Elizabeth is an enormous asset to the Brooks team. She is a dynamic professional who will help guide the Company's continued growth. Her knowledge and experience, along with her extensive network of business and individual alliances adds to the Company's management strength, and we are fortunate to have her.”
After being a big-city girl living in Manhattan and working in the fashion industry for 14 years, Elizabeth wanted to bring it down a notch with a simpler life and moved to Colorado in 2001. She was the President of Blacktie-Colorado through June 2006 and was instrumental in helping Blacktie grow.
The most miraculous event in Elizabeth's and Ed's life though is, without a doubt, the arrival of "Wiglet" aka: Miss Peyton Marguerite Crony who was born on July 3, 2007. Now a healthy almost 4 month old, who has gained 9 pounds since she was born, Peyton is the apple of her parents’ eye, and she has added a whole new dimension of joy to Elizabeth’s life, who says: “Motherhood is breathtaking, and it makes me cry with gratitude. The thought that we produced her is overwhelming. It’s mind-blowing everyday when we look at that little girl, we are so blessed.”
When the weather was nice this summer, Elizabeth, Ed and little Peyton could already be found doing fun activities all over town such as catching ‘happy hour’ - and the gorgeous view - with their friends on the patio at the Wellshire Inn - or checking out the latest Denver events.
Elizabeth, a true quick-change artist, can go from the relaxed girl in jeans, to evening elegance, to super-chic vamp in black leather, to a total “Brooks Brothers” professional on any given day. Elizabeth effortlessly morphs from Super Mom to Young Executive. Whether it’s changing diapers or changing her beautiful curly hair to straight hair – or thinking “outside of the box” for her clients - this unstoppable young professional excels and is ever evolving, always for the better.
Elizabeth, what’s the best non-profit event you’ve ever attended? One of the most memorable was the “High Hopes Tribute Dinner for Children’s Diabetes” in November of 2001 when Neil Diamond came to town. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Denver's always loved Neil Diamond and more than 1,200 fans flooded the Adam’s Mark Hotel ballroom – and they were standing on the chairs and tables – to see him perform. To see the reaction of the people and the power he had that night was unbelievable. He had the entire room on its feet.
What do you love most about living in Colorado? All the fabulous people; I love the open-mindedness and “can-do” attitude so many share here. And the weather and seasons are wonderful, snowstorms included. I am crazy for the snow!
Living in New York all those years, what were the people in New York like? People in New York before 9-11 were very much in their own world. Because so many of them were go-getters, and they just didn’t stop to appreciate what was around them. It was on the move 24-7. After 9-11 people learned to slow down a little bit and be more appreciative and understanding of what was really important.
When you were a young girl, you moved about every 1 ½ to 2 years. Was that difficult for you? I actually loved it. I excelled at it. I loved all the different places I got to spend time in like Hawaii, California, Virginia, Washington D.C. & Connecticut. It was hard on my mother though, because she was the one who had to pack us up and move us.
When you were carrying Peyton, you had trouble eating certain foods, how are you doing with that now? I haven't eaten meat for nearly a year. My pregnancy changed my taste buds, and even after Peyton arrived, I still can't stand the thought of chicken, turkey, beef, pork, you name it. Love anything seafood though!
What do you hope to accomplish at Brooks International? My goal is to reinvigorate and re-energize Denver corporations and non-profits and to keep bringing more and more business into Denver. I’m here to develop a solid, effective marketing plan.
You are an amazing multi-tasker, how do you do it? You learn to do things immediately so you get them done. I also work well under pressure. The closer to the deadline, the more adrenalin I have, the more creative I get. It can be a challenge at times. I try to maximize what time I have and do as much as I can in a short period of time.
What is your greatest strength? My ability to figure things out and know what needs to get done. I am a go-getter, and I just go out there and do it. I intuitively understand people and what they are looking for. I am also good at leading by example.
What is your weakness? My family and chocolate.
How did you meet your soul-mate, Ed? At a mutual friend’s wedding in Kansas City, MO. He lived in Denver at the time and I lived in New York. He and my girlfriend had worked at a TV station in Kansas City, and we were both in the wedding. We started out as friends, and he came out to NY to visit me, and I came to Denver to visit him. One night we kissed, and I thought: “Friends don’t do that, but we did.” It made me realize that my life was outside of Manhattan - even though I adored it there. I realized that it isn’t where I wanted to raise my children. So, I packed up and moved to Denver – without a job at the time. Ed and I dated; and I met Kenton and started working for Blacktie-Colorado.
Ed understands me and my quirkiness. God bless him. We are able to finish each other’s sentences, and we are on the same wavelength. He is so creative and talented; he can turn a 30,000 word book into a 30 second spot and make everyone want to tune in and watch. I’m baffled and dumbfounded at his creativity and how his mind works.
If you could make one food calorie-free, what would it be? Chocolate and Guacamole. I’m telling you, those are the two.
If they bottled your personality, what would they call it? Oiy! You tell me….
Since you were in the fashion industry for quite a while, what’s the worst fashion trend you’ve ever seen? The long straight skirts with no slits; it made it very challenging for women to walk or to even get up and down stairs. That was a bad one.
And now for our favorite question; we knew this was coming – What three things are always in your refrigerator? Seltzer, Seltzer – and more Seltzer!
What is something no one knows about you? I love M*A*S*H and Will & Grace Reruns; and I'll watch anything with Audrey Hepburn in it.
What should we all be doing to make the world a better place for Peyton to grow up in? I think about that one. Every day I look at her, and she is now in a safe, secure world, and then I hear on the news that somebody has been kidnapped or abused or that we are still at war. The bigger picture is if we all take responsibility for doing the right thing, each of us individually can make change happen.
Will there be a brother or sister for Peyton? Yes, there will be a brother or sister for Peyton, absolutely, don’t know when though.
What was a priceless moment in your life? After Peyton was born, not realizing until then the impact having a child makes – even though I was told - not realizing it until you actually have one. Another special moment in my life was when my mom called me one day after Peyton was born, and said: “I don’t think I’ve told you this, but you are an amazing mother, and I’m so proud of you.” That meant so much to me. It really made me realize as I’m looking at Peyton, how amazing all of this really is.
Mrs. Crony, it seems like your life couldn’t get any better than it is right now, what are your hopes and dreams for the future? That my family and friends all stay healthy.
How do you want to be remembered? That I was genuine and that I gave as good as I got. I hope too that I did make a difference in someone’s life.
What do you want to leave behind for future generations to come in the Crony family? Since Peyton was born, I understand even more now why it is so important to get involved in youth charities because that could effect my children and grand-children one day. Not only will I make sure Peyton understands philanthropy at an early age, and especially understand that it is not just about giving money but about giving of your time and your energy - and that you get an abundance of riches back to you.
Elizabeth’s Awards & Recognitions: Crony, as President of Blacktie-Colorado.com, was honored as the 2005 Jean Yancey NAWBO Small Businesswoman of the Year and in 2002, was honored by Cystic Fibrosis, and the Denver Business Journal as a “Young Entrepreneur of the Year.”
Elizabeth’s Community Involvement: Elizabeth is a board member of the Denver Center Alliance, the fundraising arm of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, is the PR Chair for the annual Saturday Night Alive gala, has served as their VP of Membership and is one of the founders of the Marquee Club, a busy professional subscription package to various shows held at the DCPA.
Both The Denver Hospice’s biennial “Mask Project Gala” and Volunteers of America’s annual “Western Fantasy” benefit from Elizabeth’s founding and chairing the Young Professionals ticket levels, to encourage the involvement of future young philanthropists.
She is a founding board member of the Young Philanthropist Foundation, an organization dedicated to educating K-12 students on the benefits of engaging in their communities.
Other organizations Crony participates in include The Women’s Foundation, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Rocky Mountain Chapter, Metro Volunteers and the branding of their signature event the “Heart of Volunteerism” Award event, “Hearts for Life” Guild Board Member of the American Heart Association and The Children’s Hospital Foundation’s “Little Hearts Fashion Show.”
