In an age dominated by virtual relationships and technology solutions, building a business based on handshakes and human intelligence can seem a bit old-fashioned. But that remains the heart and soul—as well as the bread and butter—of Kaplan Partners’ strategy for creating successful executive leadership teams. So we built them a brand to showcase these values—putting candor above convenience, and meritocracy over metrics. And we spoke humbly and earnestly, delivering the right message, at the right time, to the people who most needed to listen.