During the California Gold Rush, a lumber magnate and a prominent coffin maker shared their boxcar with a journalist on a week-long train ride out West. For several days, the men spoke of their families and future, yet uttered not one word about business until the final stop.

Just before they parted, they agreed to the terms of a deal and exchanged a firm handshake. The journalist, a bit exasperated and puzzled, asked the lumber magnate what took them so long to "talk shop."

His answer was simple: "The secret to business success is trust. Once that is in place, everything else is easy."

This story, which I admit is loosely adapted from a Ken Burns documentary, has stuck with me when I think of our work at The Ivy Group.

Today, the world moves much faster, and opportunities to spend "quality time" with customers and clients are fewer and farther between, yet personal relationships remain at the center of every business success.

Our role--plain and simple--is to build a bond of trust between clients and their intended audiences. Whether recruiting nurses, publicizing important research, building a web interface or surveying customers (in nine different languages, no less)--regardless of the focus of a project, it's all about developing authentic and personal bonds. In an ever-changing world, "once that is in place, everything else is easy."