Social media is a powerful tool that can make or break your business. As I’m sure you’re aware, United Airlines recently learned this lesson the hard way. What this incident illustrated was the speed with which a brand’s reputation can be impacted. In the age of smart phones and social media, companies can no longer ignore incidents or sweep them under the rug.

This is Part 3 of a three-part series. Warren and Charlie are business maestros. Everyone knows that. But listening to the two of them talk, I couldn’t help but think about how their business advice also translates to the world in general. What follows is a few of these bon mots of wisdom, partnered with some of my general observations.

This is Part 2 of a three-part series. I was lucky enough to have spent time with a few Berkshire Hathaway portfolio company CxO’s during my time in Omaha — from organized meetings to fortuitous seats on flights. What struck me most in these conversations was the consistency in their stories around joining the Berkshire Hathaway family.

Recently, I was lucky enough to be invited to be part of a group that would be attending the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting in Omaha. How could I turn down the opportunity to attend what has been fondly referred to as the “Woodstock of Capitalism”? There was no way I wasn’t going.

I was lucky enough to attend Super Bowl XL. The experience is one in a million. Two top teams, amped up to play the most important game of their lives. But then the live action just stops, for what seems like a really long time. Why? The network is airing commercials.

I don’t claim to be an expert on parenting or education, but like many I had a fair amount of skepticism when I noticed how my daughter did her math problems. Gone were the rote times-tables, memorization, and lengthy explanations that I grew up with – all replaced by number lines and boxes. Exercising patience, I spent some time thinking and reading about the new theories in math education and admit, I became a convert.

We in the consulting world pride ourselves on giving good advice, hoping that our clients will heed it. If they don’t, shame on them. And if we ourselves don’t listen? Shame on us.

Guilty as charged.

I’m a die-hard Philly sports fan.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, I was indoctrinated at an early age, living, eating and breathing the Eagles, Phillies, Sixers and Flyers (much to my parents’ chagrin). I stuck with them despite a family move to the New York area, and got a second fix returning to Philly for college. And despite subsequent moves to other fan-fanatic cities like Boston, New York and now LA, I remain loyal to my teams.

When HighPoint Senior Advisor Jim Bennett penned a HighPoint InSights article last year on the importance of corporations building trust, who knew it would become such a hot topic in recent months? As Jim pointed out, trust isn’t just a nice perk achieved while growing market share and profitability. Trust can directly impact your ability to retain and grow your business.

I’m probably not alone in noticing that written communication has gotten, frankly, sloppy. We could chalk it up to any number of culprits. Maybe it’s the proliferation of instant messaging that’s forcing abbreviations, conjugations and the like to become the norm. Or maybe it’s voice-to-text messaging, an over-reliance on auto-correct, big fingers on little screens, the list goes on.