What the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo showed me about trust and reputation
Attending the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo last week was one of those experiences that sticks with you. The setting—Edinburgh Castle at night—was dramatic. The music—bagpipes, drums, military precision—was powerful. Puts a lump in your throat. But what really hit me was the discipline and consistency behind it all.
This event doesn’t just “happen.” It’s been built over decades, carried by tradition, and earned its global reputation through trust and precision—year after year. They are proud that this is the 75th anniversary of the event.
It reminded me of something we see every day in our line of work:
Trust and reputation aren’t created—they’re revealed.
Due diligence background investigations are kind of like this. On the surface, a company or executive might look polished and well-presented. But what really matters is what lies underneath: the quiet patterns, the decisions made when no one was looking, and whether the story holds up under scrutiny.
When a deal feels “off,” it usually is.
And when someone has a reputation that’s been earned over time, you can feel that too—even if the numbers look ordinary on paper.
Whether you’re reviewing a company or watching a thousand pipers march in perfect step, you know it when something feels solid. (Just try to find a left foot below that is not stepping!)
That’s what we look for every day.