Archive | Small Business Success

1000 in 10 Years!

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 4, 2023

Category: Business Partnerships, Careers, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Giving Back, Jury Consultants, Life Outside of Work, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Psychology, RoadWarrior, Small Business Success, Travel, Trial Consultants, Work-Life

Believe it or not, this is David’s and my 1000th post! Our twice weekly blog began on June 19, 2013. It is hard to believe 10 years have passed and 1000 posts have been written. As with all things, there is a time to begin and a time to end and this post will be […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 4, 2023

Some of these blogs have “written themselves” while others caused me to think a bit more. We’ve tried to cover a range of topics about life and work. And, specifically we’ve discussed our work with trial lawyers which is always interesting! Melissa came up with the idea of this blog and the title, “2’s Company” […]

30 Years

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 29, 2023

Category: Business Partnerships, Business Relationships, Careers, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants

This year, 2023, marks 30 years since the beginning of Magnus Research Consultants, Inc. Melissa and I, along with another person who was a prospective partner in our venture, filed the articles of incorporation in July, 1993. (Quick digression, the other partner drifted out of the picture without becoming a partner.) At the time all […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 29, 2023

Many life events have taken place in the 30 years since David and I founded our company. We have been fortunate in many ways, including the sudden departure of our third partner soon after we began working together as Magnus. His legacy lives on in our name, but looking back, I realize it would have […]

Categories of Missed Opportunity

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 27, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Business Travel, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Jury Research, Life Outside of Work, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Psychology, Small Business Success, Travel, Trial Consultants

Some people have experienced significant loss, hardship, and a decline in physical and mental health during their lives. (I often think about Nelson Mandela’s 27 years of imprisonment as an example of this type of personal suffering.) Other people have had some serious setbacks, such as a bankruptcy, death of a parent, or a chronic […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 27, 2023

Melissa wrote her part of this post some time ago, during the 2020 pandemic, and I’m playing catch up. In a way, it is interesting to see how things have worked out over time, due to changes triggered by a pandemic. Many things have changed permanently. Work place changes are a big and obvious change. […]

Just in Time Jury Consulting

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 22, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Business Travel, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

A series of recent experiences pertaining to a case on which we were ramping up made me consider the timeline of jury consulting. In the world of business, and especially manufacturing, there is a concept of just in time production. With just in time production, the raw materials for a “thing” arrive at the production […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 22, 2023

As far as I am concerned, one of the best changes that we have seen over the 30 years of owning and operating Magnus is the way in which we get paid. In the past, Magnus was paid by check, which was either mailed through the postal service or sent via overnight delivery. Much to […]

Lunch Buddies

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 15, 2023

Category: Business Relationships, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Mental Health, Small Business Success, Work-Life

Most of my working life has been spent in small environments without the opportunity to go to lunch with co-workers. Melissa and I have lunch together most days of the week, and of course, breakfast and dinner too. But, not having worked in a big workplace, my lunch buddies are most often people, who like […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 15, 2023

As anyone who knows me well can attest, lunch is my favorite meal of the day. In my opinion, breakfast is a necessity and dinner, while enjoyable, is more formal than lunch. Lunch, on the other hand, has the greatest potential for fun and I love to have fun! I spent many years in academic […]

Team Players and Other People

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 13, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Small Business Success

The concept of team work receives considerable attention in many types of situations, from the workplace, to education, to sports. At Magnus, David and I wholeheartedly endorse team work among our employees and including ourselves. Although, in sports terms, I am the “team captain” at Magnus, I cannot perform my job absent help from other […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 13, 2023

Work teams take many forms. In our world, I’ve long thought that our work most closely resembles a relay race team in the sports world. With what we do, we have a baton starting at the intake of each new case. That baton moves back and forth among team members throughout the duration of our […]

Just Ask

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 25, 2023

Category: Business Relationships, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Small Business Success, Workplace Technology

Some recent business dealings have reminded me that asking can result in rewards. This is a lesson long ago imparted by the late Ron Lit. Ron was a wheeler dealer (really – he was a car wholesaler, among other things, as we wrote about in an early post, way back in 1994 https://magnusinsights.com/connections-ron-lit/). Ron told […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 25, 2023

Category: Business Relationships, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Small Business Success, Workplace Technology

Ron Lit passed away on Friday, July 13, 2005. He was also born on Friday the 13th , May 13, 1938 to be exact. Ron was an enigma; for example, his actual name was neither Ron nor Lit. He had a tremendous impact on both David and me in the years we knew him. From […]

I Hear Things

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 23, 2023

Category: Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants

I hear things. You’ve got that right: I hear things. I often hear things other people cannot hear. My eyesight is extremely limited (in fact, I am legally blind without corrective lenses) and, as such, I have always relied on my keen sense of sound. In addition, because I have been a musician for almost […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 23, 2023

Most of us enjoy having 5 senses, and I won’t venture into a 6th sense; I can attest to Melissa’s keen sense of hearing. It goes well beyond her listening ability, for which our clients pay dearly. Melissa can hear so well that the mocking birds in our yard that start singing wake her with their […]

Don’t Make the Boss’ Job More Difficult

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 16, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Business Relationships, Careers, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants

In the 50 years since I started my first job, I have been an employee for 20 years and an employer for 30 years. In my roles as employee, then employer, I have often marveled at some people’s absence of awareness of a fundamental workplace principle: Don’t make the boss’ job more difficult. There are […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 16, 2023

I knew Rosemary, Melissa’s assistant at the hospital where they worked. Rosemary was the epitome of professionalism and did her job in an excellent fashion which is why it was not long that she went from working for Melissa to working for Melissa’s boss. In the 30+ years of Magnus we have, fortunately, had team […]

The Balancing Act Continues

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 11, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Life Outside of Work, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

As I was standing in line this morning, a Friday morning, at Walmart (don’t judge me), I thought about how odd it was to be shopping on “work time.” And, further, I thought about the list of categories we have on this blog, one of which is “WorkLife.” We previously wrote about work life balance […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 11, 2023

As I mentioned in one of David’s and my recent posts, we recently had lunch with 2 of my childhood friends, a married couple, who are retired. Their enthusiastic advocation of retirement included the statement, “Melissa, when you retire, you can do whatever you want”! I replied, “That’s not a motivation for me. I already […]

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Archive | Small Business Success

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