2's Company - MagnusInsights.com

About this blog

After more than 25 years operating a trial consulting practice together as co-founding partners of Magnus Research Consultants, Inc. and Magnus Graphics, Inc., and more than 30 years of marriage, Dr. Melissa Pigott and David Fauss decided to share some of their thoughts, experiences, pet peeves, and perspectives on operating a small “mom & pop” business. The intended audience for their writings is other business owners, as well as employees of small businesses. Trial consulting is a professional service business, as was David’s photography business. There are many unique issues faced by professional service providers; Melissa and David share some of their insights on running a successful business.

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 […]

When Asking for a Favor, Make it Easy for Me to Help

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 20, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Common Courtesy, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Giving Back, Jury Consultants, Life Outside of Work, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Work-Life

As long time readers of David’s and my blog know, I am almost constantly barraged with people’s requests for me to help them. This is, as I tell many people, the story of my life. I help people who need my help, both in my professional life as well as in my personal life. I […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 20, 2023

I don’t recall the specific incident that prompted this post. In fact, this type of situation seems so common that it is difficult to pinpoint it at all. It is not rare, it is, unfortunately, common. It is not that we’re picking on our clients, all of whom happen to be lawyers; no, we’re not […]

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 […]

AI: NO, Real Intelligence

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 8, 2023

Category: Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Workplace Technology

AI, short for Artificial Intelligence, is all the rage at present. The business world is trying to find ways to use AI for many reasons, some of course, involve finding ways to cut out the human component – that is, employees. Others try to find ways to do things better than humans can on a […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 8, 2023

Category: Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Workplace Technology

As David and I have written in previous posts, many people busy themselves with looking for an easy way out, a short cut, or an end run in any given situation. Unfortunately, this includes attorneys, who often fall for the latest fad when litigating cases. Whether it’s the old time snake oil of neurolinguistic programming […]

Paid Versus Free Opinions

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 6, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Common Courtesy, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Consultants, Life Outside of Work, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Trial Consultants

To follow up on my previous post about people asking for my opinions, I have noticed an interesting phenomenon. Although it is far from universal, I have observed that people, such as friends and family, who ask for my opinion with no intention of paying me for my time or expertise, often devalue or discount […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 6, 2023

Melissa is in the position of giving, or rather, selling, advice on a daily basis. In a way, that is the business we are in. Of course, much of Melissa’s advice builds not only on her education, training, knowledge and experiences, but on data collected and analyzed for our client’s cases. Clients pay “good money” […]

Where am I?

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 1, 2023

Category: Business Travel, Careers, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, RoadWarrior, Travel, Trial Consultants

The last couple of months have been pretty hectic, work wise. We’ve had several out of town cases and speaking engagements for Melissa and one night I woke up thinking, “where am I?” I suspect this is a phenomenon common to many “road warriors.” To borrow a line from the band, Bad Company, “And I’m […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 1, 2023

I have stayed in too many hotel rooms to count in the 34 years I have been working as a trial consultant. Most of my friends, and all of my family members, do not travel for business and some hardly ever leave their home for a fun trip, such that they have no idea what […]

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About this blog

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

About Magnus