Archive | Entrepreneurship

Run of the House

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 30, 2022

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

I booked a hotel room recently and, while navigating the rates, I came across one that said “run of house.” I know this means “you get what we’ve got left.” It is doubtful that this would ever be an exciting upgrade, but maybe. In my experience, upgrades rarely happen even when I’m paying higher rates. […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 30, 2022

The expression, “run of the house” does not have a positive connotation for me. I prefer to know what I am getting and even more than that, I prefer to know I am getting the best I can possibly get. I dislike most surprises because many people are not as discerning as me, therefore, what […]

Modern Communications

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 23, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Workplace Technology

Writing this post in mid 2022, I want to comment on modern communications technologies. Especially due to the pandemic, the “modern” technologies of cellular telephones and virtual meetings (Zoom, etc.) have become more common in the world of business. This is for better or worse, depending on point of view. These technologies are great because […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 23, 2022

David spends significantly more time talking on the telephone than I do, but I share his frustrations. The poor quality of some people’s internet connections make it difficult to have a meaningful telephone conversation. This is compounded when the conversation is via a platform, such as Zoom, that includes both audio and video components. Constant reminders […]

Zenobia

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 21, 2022

Category: Business Travel, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Psychology, RoadWarrior, Small Business Success, Travel, Work-Life

Recently, a long time friend of my family’s, Woody Hanson, posted an old photo on a social media site that brought back fond memories. The photo was of Zenobia King Hill, the owner of a modeling school in my hometown of Fort Myers, Florida. Zenobia was from Alabama; she attended the famous John Robert Powers […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 21, 2022

I’ve heard many stories about Zenobia over the years, but it was not until I saw the photo Melissa referenced, with the description, that I actually knew how her name was spelled. Melissa, as well as some of her friends, have spoken fondly of Zenobia over the years. I’ve heard about the life skills learned, […]

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 16, 2022

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

“Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” is a phrase used to suggest one should relax, chill out, and not worry about the little things, things which sometime seem out of one’s control. Well, that’s great. But, our “day job” as trial consultants doesn’t allow it. Neither does my prior advocation, photography. For example, when photographing people […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 16, 2022

This topic, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff,” came up recently during a slightly heated debate David and I were having about the proper way to prepare something we were having for dinner. (As the reader might imagine, David and I have many debates, some over trivial matters, on an almost daily basis.) I don’t recall […]

Magnus’ Women Power

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 24, 2022

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

In the almost 30 years that David and I have co-owned Magnus Research Consultants, we have employed many people of both sexes. We have had several long term employees, 2 of whom are men and 2 of whom are women. In addition, there have been 3 women who are former Magnus employees who have gone […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 24, 2022

On the day I started writing this post, Melissa was wearing a pink t-shirt that said “Pretty Good for a Girl.” I bought it for her at a Mindi Abair jazz concert. Mindi has a song by that title because it is a phrase she’s heard many times over her career. She decided to embrace […]

Fix it as Soon as it Breaks

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 17, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Research, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Workplace Technology

I am an ardent fan of the maxim, “fix it as soon as it breaks.” I have never known anything that fixed itself, whether it is a leaky faucet, a flat tire (or tyre, on all the British cars I have owned), or a faulty electrical outlet. Admittedly, I am not good at fixing things. […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 17, 2022

Homeownership seems to involve an endless “to do” list. There is always something to do. Sometimes, the to dos are small items, easy to resolve. Sometimes, expertise is required, or at least more expertise than I possess. Or strength – some fixes take more expertise and muscle than I have, or any one person has. […]

If You Don’t Have a Ph.D In Psychology Don’t Presume to Understand Human Nature

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 3, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Behavior, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

I have written about the phenomenon of people who have no education, training, or expertise in psychology who think they know as much about human behavior as I, a psychologist, know. I am frequently asked for my opinion about someone or something, only to be told, “Well, I don’t have a degree in psychology, but […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 3, 2022

Knowing what you don’t know or knowing that you don’t know are important skills for getting through a career, or life. An economics professor once pointed this out to me when I remarked that I felt, despite having earned highest grade on a test in his class, there was so much I didn’t know about […]

If You Have to Ask the Price…

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 21, 2022

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

The old adage, “if you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it” came to mind when speaking with a client recently. He asked for a menu of services with prices. This is something that we, at Magnus, have never published because our fees/prices vary depending on the specific details of a case. During […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 21, 2022

I know David would be disappointed if I didn’t mention my favorite slogan about prices. My dad was born in Medart, Florida, which is located in Wakulla County. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with Wakulla County, it is located in the Florida Panhandle, near Tallahassee, although culturally speaking, it is worlds away!) I […]

Hallowed Ground at Modern Music

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 19, 2022

Category: Careers, Entrepreneurship, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Work-Life

By the time I started taking weekly bass guitar lessons at Modern Music, it was anything but modern. Having opened for business in 1970, it was well past its prime by the time I started going there in 2003. Modern Music sold new and used guitars (it was a Fender retailer), amplifiers, PA systems, sheet […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 19, 2022

Category: Careers, Entrepreneurship, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Work-Life

It is amazing to think of all that Melissa and I have learned based on the decision I made to get her a bass guitar. It was time for her to do what she’d always told me she regretted not being able to do when she was a teen. Modern Music has been one of […]

The Hang

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 12, 2022

Category: Careers, Entrepreneurship, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Work-Life

When my first bass guitar teacher, Doug, decided to teach bass and guitar lessons from a music store in Fort Lauderdale called Modern Music, it was the third location where I went for my lessons. The first place was Mars Music, a large and impersonal music store that went out of business a couple years […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 12, 2022

Category: Careers, Entrepreneurship, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Work-Life

Melissa tried to explain the hang to me when she first started observing it but it was difficult for me to comprehend. The more she told me, the more it reminded me of the 2000 movie High Fidelity staring John Cusack, which involved people doing the hang in a record store. But, it still seemed […]

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Archive | Entrepreneurship

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

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