Archive | Trial Consultants

Chains or Local Restaurants?

On this dimension, I have observed that people fall into 1 of 2 categories. There are people who prefer large, national chain restaurants over local restaurants and those, like me, who prefer local restaurants over chains, for the most part. Perhaps I learned this from my Dad, who was always on the road during his […]

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No offense to the readers of this post who like chain restaurants, however, as a rule, I loathe them. I will go out of my way to avoid eating at a chain restaurant whenever possible. I prefer to patronize local eateries wherever I travel, both for business and pleasure. There are exceptions, of course, including […]

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Corporate Retreats

Although Melissa and I own a “mom and pop” business, one that is not large, we have always tried to think larger than we are! We’ve discussed some of the ways we think and act large – employee manuals, training schedules, etc. Another way we emulate larger entities is to take time, on an annual […]

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David and I rarely have an opportunity to discuss goals, plan for the future, or dream big dreams during the work day.  Most of our days in the office are spent getting ready for the next case, preparing reports based on research findings obtained in the previous case, and marketing to clients regarding future cases.  […]

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Jet Lag

Travel for business can be strenuous; so can personal travel, for that matter. And time zone crossing travel just adds to that stress. Having made 3 trips to Australia, I know about time zone crossing. Melissa and I don’t do international trips for work, but crossing even 1 or 2 or 3 time zones across […]

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Believe me: I know all about jet lag.  Early in my career as a trial consultant, I lived in Atlanta, but worked in Boston, for a company based in Los Angeles, where I had to go on a frequent basis.  In any given week, I “commuted” from Atlanta to Boston on Monday, then traveled with […]

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Fake Surveys

There is a trend in recent years for every purchase, service encounter, or dining experience to end with a customer satisfaction survey. As useful as feedback can be, it is, obvious to me that many of these “surveys” are better called “fake surveys.” That is, they lack objectivity and they lack validity. As an example, […]

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Fake surveys, like fake news, are a disservice to those who rely on them to make decisions. When I am asked to complete a survey, I complete it honestly, whether or not my answers are positive, neutral, or negative. I don’t understand the purpose of providing feedback unless it is honest, with the goal being […]

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Learn to spell

Not everyone can spell well enough to win a spelling bee. However, almost everyone living in an industrialized society has access to a multitude of resources on spelling. I have known many, many people who thoughtlessly write or type something, never caring enough to ensure their words are spelled correctly, only to say, “I can’t […]

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Building on our reading post, spelling and vocabulary are related in my mind. When one reads, he/she is often exposed to unfamiliar words. And seeing those words surely must help spelling them correctly. But, the point of my post on this topic is that misspelling (and/or using the wrong word – English can get confusing […]

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Multi tasking: When to do it and When not to do it

It seems that, in almost every work environment, people talk about multitasking.  In every field, other than perhaps repetitive assembly lines, it seems that many jobs require doing, or being ready to do, more than 1 task within a given work shift, hour, or minute.  I know mine involves: consulting, marketing, managing staff, strategic planning, […]

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There are times to multitask and times to work on one project until its completion. Think about it. How many of us have ever hired a general contractor or other home renovation person, only to have him work a couple of hours at our house, then leave in the middle of the project to work […]

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Can’t Tell Anyone

In a prior post, I lamented how family and friends can’t relate to what Melissa and I do in our trial consulting business. One of the main reasons for their lack of understanding is the extremely high level of confidentiality involved in our work. In order for trial consultants to be able to effectively help […]

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I will begin my part of this post by saying that David’s and my careers, as well as our business, are anything but traditional. In fact, our lives, in general, are far from traditional. When we have worked with marketing professionals, including those who specialize in social media, they quickly become frustrated when we explain […]

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Why Park & Net have been married so long

My eldest brother, Park, is truly a one woman kind of man.  He and my sister-in-law, Jeanette, have been together since they were teenagers and have been HAPPILY married since 1959.  The word “happily” was capitalized in the previous sentence to emphasize that, for Park and Jeanette (or “Net,” as I have always called her), […]

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I might not wonder if the toothpaste was poisoned, but I would wonder what was wrong if I found it ready for me as Melissa describes.  But, that aside, Park and Jeanette are interesting role models in their affection for and dedication to each others.  Even in difficult times, I’ve seen them function as a […]

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No One in Family Gets It

When one chooses a non-traditional career path like Melissa and I have as trial consultants, it is difficult for some family and friends to understand what we do, and why we do it. (Heck, it’s even hard to decide what to call ourselves, as discussed in other blogs; it could be trial consultants, jury consultants, […]

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David’s topic is hilarious to me! Absolutely hilarious! For the most part, my family and friends are relatively unsophisticated people. I love them dearly, but there are few among them who really, truly “get it” when it comes to understanding what I do for a living. David describes his family’s and friends’ incomprehension about his […]

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Margie

Margie and I have been friends since 1971, when we were in 8th grade. Margie is unsurpassed among my friends in the following categories: (1) her outgoing and enthusiastic personality; (2) her commitment to living life in a joyfully happy manner, with as much fun as possible; and (3) her ability to boost my happiness […]

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Melissa is a person with many friends, including many good friends.  Though some come and go, her solid foundation is built on long term friendships.  Eighth grade was a few years ago, so when friendships last so long, they must be strong.  Fundamentally, friendships are based on some mutual connection, that is, they are a […]

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