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.

Irma Aftermath 3: Get Ready/Have a Plan

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On October 5, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Travel, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Small Business Success, Travel, Trial Consulting

Maybe it is because I was a Boy Scout whose motto of “Be Prepared” has stuck with me that I have plans and have made preparations for hurricanes, the number 1 threat we face in Florida. We don’t get snowstorms, earthquakes (well, not often), or mountain slides, but as a Florida native, I know hurricanes […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On October 5, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Travel, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Small Business Success, Travel, Trial Consulting

David is as prepared for a hurricane as anyone I know. The only way he could be more prepared is if he had an airboat loaded onto a trailer and ready to pull behind a big truck if needed. (David, I sure would love to have an airboat, but for fun outings, not hurricanes!) The […]

Value diversity

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On October 3, 2017

Category: Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting Through Life and Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

In a song called, “Nobody Told Me,” written by John Lennon, part of the chorus is: Nobody told me there’d be days like these Strange days indeed Most peculiar, Mama Although the song was released posthumously in 1984, its lyrics ring just as true today as when they were written. These are, indeed, strange days. […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On October 3, 2017

I’m a middle aged white guy, from a pretty conservative, Baptist, upbringing and part of the world. So, my perspective on diversity might be suspect to some. But, living outside of the USA gave me a perspective that was eye opening. I was the outsider, even in a country where people spoke the same language, […]

Irma Aftermath 2: Meaning of “Mandatory”

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 28, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Travel, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Small Business Success, Travel, Trial Consulting

“Mandatory” is defined as compulsory. “Mandatory” is also synonymous with obligatory, binding, required, requisite, necessary, essential and imperative. “Mandatory” means “you gotta’ do it.” In the case of a hurricane, “mandatory” evacuations are often ordered, but because no one is likely to be arrested and jailed for not abiding by such an order, there are […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 28, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Travel, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Small Business Success, Travel, Trial Consulting

Mandatory means mandatory. Some people I know evidently believe mandatory means voluntarily, or “I will if I feel like it,” or a variety of things that imply a choice. When someone lives in a low lying area, for example, near the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico, he/she should expect to be among the […]

You always have time to do what’s important to you

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 26, 2017

Category: Employment, Getting Through Life and Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Work-Life

Almost everyone I know believes they are the busiest person on the planet. When taken to its logical conclusion, of course, this is an impossibility in that everyone cannot be busier than everyone else. Still, it annoys me greatly to hear many of my friends and acquaintances, some of whom are not employed and none […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 26, 2017

Category: Employment, Getting Through Life and Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Work-Life

Melissa wrote this soon after again engaging in one of her priorities – helping others. She has done this since way before she became a psychologist. A friend in need, to her, is a priority. In her life, when the need is there, she is. And thus, the post. Partly out of frustration, perhaps, is […]

Irma Aftermath 1: Being Proactive

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 21, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Travel, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Small Business Success, Travel, Trial Consultants

“Here we go again” I thought, repeatedly, in the last couple of days as we watched the largest hurricane on record churn toward us in the Atlantic Ocean. My mind even took this one step further and adapted this phrase to the Dolly Parton song, “Here you come again…”, resulting in an annoying earworm as […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 21, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Travel, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Small Business Success, Travel, Trial Consultants

Having to postpone, then re-schedule, a client’s research project is never easy. When the postponement is due to a natural disaster, such as a hurricane or fire, everyone’s stress levels are high. Hurricane Irma was not the first natural disaster to cause the postponement of a research project and, things being what they are, I […]

One Size Does NOT Fit All

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 19, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Psychology, Trial Consulting

When David and I founded our company, Magnus Research Consultants, we did so with the intention of providing our clients with high quality litigation research and consulting, customized to every case. It was, and still is, our view that there are: (1) no two cases that are exactly alike, regardless of their degree of similarity; […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 19, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Psychology, Trial Consulting

Melissa’s post expands upon some of the comments I’ve made in this recent series. In four years of writing this blog, it has been interesting to see what experiences we have that trigger blog posts, or a series of posts. This email conversion experience surely has been an instructive reminder of how Melissa and I […]

Life, and work, go on after hurricanes, personal tragedies, etc.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 14, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

The idea that life goes on regardless of circumstances is an old one, and one covered in the world of entertainment – in music, on television. Sometimes it is stated as “the show must go on.” Working as a trial consultant, not entertainment, is the context of this post. Perhaps it is apropos that I’m […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 14, 2017

Ironically, I am writing my part of this post on a day when south Florida is anxiously awaiting Hurricane Irma. At the time of this writing, we do not know where it will make landfall, however, we are going to prepare regardless of its exact location. Equally ironic is the fact that we have a […]

It’s Okay to be Different

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 12, 2017

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

My dearly departed Mother would be happy to know all of the things she taught me have been put into practice. I was listening to what she said, often, over and over and over, and now I find myself saying, “Mom was right!” many times. On numerous occasions, when I would petulantly state to Mom, […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 12, 2017

Most entrepreneurs have an “it’s okay to be different” mindset. As entrepreneurs, doing business our own, different way is usually a part of filling a niche` or providing customized services. So, the lesson Melissa took from her mother works to the benefit of our clients in our focus on each case as different, unique, and […]

Passing the Baton

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 7, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

A mental concept that I utilize in our trial consulting work is one of that of passing a baton, as in a relay race. The flow of our engagements is such that we function as a team, with much of the work being done by one person at a time. Engagements usually begin with me […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 7, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

I like David’s analogy of passing the baton as it relates to the work flow in our office. David gets involved with 100% of the potential clients and 100% of these clients who become paying clients of our business. I rarely become involved with any of our clients until we have been retained for our […]

Blaming Me for Others’ Mistakes

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 5, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Workplace Technology

I make mistakes. Everyone does! But, while everyone makes mistakes, not everyone admits having done so. In fact, some people excel in blaming other people for their mistakes, in an attempt to avoid accepting responsibility for the negative consequences of their actions. Recent events in my office prompted this post. As almost everyone who works […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 5, 2017

In my opinion, in the scenario which Melissa describes, the situation was not so much blaming her specifically, but her/us as a company, for having a tangled, cobbled together computer system that evolved over the past 25 years of so we’ve been in business. We/she had, and have, some specific ways we want things to […]

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About this blog

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.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

About Magnus