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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.

The Bedside Note Pad

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 11, 2016

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Small Business Success

Ask an entrepreneur what keeps him or her up at night and one of many answers you will likely get is a fear of forgetting to do something. I don’t know how many things I tried to make myself remember at 3 or 4 a.m. before I read a very simple, and what should be […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 11, 2016

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Small Business Success

As fond as I am of making lists, writing notes, and keeping records of my life on various calendars, I do not share David’s penchant for writing notes to myself in the middle of the night. The middle of the night, in my opinion, is for sleeping, not note writing. I have never, ever, stayed […]

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New friends

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 9, 2016

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Work-Life

I genuinely like people. I am what many people call “a people person.” I gravitate toward people and most people gravitate toward me (with some very notable exceptions, of course!). I have never had any problems making new friends; furthermore, my friends are real, live people, as opposed to a list of names of people […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 9, 2016

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Work-Life

It is interesting how we make friends. It seems to just happen. We don’t go looking for them usually. Making a friend doesn’t happen overnight. I feel fortunate to have made some good friends along the way. Thinking back to how these friendships formed I realize that in addition to Diana, whom Melissa mentioned, my […]

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Speaking Engagements; You Never Know

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 4, 2016

Category: Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Work-Life, Workplace Technology

The 1997 book by Harry Beckwith, Selling the Invisible, is about the differences in marketing a tangible product, the good old generic widget, as compared to selling an intangible product – a service. It is a wonderful book for those of us selling services, like we do as trial consultants. As a working photographer, this […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 4, 2016

Category: Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Work-Life, Workplace Technology

In the time David and I have co-owned Magnus, I have given hundreds of presentations to audiences ranging from a handful of people in a law firm to hundreds of people in huge hotel ballrooms. Thus far, I have never received any compensation for making one of these speeches. On some occasions, the law firm […]

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Old friends

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 2, 2016

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Work-Life

At the time of writing this post, I am devastated over the passing of one of my oldest and dearest friends. As the years pass and we get older, it is inevitable that we will lose some of our old friends, however, when the inevitable happens, it doesn’t lessen our grief. I grew up in […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 2, 2016

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Work-Life

As I wrote in the blog about best friends, I do not have people go back as far in my life as Melissa does. Her experience is not unique perhaps, especially in smaller towns, but it different from my experience. I have friends from as far back as 6th grade, but only a few that […]

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Don’t rely on memory; make lists

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 28, 2016

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees

It sometimes surprises me that things I find very basic are not obvious to new hires. I know that my brain cannot possibly keep track of all I need to do such that I have long used lists. I recall being very organized in college about classes, assignments, etc., and perhaps not everyone has to […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 28, 2016

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees

People vary in their memory function, just as they vary on other personal dimensions. There are some people, like me, who remember most things, in great detail and with accuracy; then, there are other people who don’t (or can’t) remember much of anything. Most people, of course, are someplace in the middle of these two […]

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Best friend(s)

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 26, 2016

Category: Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Business Relationships, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Work-Life

Throughout my life, I have been fortunate to have many friends. In fact, due to the vast age difference between my two older brothers and me, I have friendships that have strong bonds that most people usually associate with family members. Among my friends there are a few extraordinary people whom I consider my “best […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 26, 2016

Category: Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Business Relationships, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Work-Life

Starting at the end of Melissa’s post I’ll say it is great to have her as my bestie. As we have written this blog it has been interesting to see how we have different perspectives sometimes, but have a common bond, and a perspective on life and work. I’m not sure it would be possible […]

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Fiction Imitating Life: “Vigilante Justice”

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 21, 2016

Category: Business personalities, Getting the Job Done, Life Outside of Work, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Trial Consulting

Dr. Melissa Pigott of Magnus Research Consultants is featured as a character in a book by Dr. Linda Foley, Vigilante Justice. Dr. Foley is a social psychologist who, now retired from the University of North Florida, writes murder mysteries set in Gainesville, Florida, in and around the University of Florida. Vigilante Justice is Dr. Foley’s […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 21, 2016

Category: Business personalities, Getting the Job Done, Life Outside of Work, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Trial Consulting

At the time of this writing, I have known Dr. Linda Foley for 36 years. I met her when I was a psychology graduate student at F.S.U. and she was the Chairperson of the psychology department at U.N.F. At the time I met Dr. Foley, she was well established in her career, while mine had […]

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Be a kid

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 19, 2016

Category: Common Courtesy, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work

I see nothing wrong in acting like a kid from time to time. I am mostly a serious person, however, there are times when I like to have fun. These fun times often involve silliness, of the variety usually enjoyed by children. On many occasions when I am silly, childlike, and having fun, other people […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 19, 2016

Category: Common Courtesy, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work

The question is, what things bring out the kid in you? It is fun to see a bunch of adults get into bouncing the beach balls at a Jimmy Buffett show – where anyone who attends better act like a kid, or be ready to see a bunch of other adults doing so. You were […]

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Educating clients, without alienating them

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 14, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Work-Life, Workplace Technology

An aspect of our trial consulting business that is sometimes difficult to address is that, as noted in other posts, we have competitors with a wide variety of qualifications, from those like us, with extensive educational backgrounds and degrees, to those with no education beyond high school. Further, some of our competitors are so uneducated […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 14, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Work-Life, Workplace Technology

The title of this post is “Educating Clients, without Alienating Them,” however, there are some clients who, in my opinion, have no hope of becoming educated about the reasons why they should hire my company over one of our unqualified competitors, such that I wish the title could be, “Alienating Clients without Educating them.” Some […]

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You were a kid

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 12, 2016

Category: Common Courtesy, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work

At what point does one “grow up”? And why is the expression, “grow up!” used to chastise someone who behaves badly? It seems to me that people of a certain age (which differs from person to person) reach a point in their life when they forget they used to be kids. When this point is […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 12, 2016

Category: Common Courtesy, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work

Some people I know (we know) never grew up. They are oversized kids. Some of these people are our clients. But, most of these people have an adult persona that they use as well. To continue enjoying the joys of discovery, exploration, and life as experienced by a kid whose life includes fun is what […]

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