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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.

Working for jerks, never!

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 23, 2015

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

I recently wrote about a client I called a “2 time client” meaning we worked for him our first and last times on the same case.  I never thought it would get worse and that we would have a client we would have to fire before doing the work for which we were retained.  Unfortunately, […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 23, 2015

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

As John Lennon famously said, “instant karma’s gonna’ get you.” Let’s hope so! The attorney who is the subject of this post is a younger than age 40 personal injury attorney in West Palm Beach who, because David dared to come inside his office (which is, of course, open to the public), verbally and physically […]

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Fort Myers connection & Magnus: Kim Hart

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 21, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Business Relationships, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

Many years ago, I met an attorney in my hometown of Fort Myers, Florida, named Kim Patrick Hart. I will begin this post with some background. Kim and I are close in age, but we attended rival high schools. I graduated from the original high school, Fort Myers Senior High School (go Green Wave!) and […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 21, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Business Relationships, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

You never know how things will turn out at a first meeting. I met Kim not long after starting Magnus in 1993 (Melissa met him a few years earlier). Though we had worked in the trial consulting world for a few years, and Melissa longer than me, we were starting “from scratch” and making cold […]

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2 Time Clients

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 16, 2015

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

Melissa’s mother had a saying that she used, rarely, to indicate she was not going to do, or eat, or whatever that same thing again. For example, if she went somewhere one time and did not like it, she would say, “I’ve been there twice, my first and last times…” I’ve been to a few […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 16, 2015

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

It is painful for David to turn away business, and the revenue derived from business, but when a client has abused me, one or more of our employees, or him, the pain from working with the abuser is greater than the pain from lost revenue. Fortunately, there have been few clients in my decades long […]

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Buddy Schulz

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 14, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Business Relationships, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

In my decades long career as a social psychologist who works as a litigation research consultant, I have encountered thousands of attorneys. Most of the attorneys for whom I have provided research and consulting services have been professional, pleasant, and of above average intelligence. A few have been exceptional in one or more positive ways. […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 14, 2015

Category: Business personalities, Business Relationships, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

I have to admit that, when we scheduled our first meeting with Buddy, I was a bit intimidated. Magnus was new and he was the head of litigation for his firm, nationwide. We had a couple of connections that opened the door to meeting him and that meeting was the start of a very positive […]

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The Evolution of our Job Interview. Part 2

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 9, 2015

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

Part 2 of the Job Interview Evolution involves the addition of questions to our interview protocol based on experiences with interviewing and hiring, or more accurately, hiring mistakes. For example, we once hired a research associate for our trial consulting business who, within a few weeks of hiring, reported that she “hated attorneys” and was […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 9, 2015

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

Prior to having the unfortunate (but, thankfully, short lived) experience with the employee who hates lawyers, I would never have believed there would be anyone stupid enough to apply for, then accept, a job in which all revenue earned by the employer is earned by working for attorneys. But. it happened! And now we are […]

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Write thank you

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 7, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success

Just as I believe it is important to say “thank you,” I believe it is important to write a note of thanks. And, although I have been accused of being “old school,” when I say write a note of thanks, I mean actually writing a thank you note, not sending an email or a text. […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 7, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success

It is interesting in today’s world of instant communications that some common courtesies are lost. As Melissa says, an email is better than nothing. But, it is likely that all of us receive gifts, services, favors, or other (often intangible) things that warrant an expression of gratitude. And, because instant communications prevail, the niceties of […]

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The Evolution of our Job Interview. Part 1

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 2, 2015

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

One thing that happens in running a business, of any sort, is that you, hopefully, learn new “tricks” along the way. Some are strokes of genius, but more often, they are things learned the hard way. I wish I could say the trick I’m about to report was a moment of genius, but it happened […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 2, 2015

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

David has spent an inordinate amount of time interviewing job candidates, most of whom never make it to the in person interview by me. In that the vast majority of people whom David has interviewed over the years have not been hired by our company, Magnus, a lot of productive time has been wasted. For […]

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Say thank you

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 30, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Managing Employees

I believe in saying “thank you.” When someone does something nice for me, when someone performs a job I am pleased with, or when someone helps me, I thank him or her. My employees have often expressed surprise about me thanking them for doing a good job. I thank each and every employee, at the […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 30, 2015

Category: Careers, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Managing Employees

It is interesting how some people are surprised to be sincerely thanked. “Thank you” as a reinforcement of something done and done well is a simple reward that goes a long way. I have worked for at least 2 people who rarely said thank you and, in at least 1 of those cases, it appeared […]

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Working on a Roller Coaster

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 25, 2015

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Work-Life

After well over 20 years in the trial consulting business, I hoped the work load would smooth out and there would not be a constant peak and valley cycle of business. Alas, it appears we’re on a perpetual roller coaster. The cycle is such that there are times we are slammed with what seems like […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 25, 2015

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Work-Life

For the most part, living life on the roller coaster has become easier for me with the passage of time. There used to be a time when, after weeks or months of not having any work to do, I would become convinced we would never work again. Then, just as I had given up all […]

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Directness

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 23, 2015

Category: Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Partnerships, Work-Life

No one has ever accused me of “beating around the bush” or being coy. If I say something, there is never any doubt about what I mean and where the other person stands. My employees have sometimes bristled from the feedback I have provided about their poor quality work, even though they have been told […]

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 23, 2015

Category: Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Partnerships, Work-Life

Melissa’s comments are very direct in this post, as they are in her everyday communications. And, while she mentions employee errors, she is also very direct when employees are doing things right. That is, she reinforces their good performance and provides direct praise. And, there is also a need to point out that, while she […]

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