An opportunity to change the world, one suit at a time (as my manager would say), or just another day counting down until you clock out. We’ve all had those days, haven’t we? Since it’s all about perspective, let’s take a look from my point of view.

Working in retail has taught me a lot, and it wasn’t just about the items I bought with an employee discount. It provided me with an opportunity to learn from people of diverse backgrounds while helping them achieve their goals. It’s important to have some sort of guiding principle to stay focused and on top of things. For me, that guiding principle is curiosity.

It’s a Saturday, around 3pm, and my shift ends at 9pm. A customer walks in looking for a suit. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being “change the world” and 1 being “can’t wait to go home,” I’m feeling like a strong 8.37. After the customer made a request, I said:

“Wow, I can hear an accent. Where are you from?” He replied, “Liberia”, and we hit it off from there.

We connected over our shared interests in Africa, and he mentioned an event he was hosting at the UN. We later discussed it, and hopefully, this will lead to a lifelong friendship and my participation as a delegate at the UN on the Manevia forum. It was all thanks to curiosity and the desire to be helpful.

It’s not just about the transaction; it’s also about connecting with people.

Curiosity Bridges Stronger Connections