If there’s one quality that has kept me moving forward, through decades of business, changing economies, and personal growth, it’s curiosity. Not certainty. Not having all the answers. Not even a flawless plan. Just the simple willingness to ask, “What if?”
When we started Hirsch's Homestores , we didn’t have all the knowledge or tools that many start-ups have today. But what we did have was curiosity. We asked questions, we listened, and we learned, every single day. Every customer who walked through the door, every supplier conversation, every challenge, we treated them all as opportunities to learn something new. That curiosity led us to try new ideas, take calculated risks, and constantly improve how we did things. Certainty may have kept us stuck. Curiosity is what helped us grow. The world has changed dramatically since I first stepped into business. Technology has evolved, customers have changed, and what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. But instead of resisting change, I’ve always leaned into it with a curious mind.
What are people looking for now? How can we improve our customer experience? What’s around the corner that we should be paying attention to? Curiosity invites innovation. Certainty tends to resist it. Curiosity isn’t just good for business, it’s a life skill that’s helped me become a better leader, mentor, and person. It’s what drove me to read more, to learn from others, to sit in rooms where I didn’t have all the answers but was eager to gain insight. It’s what helped me step into leadership, speak up, and grow in confidence over time. When you remain curious, you remain teachable. And when you’re teachable, the possibilities are endless.
Here are a few practices that have helped me nurture curiosity:
Ask more questions than you answer.
Be open to learning from anyone, regardless of age or title.
Never assume you’ve ‘arrived.’ There’s always more to discover.
Explore what challenges you, instead of avoiding it.
See change as an invitation, not a threat.
We often crave certainty because it feels safe. But I’ve learned that real growth lives on the other side of not knowing. Curiosity leads to clarity It leads to confidence It leads to progress
If I had stuck with what I was certain about, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Curiosity took me further and it will take you further, too.
Stay curious. Stay open. Keep evolving.
Much Love,
Margaret Hirsch
Margaret Hirsch is the Executive Director of the Hirsch’s Group, the largest independently owned Appliance and Electronics retail outlet in Southern Africa that is now in its 45th year. She is already the enviable recipient of many international and local awards for her business, social and charitable work which has uplifted communities around the country. For many years, she has been heavily involved with Women and Youth Empowerment projects throughout Southern Africa. Margaret is passionate about women in business and entrepreneurship. She runs networking clubs at all her branches for Women In Business, encouraging mentorship programmes. Her door is always open to women who want advice on how to make their businesses grow. www.margarethirsch.co.za
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