Write what you know they say, and Zoë Foster Blake has done just that, giving practical business insights throughout Things Will Calm Down Soon. This chick-lit is a cleverly disguised how-to guide for any young entrepreneur who wants to turn a product into a profitable machine. You can have it all, but at what cost?
Kit Cooper is a successful hair stylist ready for her next chapter. She’s worked all around the world on fashion shows and photoshoots with celebrities who adore her, but she’s craving something more. Trying to find the right product on a shoot, she ponders that maybe she can make it herself.
Her new boyfriend, Ari, a New Zealand director of photography with an air of Taika Waititi, is all for Kit’s new move to girl boss. Even Kit’s manager Toni wants in on the deal. Already with a decent profile and celebrity clients, Kit seizes the opportunity to make something of her own.
Cut to six years later, Kit’s not only created a product, but is running a thriving business. She quickly learns though that being a founder today is more than just creating a product and selling it. It also involves being an ethical and political role model, staying on top of trends and not getting cancelled on social media. All of that, as well as managing her responsibilities as a mother to her young daughter. It’s no wonder Kit finds herself on an endless cycle of things to do and people to care for. If she stops, she may never get going again.
Being a girl boss isn’t what it’s marketed as, but while Kit feels trapped in her busyness, she’s advised that the only way to calm things down is by getting a big investor on board.
Blake sprinkles an eclectic bunch of characters throughout the novel, with the strong female figures integral to Kit’s story. From her best friend Maggie, who is the positive ‘woo’ girl we all need in our lives, to her free-spirited stepsister Rat – these women represent diverse perspectives on ambition and success. The narrative doesn’t shy away from addressing the gender disparities in the business world and the societal pressures that come with being at the top.
“Why get too attached? It’s just business. Think of it as a child: you feed it and look after it and help it grow, but you don’t ever really own it. It has its own life force, right? You’re just its guardian. And eventually it’s time for it to leave home.”
This sentiment reflects the balancing act Kit faces, oscillating between her entrepreneurial ambitions and her role as a mother. The emotional depth of her relationship with her daughter is particularly poignant. The novel explores the struggles of juggling a personal and professional life and, while it does focus on the business side of things, it’s also a gentle reminder that money doesn’t buy you everything.
By the end, readers may want to learn more about Blake’s own entrepreneurial journey, particularly her success with Go-To Skincare and her recent buyback of a significant stake in the company.
Read: Book review: Intermezzo, Sally Rooney
This girl boss guide book is an easy-to-read manual on how to and how not to do business. From the spark of an idea to bringing on potential investors, Thing Will Calm Down Soon talks about business in bite-sized chunks that are digestible for those who have no idea where to start.
Things Will Calm Down Soon, Zoë Foster Blake
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 9781922928023
Format: Paper back
Pages: 432pp
Publication date: October 2024
RRP: $32.99
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