Here I am at the expo to discover the world of franchising. A few weeks earlier, I had received an email from the organisers announcing the presence of Kelly Massol, whom I had already discovered during an interview for Maddyness a few days earlier. I found this interview very interesting; now an opportunity was presenting itself for me to listen to her live – you’d have to be foolish to miss it.
I was excited! Upon leaving the house, I had planned my day, hoping to attend Kelly’s conference. Upon my arrival, we were informed that she would be holding a book signing session for her book: Boss Energy, The Power of Believing in Yourself. At the end of the conference, I quickly queued up to get a signed copy – I who hate queuing, except when absolutely necessary. Précieuse, whom I just happened to meet at the expo, then asks if there will be enough copies for everyone. I joke: « Certainly, otherwise she’ll have to fire her manager and give me the job! » 
When my turn came, I expected Kelly to ask me a stock question, like during the signings of Smiling in Trials: « What name would you like the book signed to? » To my great surprise, Kelly took an interest in me: — « Hello, what’s your name? » — « My name is Atem. What do you do, Atem? » — « With my startup, we embarked on a journey to solve the major problem of youth orientation. » — She interrupts me: « Everyone reorients because they are very poorly guided in high school; once they arrive at university, they no longer know why they are there. It’s a very good project. »
I quickly understood why the line was moving at a snail’s pace: if Kelly takes an interest in everyone with such enthusiasm – and even writes a whole other book as a dedication – one can only be captivated. For my part, I always have a few phrases in mind, adapted to my interlocutor or the context. My favourite phrase remains: « An intelligent man finds in adversity the path to his own happiness. » I admire the way Kelly proceeds. But then, what to take away from this experience?
As I left the venue, Précieuse – whom we had accompanied as part of World like Home – confessed to me that she was delighted to have been present, to have met me, (of course, me before Kelly ), and to have finally met Kelly Massol in person. I confided in her how impressed I was by Kelly’s sincere interest in everyone, despite the crowd. She replied by mentioning that she « works her money. » I jokingly told her she could also do her Burna Boy, but she didn’t dare.
So, I wanted to learn more about this personality. With our slogan at World like Home – Happiness is free –, I therefore delve into reading Boss Energy.
A poignant and inspiring story
In terms of form, « Boss Energy » is an easy-to-read book, although the chapter « Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Before Becoming a Billionaire) » seems out of place, breaking the implicit contract established with the reader in the previous chapters.
Kelly was born in 1983, to a teenage mother of 19, forced, following an unwanted pregnancy, to marry a certain Bernard. Her mother, Sylvie, would hate her all her life as an unwanted child, not hesitating to repeat to her: « Because of the caesarean I had at your birth, you ruined my body. You were not a wanted child. »
It was ultimately her maternal grandmother, Dorothée, who took charge of her education until she entered secondary school. When Dorothée had a stroke and remained in a coma for four long months, Sylvie was forced to take Kelly back. But at 13, the mother-daughter relationship was so degraded that Kelly asked to be placed in foster care. In just four weeks, and without opposition from her mother, this was done. She was then taken care of by child welfare services until she was 21.
In 2004, Kelly created the forum Boucles et Coton with friends, to encourage young girls to respect the sacred commandment that her dear grandmother Dorothée had passed on to her: « You will not relax your hair. » It was thanks to this forum that she found her first clients, at the right time.
Meanwhile, Kelly was forced to abandon her university studies, as it was difficult to juggle student jobs and coursework. She then embarked on a full-time career, moving from the telecommunications sector to social security. At social security, just a few months after her arrival, her superior remarked: « Your goal is to handle 80 calls a day, with an average of 3 minutes 30 per call. But you handle 100 calls a day with an average of 2 minutes 30 per call. You’re too fast. »
« Do-it-yourself » experiences born from friendships forged around Boucles et Coton gave birth to Les Secrets de Loly in 2009. This project was a resounding success from the first year. Fifteen years later, Les Secrets de Loly achieved a turnover of 35 million euros in 2024, and hopefully more than 50 million euros for 2025!
Asked about the decision that turned the situation around, Kelly replied: following the advice of her uncle Marc, who had asked her to meet the CEO of MGC at the time. Kelly didn’t want to go, because MGC represented, in her view, what she didn’t want to be – mediocrity, low-end. Yet, this meeting changed everything for Les Secrets de Loly. One essential quality? Resilience.
I think the book could have used more content, but Kelly warned us from page 11: « I say (almost) everything. »
The family paradox
In Boss Energy, we clearly observe what I call the family paradox. It is the place where both the devil and the angel coexist. It’s a double-edged sword: on one side love, on the other hate, and yet, it’s the same family. Like Kelly, each of us is called to choose the side we wish to embody within this fundamental nucleus of society.
The gratuitous hatred of her mother is difficult to understand. Fortunately, there is always Uncle Marc and Dorothée (sent by God, perhaps?) to balance things out. In Smiling in Trials, I had already addressed these two hidden facets of the family by placing them respectively in the chapters on friction and fuel. And you, what do you think of this paradox?
Social security or the praise of mediocrity
Kelly’s experience at social security illustrates the praise of mediocrity. In a normal world, one would congratulate someone who exceeds objectives. But there, it was the opposite. A friend had to resign from a civil servant position in Cameroon because, according to her, it was forbidden to propose initiatives or try to change things. One had to be content with handling 80 calls a day, never exceeding the mark, even if some days one handled 60, or even 50, but never 100!
Naively, I thought such reasoning couldn’t exist in the country of Enlightenment… well, unless this light goes out with Descartes!
Reading Boss Energy, we understand that it’s this fight against mediocrity that drives Kelly to surpass herself each time. No doubt, the psychologist at social security had perceived, from the start, this potential: « If one day you’re bored, send me an email. »
Does luck really not exist?« Work, work, work… When was I lucky? Never. On the other hand, I worked. QED. Success requires work. Nothing falls from the sky. » (p. 184)
Here, Kelly claims that luck does not exist, without specifying what she means by « luck ». If we define luck as « a happy accident, a success that happens to us without us having done anything to provoke or deserve it », in opposition to meritocracy, can we really say that Kelly was lucky?
Certainly. Firstly, Sylvie had clearly indicated that she was not a wanted child, so it was by chance that Kelly was born. Then, Uncle Marc died on the very day he insisted that Kelly go listen to the CEO of MGC – imagine if he had died just three days earlier!
Ultimately, we should not oppose luck and meritocracy. We must work as if everything is deserved, while hoping as if everything depends on luck. Rest assured, the stars will eventually align.