Kenza Keller: From Byredo to TALM – A Story of Motherhood and Reinvention.
Image Courtesy of TALM
The identity shift that happens after you become a mother is seismic. You think you’ll slip back into your old life after the haze of sleepless nights, but then you realise, you’ve changed in ways you never could have imagined. For Kenza Keller, that transformation didn’t just reshape her personally, it completely redirected her purpose.
Once at the helm of luxury marketing as Global Marketing & Communications Director at Byredo, Kenza was living the dream career. But after the birth of her two daughters, her perspective shifted. The pace, the priorities, the meaning, everything changed. What followed was a period of raw honesty, emotional intensity, and deep reflection as she navigated postpartum life and the process of rebuilding her sense of self.
It was during her first pregnancy, while searching for skincare that truly cared for her changing body, that Kenza noticed something missing: products that made women feel seen, celebrated, and supported through motherhood. That realisation sparked TALM — “To All the Mamas” — a beauty brand born from love, strength, and the belief that mothers deserve better.
Today, TALM is a global success, with fans like Rihanna and Emily Weiss, and a message that resonates far beyond beauty. In our conversation for Luminary Mothers, Kenza shares the evolution behind her brand, how motherhood reshaped her career and creativity, and what she’s learned along the way: that every challenge, every sleepless night, and every triumph is part of becoming who you’re meant to be.
By Alice Codford
ON MOTHERHOOD
Alice: Do you feel that motherhood has changed you? In what ways?
Kenza Keller: I believe motherhood has profoundly changed me – almost revealed me to myself. It has shown me my own strength, resilience, and the infinite love I am capable of for my family. It also gave me the impulse to create my own professional adventure: to leave what was, at the time, a dream job in luxury (I was Global Marketing & Communications Director at Byredo) and to launch talm, the brand I had always dreamed of creating for all mothers.
Is motherhood what you expected? And what part of it has been most unexpected?
Kenza Keller: Becoming a mother was both the most beautiful and the most transformative experience of my life. Honestly, I had not realised just how much of a physical and psychological upheaval it would be. I found the postpartum period overwhelming: an extraordinary intensity of emotions, but also a whirlwind of fatigue, love, doubt, and, at times, isolation. I became a mother at 29, at a moment when none of my close friends were going through the same experience, and when conversations about it were not yet openly shared on social media. I therefore had to carve my own path, guided mainly by instinct and intuition. Looking back now, I would say that was a blessing.
“Motherhood has profoundly changed me – almost revealed me to myself. It has shown me my own strength, resilience.”
What has been one of the most difficult points of motherhood for you? Were you able to overcome it, and if so, how did you navigate through that challenging time?
Kenza Keller: What I found most challenging, to be honest, was reconciling my professional ambitions and career with the way I wanted to embrace motherhood. Very early on, I knew I did not want to delegate my role as a mother. I wanted to be involved in my daughters’ everyday lives, to drop them off, pick them up, cuddle them, to have them close to me, and not only for the goodnight kiss and bedtime story. This is why entrepreneurship quickly became the obvious path: a way to bring everything together. It allowed me to step away from the corporate world and to invent a new, more agile way of investing in my career.
What has been one of the highest points of motherhood for you so far? Are there any particular moments or experiences that stand out?
Kenza Keller: Watching my daughters grow. The love they show us. The bond they are building between themselves. What strikes me most is how deeply I feel life in the smallest of moments: when we dance together in the evening, when they curl up against me, when I realise how much of a shield I am between them and the world. It is dizzying. At times, I wish time could slow down, and yet, every new stage is a wonderful discovery alongside them (and, thankfully, one step further away from the exhaustion of sleepless nights!).
Image Courtesy of TALM
After a particularly tough day of juggling parenting, work, and life in general, what do you do to recharge or unwind? What helps you find some calm amidst the chaos?
Kenza Keller: Just yesterday, I felt that chaos very intensely. And my very first instinct was to switch my iPhone to airplane mode, put it away in my bag, and not touch it again until the next day. To join my family for dinner, around the table, to breathe, to truly invest myself in the present moment. The living room was full of toys, laundry was drying on racks, our meal was far from the most balanced, and yet, everything was contained in that moment. Breathing, returning to the present, simply being together.
Have you found it easy or challenging to maintain your friendships since becoming a mother? And have you made any new mum-friends along the way?
Kenza Keller: Of course, it was daunting at first, as I was one of the first in my group of friends to become a mother. But my circle, made up of very long-standing friends, was always there for me, even if there was a certain gap at the beginning of my motherhood journey. Some of them have since become mothers themselves. I have also met other women, through school, through my work with talm, wonderful encounters and new friendships I had not anticipated.
“Watching my daughters grow and the bond they build between themselves is dizzying. At times, I wish time could slow down – and yet, every new stage is a wonderful discovery alongside them.”
It is a fact that women often feel a loss of identity after becoming a mother, did you experience this?
Kenza Keller: I understand that feeling. And I would almost describe this loss of identity as the disappearance of the woman behind the mother. What I felt most strongly, beyond the loss of identity, was an immense sense of guilt – when I was working, and equally when I was not. A constant tension between all the roles I hold: as a mother, of course, but also as an entrepreneur, a friend, a wife… That has been the hardest part for me: finding harmony between all these different facets of my life, knowing whether I was giving enough time to each of them, and never at the expense of my children.
What lessons from motherhood do you carry into your work as a founder?
Kenza Keller: Trust yourself, follow your intuition, and stop putting so much pressure on yourself! I do my best – and that is already more than enough!
What advice or words of wisdom do you want to share with other mothers that you wished you knew before becoming a mother?
Kenza Keller: That we, as women, carry an unsuspected strength within us – and that we do not need to wait for motherhood to realise it. It has always been there.
What are your must-have products that you found the most useful, that you always recommend to new mums?
Kenza Keller: My talm products! Especially Mega Oil, both before and after pregnancy; Mega Water, to tackle all the imperfections linked to hormonal changes and lack of sleep; and Mega Plump, to smooth and refresh the skin. And above all – drink plenty of water!
ON THE BIRTH OF TALM
Was there a personal experience in pregnancy or early motherhood that first sparked the idea for talm?
Kenza Keller: The very first time I found myself in a French pharmacy while pregnant with my daughter, my belly was itching terribly and I longed for an oil that could soothe me and help with stretch marks. I walked to the back of the pharmacy and found, on a dusty shelf, a bottle of anti–stretch mark oil in plastic packaging. Everything about it was dreadful: the branding, the scent of the product made me nauseous, the heavy-handed “anti–stretch marks” written in huge letters across the bottle, and above all, the oil itself was so dry that it brought me no relief at all. At the time, still working at Byredo, I could not understand why no one had yet created products worthy of women and their extraordinary bodies. And since no one else had, I decided I would.
“My proudest moments as a founder? When Emily Weiss from Glossier and Rihanna used TALM products during their pregnancies – and also when we won the Tatler Award for Best Body Product with Mega Oil.”
Can you share the story behind TALM: where the name comes from and what it represents to you?
Kenza Keller: It was on Mother’s Day. I was scrolling through Instagram when I came across a post from the French actress Marion Cotillard, wishing a happy day to “all the mamas” – and that is when I realised that talm could be the diminutive of exactly that. That is how it all began: talm, “to all the mamas” – an ode to motherhood and to women.
What gap did you see in the beauty/wellness space for mothers that made you want to create TALM?
Kenza Keller: I felt that no brand had truly taken the time to think about mothers. Apart from putting pressure on them about stretch marks, nothing else was really considered – whether in terms of formulation, safety, or active ingredients that could meet our specific needs. Motherhood is one of the most transformative times in a woman’s body, alongside adolescence and menopause – and yet, nothing had been created for it! I also wanted to go further than just creating a brand: I wanted to build a platform that could remind women how wonderful they are, stretch marks or not. And that is how our manifesto was born.
What has been the most surprising challenge in building TALM so far?
Kenza Keller: How quickly we found success as a brand – in just four years – when at the beginning everyone laughed at this project “for mums,” dismissing it as far too niche. But we, as mothers, are not niche at all. We give birth to the world :)
Image Courtesy of TALM
And what’s been your proudest moment as a founder?
Kenza Keller: When I found out that Emily Weiss from Glossier and Rihanna had both used talm products during their pregnancies, and had recommended the brand. And also when we won the Tatler Award for Best Body Product with Mega Oil!
Has motherhood shaped the way you approach running your own brand today?
Kenza Keller: Absolutely! I would never have become an entrepreneur if I had not first become a mother. Once I had understood the power of bringing a human being into the world, nothing could stop me!
What does a typical day look like for you, balancing motherhood with running a business?
Kenza Keller: To a race against time, haha! I drop my daughters off in the morning, then dive straight into a packed day where every single minute is used wisely (we really should talk more about the incredible productivity women gain when they become mothers!). And I always try to end the day with my children. When I travel or have events I need to attend, I am lucky to have my husband by my side – together we make a really good team.
“Motherhood is one of the most transformative times in a woman’s body… and yet, nothing had been created for it. I wanted to build a platform that could remind women how wonderful they are, stretch marks or not.”
Did you feel supported by the people around you when you launched the business?
Kenza Keller: Yes. As a woman, and as a female entrepreneur, I truly felt supported by institutions and organisations at both local and national levels (BPI, Réseau Entreprendre Paris, the City of Paris…). There are still too few of us taking the leap, so I had the sense of being given an extra boost – precisely to help encourage female entrepreneurship.
Did you experience mum guilt when you started working on the business? How did you cope with this?
Kenza Keller: Not really, because I knew I was leaving behind the corporate world – with its endless travel and schedules completely incompatible with my new motherhood. On the contrary, I felt that I was building talm precisely to stay as close as possible to my children.
What are the pros and cons of being a mother and an entrepreneur at the same time?
Kenza Keller: The pros are that it allows you to shape your schedule around the family life you want to live. But the cons are that it never really stops – and the duality of entrepreneurship and parenthood can quickly become extremely exhausting, with very little downtime. It is this mental and physical fatigue that one has to be careful about. Two years ago, I came very close to burnout, and what saved me was returning to physical activity. Movement is an extraordinary key – not only as a moment to reconnect with yourself, just for you, but also as a way to reinvest in your body and calm the mind.
Do you find it hard to switch off work at the end of the day? Any tips on how to help with this?
Kenza Keller: In France, we call the time between picking children up from school or nursery and putting them to bed “the tunnel” – it’s such an intense stretch, filled with tasks like bathing the children, preparing dinner, reading a story, tucking them in… This tunnel is so demanding that it forces you to switch off! I actually believe that being a mother protected me from the burnout I might otherwise have experienced. Our children compel us to fully invest in the present moment. For them, that is all that truly matters.
Images Courtesy of TALM
What entrepreneur(s) do you look up to the most and why?
Kenza Keller: Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas, the founders of Caudalie and my investors. I have enormous admiration for them – they are brilliant and deeply human people, true mentors. I also have great appreciation for Juliette Lévy, the founder of Oh My Cream! boutiques, who believed in talm from day one! Today, we are among the best-selling brands in her stores.
Do you have any non-negotiables that help you keep grounded and avoid burnout?
Kenza Keller: Sports and my friends! This year I ran the Paris Marathon with my dad, and I also practice cycling. Sport has its fixed place in my schedule – it’s non-negotiable, just like my Wednesday evening dinners with my friends.
What advice would you give to mothers who dream of starting something of their own but feel overwhelmed?
Kenza Keller: Do it – the right time is now!
ON BEAUTY, STYLE & SELF-CARE
Has your personal style changed since becoming a mum? If so, how has it influenced the way you dress?
Kenza Keller: I must admit I no longer wear high heels – I used to be constantly perched on 8-centimetre ones. Now I prioritise comfort, without ever forgetting style! I love sneakers and ballet flats, and I practically live in my Alaïas.
What’s your go-to outfit when you want to feel both comfortable and confident?
Kenza Keller: Leather trousers from Samsoe & Samsoe, a perfectly cut white T-shirt from APC, a Charlotte Chesnais necklace and small gold hoops, light but distinctive make-up (Merit and Violette_fr are my favourites), a chic pair of sneakers, and a vintage blazer!
Who or what inspires your approach to fashion and beauty?
Kenza Keller: My mother in the 90s! I love vintage cuts, square-shouldered blazers, the singer Sade, and wide-legged trousers. More generally, I like to feel comfortable – but always in pieces I know I will be able to keep and cherish for a long time.
Images Courtesy of Kenza Keller
Have you received or gifted yourself something special to commemorate the birth of your children?
Kenza Keller: Yes! I treated myself to a ring for the birth of each of my daughters.
What is on your shopping list right now?
Kenza Keller: I’m dreaming of those leopard-print ballet flats from Alaïa, a new top from Marine Serre, a pair of jeans from Ceucle by designer Auriane Blandin Gall, and an Oura ring.
What is your go-to handbag for everyday?
Kenza Keller: The Grand Vera from APC! It’s the perfect bag for mums – you can carry your whole life in it!
What does your own beauty routine look like, has it changed since becoming a mother?
Kenza Keller: Yes! I’ve simplified my routine. Since becoming a mother my skin has become extremely reactive and sensitive, and I can hardly tolerate anything other than my talm products.
I always start by spraying Mega Water, then I use Mega Plump followed by the cream. In the evening, I remove my make-up with our cleansing oil, then spray Mega Water, apply Mega Plump, and at night I replace the cream with the oil. Once a month I also use a Caudalie exfoliating mask.
Which TALM product do you personally reach for the most?
Kenza Keller: The mega oil and the mega water!!
Images Courtesy of TALM
What makeup products do you swear by daily?
Kenza Keller: The Merit foundation, the colours from Violette_fr (Bouche Petal and Yeux Paint), and the Ilia mascara! I also love the powder palettes and blush from French brand Balzac.
LOOKING AHEAD
Where would you love to see TALM in the next five years?
Kenza Keller: In many more countries! We are already present in about ten, so why not 50 in the next five years? All mothers deserve talm :)
What’s the legacy you hope to create, both as a mother and as a founder?
Kenza Keller: An approach to beauty that is more respectful of women’s power. Enough with the injunctions about anti-ageing or thinness… I want to give women back their beauty – the beauty they already possess. Beauty is about feeling good in your body, not about feeling guilty because of it.
And finally, what message would you like to leave with the Luminary Mothers community?
Kenza Keller: Our strength lies in the women who surround us. Let’s celebrate one another, support one another, and lift each other up. Thank you to Luminary Mothers for shining a light on my journey, my story, and my brand, talm.
Follow Kenza on Instagram here. Follow TALM Here. Visit Their Website Here.