Jennifer Masie is the group vice president of CosmoProf, a Pennsylvania-based distributor of professional beauty products for licensed professionals. She’s also a Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC) member! In this member spotlight, we asked Masie a series of questions about both her professional role and personal life, including the woman that inspires her, her leadership style, her advice for the next generation of female leaders, and much more.

  1. What’s the best book you’ve read recently?  
    “The Motivational Myth” by Jeff Haden.
  2. What is a tip you have for productively leading a WFH or hybrid team?  
    Communicate, communicate, and then communicate some more. It’s important to not just push along a message, but to ensure there is a consistent understanding of what that message is. I protect my scheduled time with my direct reports, skip level-down conversations, and my field visits. The most important thing I can do as a leader is to deliver a consistent message and ensure it resonates.
  3. What’s a mistake you made early on in your career? 
    I have a very direct personality and the mistake I made was not taking the time to understand that not everyone thinks or communicates like me. I needed to slow down and understand how I needed to adjust my communication style to bring people along and not polarize our relationship.
  4. What’s the toughest part of being in charge? 
    You’ve got to block out the noise. Focus on the long-term goal and drive for results. There will always be negativity out there but pay no mind to that and focus on moving forward.
  5. What’s the best way you motivate team members?  
    I spend time with them. It sounds simple, but I like to spend quality time with my team members to understand what makes them tick and what I need to do to help support their goals.
  6. What woman inspires you right now and why? 
    I have an amazing business partner on the stores side, April Holt. She inspires me everyday to push boundaries, drive results and be positive. She has become a good friend of mine and I am so thankful I get to work with her every day.
  7. What are you looking forward to the most for the industry over the next year?
    I’m looking forward to all the innovation that will help all of us meet our customer’s needs.
  8. What is one thing you look for when interviewing a potential candidate?  
    Humility and GRIT!
  9. What’s something that you learned about yourself in the past year?  
    The more responsibility you have, the more “gray” areas you must work through. It’s important to take the time to understand all sides of a situation thoroughly.
  10. What’s your favorite podcast?  
    “Reinvent Your Life” with Mel Robbins.
  11. What values are most important to you as a leader?  
    Integrity. If you don’t have integrity, you have nothing.
  12. What’s the most important thing people should know about you?  
    I am very curious. I love to learn and connect with people inside and outside of my industry. I enjoy hearing their stories and how they navigate situations. This helps me expand my mindset and sometimes, help someone else along the way.
  13. What practices or boundaries have you implemented in your personal life to create more work/life balance?  
    I am very disciplined with my calendar. I put time on for “work time” so I don’t get trapped in the meeting cyclones and make sure I can just think.
  14. How would you describe yourself in a single sentence?  
    I have a down-to-earth personality and I am very confident in my abilities.
  15. What’s your favorite app?  
    Autosleep. I like to track my health to watch out for any potential burnout.
  16. What do you do to recharge?
    I love to organize! I can spend hours cleaning out a closet, garage, office, you name it.
  17. What is your biggest accomplishment? 
    My beautiful family! My amazing husband and four children are what drives me every day.
  18. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?  
    Be yourself. Don’t try to fit into a mold that others tell you to be. Stay professional, of course, but never lose your light. Be you!
  19. What gets you up in the morning?  
    Pilates! I’ve been doing Pilates every morning for over two years and love it!
  20. What do you like most about being a member of Women in Retail?  
    Having a sense of community. It feels good to have a place we can help one another and grow as individuals.

Interested in connecting with women like Masie? Apply today to become a Women in Retail Leadership Circle member!