Megan Murray is the senior director of field operations for Ulta Beauty. She’s also a Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC) member! In this member spotlight, we asked Muray 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?
    “Chess Not Checkers: Elevate Your Leadership Game.” It keeps you in check with how you’re leading and discusses strategic leadership principles to help your team thrive in dynamic environments.
  2. What is a tip you have for productively leading a remote or hybrid team?
    Make sure you schedule time in your calendar to catch up, make phone calls, etc. It’s easy when working from home to live in 30-minute increments and then you don’t have time for organic connection between meetings. Also, when possible, I like to change virtual one-on-one meetings to “walk and talk” meetings. We like to go “old school” every now and then and just talk over the phone while getting up from the desk.
  3. What’s a mistake you made early on in your career? 
    I used to sandwich feedback between niceties too often. If you have taken the Strength Finder assessment,  I am high “positivity” and “woo” ― amongst others. This means that I like things to be light, I want people to like me, etc. I was coaching my team on performance, but I noticed a lack of improvement after coaching sessions. Upon discussing this with my leader, she observed my coaching and immediately recognized that I conducted it well but tended to veer off-topic afterward, focusing on unrelated matters like their child’s birthday party or an upcoming vacation they had planned. This inadvertently diverted attention from the coaching objectives. Realizing this, I adjusted my approach, maintaining clarity and directness throughout the coaching process. I still built relationships with my team ― we’re like a big family ― but I let them leave the coaching conversation thinking about the coaching. I saw immediate improvement in behaviors once I made the shift and, quite frankly, grew a lot as a leader the year following that shift.
  4. What’s the toughest part of being in charge?
    I love building relationships with the people I work with. However, this dynamic can blur the line between friendship and leadership. Through experience, I’ve found that honesty and genuine concern for the well-being of both individuals and the company foster understanding and acceptance, even during challenging decisions.
  5. What’s the best way you motivate team members?
    Creating an enjoyable atmosphere (have some fun) while tackling challenging tasks is the most effective way to inspire and motivate a team.
  6. What woman inspires you right now and why?
    Kecia Steelman, Amiee Bayer-Thomas, and Mary Dillon have been sources of inspiration for me over the last seven years. Mary’s tenure as Ulta Beauty’s CEO during my initial four years with the company left an indelible mark. Her visionary leadership not only shaped Ulta Beauty into the powerhouse it is today but also her authentic and relatable approach to connecting with people deeply resonated with me. Similarly, Kecia, as Ulta Beauty’s president and COO, exemplifies grace, business acumen, and forward-thinking strategies, always staying 10 steps ahead. Lastly, Aimee has recently taken on the role of chief store operations officer. She brings a wealth of experience from her previous leadership roles in supply chain and field operations and the past few months under her leadership have been truly inspiring. Amiee is renowned for empowering those around her and leading effectively through her teams. I’m already inspired and eagerly anticipate her continued leadership. I also deeply admire Kecia, Amiee, and Mary’s genuine care for others and their dedication to their families. As a working mother myself, I hold a special regard for individuals like Mary, Kecia, and Amiee, who balance their professional success with the demands of parenting, all while uplifting those around them.
  7. What are you looking forward to the most for the industry over the next year?
    I recently had the opportunity to attend Shoptalk and many leaders discussed the importance of in-store experience. Despite our growing reliance on digital and artificial intelligence, I firmly believe that a human touch in-store will remain essential.  I’m excited to contribute to enhancing in-store experiences as we explore new horizons in retail.
  8. What is one thing you look for when interviewing a job candidate?
    In addition to demonstrating their ability to perform job functions through past examples, I also assess candidates based on their capacity to quickly establish relationships and their level of integrity.
  9. What’s something that you learned about yourself in the past year?
    Taking time off to take care of my health isn’t going to stunt my career growth. I spent some time over the last two years being proactive about my health. At the same time, I grew my leadership skills more than ever. You can have both if you put your mind to it.
  10. What’s your favorite podcast?
    “Business Wars.” It dives into fierce rivalries between companies. It walks through strategies, triumphs and failures. It’s entertaining, but I also gather insights I can apply to my own career.
  11. What values are most important to you as a leader?
    Resilience, collaboration and trust
  12. What’s the most important thing people should know about you?
    I am a mom to two amazing kiddos.
  13. What practices or boundaries have you implemented in your personal life to create more work/life balance?
    Someone once told me that I need to “let them.” If someone offers to pick my kids up from camp, “Let them.” If someone offers to tweak the deck at work, “Let them.” Additionally, all acts of kindness don’t need to be reciprocated. I talk to teachers at the beginning of the year and let them know that my husband and I both work full-time and travel for our jobs. I ask that if they know dates in advance to let us know so that when we are in town, we can do our best to make events at our kids’ school. We can’t always make everything, but we have awesome friends who look out for our kids, and we have done a really nice job of making most activities between us. I volunteer when I can but try not to fret when I cannot. It is hard ― and mom-guilt is real ― but I try to think that one day my kids will understand how hard their parents worked to provide for them, and they will be just as hard-working because of it.
  14. How would you describe yourself in a single sentence?
    I’m a hard-working, competitive, and kind individual, juggling roles as mom, spouse and colleague, with a commitment to fostering genuine connections and unwavering loyalty.
  15. What’s your favorite app?
    Naturally, my go-to app is Ulta Beauty’s! Don’t forget to sign up to stay updated on all Ulta Beauty events and offers … and earn those points!
  16. What do you do to recharge?
    Anything on the water: boating, beaching, kayaking
  17. What is your biggest accomplishment?
    My two beautiful children, my marriage, and my continued professional growth
  18. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
    Don’t underestimate the power of spending time getting to know people and building authentic relationships.
  19. What gets you up in the morning?
    My alarm and having to get my kids to school on time. 😊 In all seriousness though, life is good. I thoroughly enjoy living my life and I am grateful for it, so waking up each morning is easy and a blessing.
  20. What do you like most about being a member of Women in Retail Leadership Circle?
    As a new member, I’m just beginning my journey, but I’m excited to connect with ambitious women across the industry, offering support, seeking it when needed, and learning from other like-minded women along the way.

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