403. Building a people-first culture in modern retail with Ulta Beauty
Retail Gets Real · with Kecia Steelman · January 27, 2026 · 28 min
Summary
Ulta Beauty CEO Kecia Steelman discusses the critical role of a people-first culture in modern retail. She emphasizes how prioritizing employees and fostering an emotional connection with customers drives performance and allows for successful navigation of the ever-evolving retail landscape. This episode offers valuable perspectives on leadership and adapting business strategies for sustained growth in a dynamic market.
Key takeaways
Implement a 'people-first' culture by focusing on employee development and engagement, recognizing it as a key driver of business performance and innovation.
Understand and leverage the emotional aspects of your product category to build stronger customer connections beyond just transactions.
Continuously adapt leadership strategies to navigate retail transformation, fostering a culture of reinvention and resilience.
Localize global brand strategies to resonate with diverse customer bases, ensuring relevance and connection in different markets.
Prioritize human connection and empathy in all retail interactions, from employee relations to customer experience, as a cornerstone of success.
Retail is an industry built on people, emotion and constant reinvention, and few leaders embody that reality more fully than Ulta Beauty President and CEO Kecia Steelman. In this episode of Retail Gets Real recorded live from NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show in New York City, Steelman explores her remarkable career journey, leadership philosophy and how she’s guiding the nation’s largest specialty beauty retailer through one of the most transformative moments in retail history.(00:00:00) From the sales floor to the CEO seat(00:05:48) How retail creates opportunity at every level(00:09:14) Why beauty retail is about emotion, not just products(00:12:52) Why the future of retail has no finish line(00:16:24) How culture drives performance at Ulta Beauty(00:19:28) How Ulta Beauty localizes a global brand(00:22:14) What retail needs more (and less) of right nowThe National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association.Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.Resources:• Become an NRF member and join the world’s largest retail trade association• Learn about our retail education platform, NRF Foundation, at nrffoundation.org• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.comRelated:• 380: How Vera Bradley transformed a legacy brand• <a href="https://nrf.com/blog/how-targets-consumer-fi
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Implement a 'people-first' culture by focusing on employee development and engagement, recognizing it as a key driver of business performance and innovation.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Understand and leverage the emotional aspects of your product category to build stronger customer connections beyond just transactions.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Continuously adapt leadership strategies to navigate retail transformation, fostering a culture of reinvention and resilience.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Localize global brand strategies to resonate with diverse customer bases, ensuring relevance and connection in different markets.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Prioritize human connection and empathy in all retail interactions, from employee relations to customer experience, as a cornerstone of success.
