Being snubbed or overlooked for a role is a near universal experience in a career journey. When a setback hits, you should face it with grace and persistence, not resentment, according to Ulta Beauty CEO Kecia Steelman.

“There have been times in all of our careers where we’ve been passed up, or we didn’t get that next role when we felt like we were ready for it,” Steelman said at Fortune ’s Most Powerful Women Conference in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. “And I said that the one thing that’s really true to me is, I think that you can either choose to be bitter or you can be better.”

Steelman took on the chief executive role at the beauty retailer in January 2025 after 11 years with the company, most recently as chief operating officer. Ulta’s stock is up 26% year-to-date and the com

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