We recently spoke with Sandy Arthur, Senior Director of North American Retail Sales and Education at Murad, about how Murad approaches field coverage, flexible talent, and in‑store execution.
Murad is a clinical skincare brand that has been in the market for around three decades. As Sandy noted during the conversation, the company—which is now viewed as a legacy brand in beauty—is focused on making itself top of mind for today’s consumer while staying true to its clinical roots.
Sandy described Murad’s current phase as one of re‑solidifying and clarifying who the brand is and who it serves. She explained that while Murad has strong awareness, years of market and organizational change have led to different versions of the brand story in circulation. In turn, their recent work has been about “distilling back down” who the brand is for, how it speaks to that consumer, and how that should show up in retail, she said.
“We’re in a phase right now where we’re really looking to re‑solidify, re‑crystallize who Murad is today—really honoring the work that Dr. Murad started so many years ago—but really connecting that to today’s consumer and making sure Murad becomes top of mind again.”
As Sandy explained, the goal is to respect the brand’s heritage and proven formulas while making sure the way Murad shows up in stores and with retail partners reflects its current priorities.
During the conversation, we shared AllWork’s data point that roughly 65% of beauty sales still happen in stores. Sandy agreed that this reality underpins Murad’s field strategy: Shoppers want to experience products in person and hear from someone who can explain them.
Because of that, the field team is a central part of how Murad shows up in the market. Sandy defined “great execution” in stores as getting the basics right—being on time, having a clear goal for the visit, working well with store partners—but ultimately building growth over time, not just hitting a number on a single day.
“When you zoom out, what you’re really trying to do is create growth over time. Each day you need to hit the goals, but you’re also planting seeds for your next visit and building connections with store partners and guests.”
She also emphasized the need for adaptability on the sales floor, given how many variables can affect any given visit.
Murad uses AllWork to:
This enables Murad’s internal team to focus on brand strategy, training, and performance, while AllWork provides the operational backbone for managing a flexible field workforce at scale.
When we asked how Murad keeps its field team aligned, Sandy went back repeatedly to brand clarity.
She pointed out that for a brand that has been around as long as Murad, there can be “fuzziness” around how to articulate the brand, its purpose, and its target consumer. Her team has been working to establish a clear internal definition of these elements first, and then ensuring that clarity is shared across the organization.
From there, they focus on staying in touch with the field so that flexible reps feel equipped with the latest messaging and understand exactly who they’re trying to connect with when they are in stores.
Sandy acknowledged a common issue: field teams—especially flexible, part‑time workers—often feel disconnected from headquarters. She noted that this can lead to field staff feeling like a “forgotten arm of the business.”
To address this, Murad:
The aim is for flexible workers to feel engaged and valued, which ultimately improves how they represent the brand and work with retail partners.
A major theme in the webinar was the balance between fixed and flexible resources.
Sandy was clear that budget constraints are a constant, and that the structure of the field team has to reflect the brand’s current stage and priorities. In practice, Murad uses a mix of full‑time field roles and flexible talent through AllWork: Some markets justify permanent heads, while others are better suited for flexible, event‑based, or part‑time coverage.
She also mentioned that in markets where hiring has been persistently difficult, her team has to decide whether to keep pushing or pivot to another market where they can achieve results more quickly.
“We’re in an industry that is always changing, so having the balance of structure and flexibility is really key to evolving with the times and with how your business grows and where it grows,” Sandy explained.
The ability to shift coverage in this way is one of the advantages of having a flexible workforce supported by a dedicated platform.
During the Q&A, a question on smaller markets led Sandy to call them an “untapped opportunity.”
She noted that these stores often receive less brand activity, so when a brand does invest in regular visits, store partners tend to be highly engaged. Consistent staffing in smaller markets can produce disproportionate returns, and talent in these areas can sometimes be easier to retain because there are fewer competing opportunities.
With a flexible model via AllWork, Murad can make regular, focused investments in these markets without committing full‑time headcounts everywhere.
An audience question asked what metrics Murad uses to assess store visits. Sandy outlined a practical, layered approach:
She also stressed that these metrics must be viewed alongside store‑level inventory, seeing as strong execution cannot overcome significant out‑of‑stocks.
In closing, Sandy shared a few lessons her team is applying. One was the importance of focus:
“Sometimes we want to do everything all at once, and sometimes the expectations are that we can. You really have to say, ‘I need to get one or two things right first, and then I can build from there.’”
She also highlighted that the right mix of talent and markets changes by phase of growth, and teams need to be willing to adjust and, at times, redirect efforts. Underpinning all of this is a need for adaptability in both mindset and structure.
Overall, the conversation highlighted how Murad is using flexible field talent, supported by AllWork, to align its in‑store presence with a refreshed brand story, extend coverage into both major and smaller markets, and respond more quickly to changing conditions while staying focused on measurable retail performance.
Want to learn how AllWork can help do the same for your brand? Check out a demo here.
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