Martha Stewart is the Founder of the first multi-channel lifestyle company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, an entrepreneur, bestselling author of 99 to date lifestyle books and Emmy award winning television show host. Reaching more than 100 million devoted fans on a monthly basis through her magazines, television shows, books, and products for the home, sold on Martha.com and at multiple retail and online outlets, Martha is the “go-to” source for the homemaker. She and her talented staff provide trusted, timely, and useful information on all aspects of everyday living: cooking, entertaining, gardening, home renovating, collecting, organizing, crafting, healthy living, holidays, weddings and pet care, both in print and social media.
Raised in Nutley, New Jersey, in a family of six children, Martha developed her passion for cooking, gardening and homekeeping at an early age. Her mother taught her the basics of cooking, baking, canning, and sewing; her father introduced her to gardening at the age of three. Martha earned a bachelor’s degree in history and architectural history at Barnard College. Upon graduating, she became a stockbroker on Wall Street, where she gained her early business training. After moving to Westport, Connecticut, in 1972, she developed a catering business that showcased her remarkable talent and originality. Her unique visual presentation of food and the elegant recipes she created for her thriving event and catering business were the basis for her first book, Entertaining, published in 1982. 97 more have been published, including bestsellers such as Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook, Martha Stewart’s Cooking School, Martha Stewart Flowers, The Homekeeping Handbook, The Martha Manual: How to Do (Almost) Everything and Martha Stewart’s Organizing.
Martha's business sense and creative vision provided the framework for launching her namesake company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 1996, and the expansive multimedia portfolio that includes award-winning properties such as Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, marthastewart.com, “The Martha Living Show” and “The Martha Show” (which over a span of 19 years earned 18 Emmys), “Martha Stewart’s Cooking School” on PBS, and “Martha Bakes” on PBS. In 2016, Martha teamed up with longtime friend and collaborator Snoop Dogg for “Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party” on VH1. Martha’s first foray into primetime, the program has both talk and informative cooking show elements. In 2017, the popular series received its first Emmy nomination.
In addition to its media properties, Martha Stewart’s branded products can be found in tens of millions of homes and in thousands of retail locations. Martha was a pioneer in bringing beautifully designed, high-quality products to mass market with Martha Stewart Everyday products at Kmart. Today, her brand offers high-quality, functional and affordable products across various product categories including a home collection created for Macy’s; crafts at Amazon; office supplies and organization at Staples; a collaborative line of products with QVC, including apparel, accessories, food, wine, seasonal décor and garden; a meal-kit delivery service,Martha & Marley Spoon; the online wine shop, Martha Stewart Wine Co.; gift baskets with iGourmet; coffee with Barrie House and many others.
Most recently, Martha launched Martha.com, a direct-to-consumer online platform that combines Martha’s beautifully designed products and carefully curated goods with dynamic and engaging content all in one place. Other current retail partnerships include a brand shop with Wayfair including accent furniture, lighting, home décor, textiles, housewares and more; The Everyday System™, a line of customizable organizational solutions for the entire home, with California Closets; and a robust Amazon brand shop that features books, coffee, food, pet care, garden, seasonal décor, crafts, outdoor furniture, window coverings and area rugs. She also recently launched CBD-infused wellness gummies, oils and soft gels for humans in partnership with Canopy Growth in 2020.
The Martha family of branded products is owned by Marquee Brands, a leading global brand operator and marketer owned by investor funds managed by Neuberger Berman. Martha joined the Marquee Brands team on June 10, 2019.
In 2007, Martha unveiled the new Martha Stewart Center for Living at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. The center is an outpatient facility for geriatric medicine, providing clinical care and education for patients, offering training for physicians and coordinating healthy-aging research and practices. Martha was inspired to create the center by her mother, Martha Kostyra, who remained active and engaged in life to the age of 93. In June 2019, Martha opened a second Martha Stewart Center for Living location at Mount Sinai-Union Square dedicated to her grandchildren, Jude and Truman.
Awards and Achievements:
Martha Stewart has been awarded numerous honors and distinctions from various industries including business, education, television, media, culinary arts, animal welfare and retail.
- Martha was included among the 100 most influential men and women of the year in the 2005 TIME magazine’s annual “TIME 100” list and was also named one of "America's 25 Most Influential People" by TIME magazine in 1996.
- Since founding her company, Martha has been named one of the “50 Most Powerful Women” by Fortune magazine five times.
- Martha was included among the 100 Greatest Living Business Minds in the 2018 Forbes Magazine Centennial issue.
- Adweek magazine named Martha their “Media Visionary” of the year in their annual Publishing Hot List in 2017.
- Martha and the Martha Stewart television production team have earned 18 Daytime Emmy Awards for the Martha Stewart Living television show and The Martha Stewart Show.
- The Martha Stewart Living Show received a total of 60 Emmy nominations in ten seasons, and 20 Emmy nominations for The Martha Stewart Show between 2005 – 2012.
- Martha Stewart’s Cooking School won the 2015 and 2014 James Beard Foundation Broadcast and New Media Award for Television Program, in Studio or Fixed Location.
- Martha Stewart Living television also received the James Beard Foundation Award for the Best National Cooking Segment in 1998, 2003, and 2005.
Key Brand Stats:
- 7 out of 10 women in the U.S. say that Martha Stewart has and does influence the way Americans think about, organize, and manage their homes.
- Martha Stewart has 96% brand awareness among women in the U.S.
- The Martha Stewart Collection is the #1 home brand at Macy’s
- Martha Bakes, on PBS, reaches 98% of the United States via PBS’ nationwide stations and is the number-one baking show on public television. The series was nominated for two Emmy Awards in 2015 for best culinary host and culinary show. Season 10 premiered in July 2018.
- Martha Stewart Living magazine reaches nearly 20 million consumers across print, digital and social platforms, remaining a vital resource for those seeking inspiration across all platforms since it launched in 1990.
- 82% of US millennials feel more confident to take on a project after seeing it on Martha Stewart Living
- 70% of US millennials have used a Martha Stewart recipe
- Martha Stewart Weddings is the #1 bridal resource