Industrialist - “baby boomer” media hostess, author and home living guru
With her award-winning magazine, Martha Stewart Living, her best-selling books, Emmy award winning television show, website, syndicated newspaper column, national radio show, mail-order catalogue, and product lines, Martha Stewart is America’s most trusted guide to stylish living.
Martha Stewart was born in New Jersey in 1941 as Martha Helen Kostyra. Stewart was born into a large middle class family of polish heritage. Martha's mother cooked and sewed clothes for the family saving money by making the children’s' clothing. Martha developed a passion for cooking, gardening and home keeping during her childhood. Her mother, who was a schoolteacher and homemaker, taught Martha the basics of cooking and sewing, they had large Christmas celebrations with Martha and her mother baking and decorating cookies. Stewart’s father, a pharmaceutical salesman introduced her to gardening in the family’s small but neat backyard, they would plant flowers, fruit trees, and berry bushes. She spent some summers at her grandparents during her childhood, and they taught her how to preserve and can vegetables and fruits. Martha’s family often entertained and the family would do all the cooking and preparations. Unbeknownst to Martha, this was the beginning of her "entertaining" career. During high school, Stewart decided to try modelling in New York and was soon hired and eventually appeared in a TV commercial and several magazines. She still continued high school excelling in her studies until graduating in the top ten of her high school class and decided to attend Barnard College in New York. Whilst studying towards a bachelor’s degree in history and architectural history, Martha continued working as a model to pay for her education. In 1961 Stewart met her husband, Andy Stewart, while attending college and was married in her sophomore year. They moved into an apartment in New York which needed work, so they renovated and decorated it, which gave Stewart her first introduction into home decor. In 1965, their only child, Alexis, was born. After graduating, Stewart became a stockbroker on Wall Street, where she gained her early business training. In 1972 they moved to Connecticut where she started a catering business which demonstrated her talent and originality. Martha catered a party for Andy's publishing firm and met editors and other important people. During this party she was offered the opportunity to publish a book on catering. The presentation of food and her elegant recipes created for her catered events were the basis for her first book, “Entertaining,” published in 1982. One of the most popular and influential books ever published, “Entertaining” has become an American classic. Stewart later published two more cookbooks and started appearing on television and even hosted her own Thanksgiving special on television. People loved her or hated her and she became known as a lifestyle expert. She became the spokesperson for K-Mart and wrote more books while fast becoming a wealthy "homemaking" expert. During this time her marriage started to suffer with Martha and Andy divorcing in 1990.
Stewart now had another goal; she wanted to publish a magazine much like her books - a magazine to demonstrate to women how to entertain, decorate, cook, garden and craft. In 1990, "Martha Stewart Living" made its debut and women around America loved it. Stewart was soon offered the chance to host her own TV show which consisted of everything within her magazine. She was named one of “ America’s Most Influential People” of 1996. Stewart wanted control of all her projects, so in 1997 she created "Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia". Omnimedia encompasses all the mediums her projects can be found in, including radio, TV, print, Martha by mail catalogue, and online at Martha Stewart.com. In 2002, Stewart went under investigation for alleged insider trading for selling 3,928 shares which was never proven. In 2004, Stewart was found guilty by a jury on all four remaining counts against her: conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and two counts of making false statements. Stewart was sentenced to five months in prison, five months of home confinement, and two years probation, for lying about a stock sale, conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Stewart was also ordered to pay a US$30,000 fine
