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Martha Stewart

 
Martha Stewart
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Martha Stewart (born 1941) has become more than an author, entertainer, or businesswoman-she is an American icon. She has turned herself into one of the world's strongest brand names and sits atop a $200 million empire built around the ideas of domesticity, style, and elegance.

Born Martha Kostyra on August 3, 1941 into a large Polish-American working class family in Nutley, New Jersey, Stewart's parents raised her to be self-sufficient. Both of her parents were teachers, and they were strict and disciplined at home. These values instilled a strong work ethic in the Kostyra children. At an early age, Stewart helped her three brothers and two sisters trap muskrats and sell the skins for extra money. Stewart's first thoughts about entertaining can be traced to the large Sunday dinners the Kostyras held each week with friends and family. Other chores performed under the watchful eyes of her parents, such as gardening, cooking, and sewing, were necessities to make ends meet in the lean years of her youth.

An excellent student, Stewart began modeling while in high school. In an interview with Morley Safer of 60 Minutes, Stewart recalled those years: "Instead of going to the football games with my friends, I spent my time modeling clothes at Bonwit Teller on 57th Street. I was making, at first, $15 an hour, which was a lot better than the $1 an hour we were getting babysitting." Her girl-next-door appearance and photogenic face made her a favorite with photographers. The money she earned modeling helped Stewart make her way through Barnard College in New York, one of the nations top women's colleges.

While at Barnard, Stewart studied art history. Driven to succeed, she continued modeling, and eventually began appearing in major national and international magazines. Stewart was named one of the ten best-dressed college women in America by Glamour magazine, in 1961. Modeling helped pay her tuition, but she was constantly strapped for money, nonetheless. Stewart took a live-in maid position for two elderly widowed sisters on Fifth Avenue so she could move away from home.

Marriage and Wall Street

Andy Stewart, a young Yale Law School student, entered Stewart's life early in her college years. Described as "love at first sight," the whirlwind courtship ended in marriage on July 1, 1961. They began life as penniless newlyweds living in New York City. Soon, Stewart interrupted her education at Barnard to help support her husband as he finished up at Yale.

By early 1965, Stewart was pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter, Alexis Gilbert, in September. A month later, the Stewarts bought a rundown 19th century schoolhouse in Middlefield, Massachusetts that had no running water or plumbing. Stewart would later recall planting gardens in front of the little house and in Martha Stewart's New Old House, she wrote about "lugging water in large pails from the stream to cook with, wash up with, and drink." It took the Stewarts five years to renovate the house. After her daughter's birth, Stewart's modeling career tapered off. She began looking for other moneymaking ventures.

One evening in 1968, Stewart brought up her career search with some friends and one suggested she call one of his stockbroker friends in New York. Stewart's mix of beauty and brains impressed Andy Monness, a partner in the firm. He hired her on the spot because she was bright, aggressive, and hungry for success. Stewart passed the broker's exam easily and was registered with the New York Stock Exchange in 1968, right after her 27th birthday.

Stewart was successful and soon made a six-figure salary. She traveled to both coasts and led a celebrity lifestyle. Eventually tiring of the city life in New York, the Stewarts bought an old farmhouse in Westport, Connecticut that required more renovation. The house, dubbed Turkey Hill Farm by Stewart, would play a major role in her later career as a caterer and budding lifestyle expert.

Into the early 1970s, Stewart continued her string of successes on Wall Street, while her husband worked as a high-powered corporate attorney. However, the heightening Watergate scandal and uneasiness it caused on Wall Street led to problems for Stewart and the upstart firm where she worked. Unable to deal with the fluctuating market and unhappy that her accounts began losing money, Stewart resigned in 1973.

Catering Queen

At age 32, Stewart once again found herself without a career. She retreated to Turkey Hill to decide what she should do next. Turkey Hill proved to be her inspiration. She threw herself into remodeling efforts and ways to improve the old farmhouse. Obsessive cleaning and home improvement projects served as a therapeutic escape for Stewart after the wild years spent on Wall Street.

No one had any idea at the time that Stewart's next move would launch her into the living rooms of millions of people and land her atop a $200 million multimedia empire. The accounts differ regarding Stewart's entry into the catering business: she has said that it grew out of cooking classes held for Alexis and her school friends, while others said it happened after long discussions with friends from Westport. Regardless, catering was an ideal choice for Stewart, ever the perfectionist and very concerned with details.

With partner Norma Collier, the catering company named "Uncatered Affair" was born. For several years, the two friends catered parties and taught cooking classes around Westport. The relationship soured, however, when Stewart's controlling instincts dominated the business. Her need to reign over everything around her proved the old adage about too many cooks in the kitchen.

Stewart's next effort was at the Westport Common Market, which combined an upscale mall and food court. Stewart approached the owners of the mall about running the area and serving freshly prepared food. After charming the owners over lunch at Turkey Hill, Stewart was given the job and a $250 a week salary. She renamed the food area the "Market Basket," and turned the store into a moneymaker. She hired women to cook the food at home and then resold it at the store. Stewart went too far, however, when she told a New York Times reporter that she was the "proprietor" of the shop. The owners fired her shortly after the story ran. Stewart kept this a secret and let people believe she left on her own to spend more time running her catering business.

Stewart got her first taste of national media exposure when People magazine ran a story on her and Andy, who had left legal work to become a publishing executive. The article mentioned how she catered parties for famous Westport residents like Robert Redford and Paul Newman. As her reputation spread, Stewart began getting further national press from Mademoiselle, Bon Appetit, Good Housekeeping, and Country Living. Stewart was hired to be the free-lance food editor for House Beautiful, a national magazine that helped solidify her growing reputation.

Best-Selling Author

Alan Mirken, president of Crown Publishing Group, attended several parties Stewart arranged and was taken by her style, good looks, and talent. After several attempts, Mirken convinced Stewart to write a book and paid her an advance of $35,000, a sum her husband negotiated using his knowledge of the book industry. The resulting book, Entertaining, became a bestseller and propelled Stewart to dizzying heights.

No longer just a successful caterer, she was on her way to becoming a national symbol of good taste and style. With the publication of her second book, Quick Cook, Jerry Oppenheimer wrote in his unauthorized biography Just Desserts, her publisher's goal "was to make her as recognizable as Betty Crocker." Putting out a book a year, Stewart's reputation spread across the nation.

Stewart's first national television appearances were with Willard Scott on the Today show. Scott visited Turkey Hill and viewers saw the Stewarts as they prepared for Thanksgiving. Stewart's true goal, however, was to have her own television show, like her idol, Julia Child. Her first television special and mail-order video appeared in 1986, called Holiday Entertaining with Martha Stewart. Several years later, Stewart would have her own television show, estimated to reach 97 percent of the country.

Stewart's seemingly perfect life has included some sour moments. In early 1987, Andy left her and began divorce proceedings. Years later, recalling the painful split on 60 Minutes, Stewart said, "I know a lot of successful women who are not, at the present time, married. I hope that we could all find a balance, that you could balance a career, you can balance success, you can balance having a garden and having a husband at the same time."

Regardless of her personal situation, Stewart continued to build her business empire. She made a deal with media conglomerate Time Warner to produce her own magazine, Martha Stewart Living, which first appeared in late 1990. The company tied in appearances on the highly popular Today show. Stewart stayed with the program until January 1997 when she left to join CBS's This Morning as part of a package deal with CBS.

Martha Stewart Omnimedia

Always demanding to take full control of her own destiny, Stewart left Time Warner in 1997 to form her own multimedia company. As a result, Stewart was Chairman and CEO of Martha Stewart Omnimedia, a $200 million dollar company. The cornerstone of the company was Stewart herself. Her television show, which appeared on 185 stations, and her radio show, which was carried on 260 stations, were both produced by Omnimedia.

Stewart achieved every goal she has set. Arguably, she was more recognizable than Betty Crocker. Martha Stewart Living magazine had a circulation of 2.1 million. She got 925,000 visitors to her web site every week. Revenues for her K-Mart-sponsored Martha Stewart Everyday collection reached $1 billion. In her free time, Stewart continued to write books (also released in several foreign languages) and had more than 25 bestsellers to her credit.

Like most popular culture icons, Stewart had her supporters and detractors. She was parodied relentlessly on Saturday Night Live and inspired the farcical magazine, Is Martha Stewart Living? However, the number of viewers, readers, and listeners do not lie. Stewart told MSNBC's Matt Lauer, "My whole business has been based on the pursuit of perfection and the pursuit of accuracy and good information and good inspiration. So if I am ever, you know, called difficult to work for, it's by people who really don't care about those qualities in work. But my whole life is based on those qualities."

Labeled "the world's No. 1 living mega-brand" by Fortune magazine, Stewart sits atop an empire built on the simple premise that domesticity is good and should play an important role in society. Perhaps Stewart's entire life can be summed up by the assertion she wrote in her high school yearbook, "I do what I please and I do it with ease."

Further Reading

Oppenheimer, Jerry, Just Desserts, The Unauthorized Biography, Martha Stewart, Avon, 1997.

Forbes, March 22, 1999.

Guardian, April 15, 1996.

Sacramento Bee, June 27, 1997.

San Diego Union-Tribune, July 20, 1997.

Tampa Tribune, September 6, 1997.

Washington Post, March 17, 1996; January 23, 1997.

"She's Martha and You're Not," http://www.salon.com (March 1, 1999).

Answer of the Day:

Martha Stewart

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Martha Stewart  
Martha Stewart
Happy birthday to lifestyle guru Martha Stewart who turns 65 today. Named one of Time magazine's most influential people of 2005, Stewart currently has her own TV talk show, Martha. In 2004, Stewart was convicted of obstruction of justice and lying to investigators, after being investigated for insider trading. She served five months in prison and additional time under house arrest in 2005. Her company Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc produces the magazines Martha Stewart Living and Blueprint and a satellite radio network launched in partnership with Sirius in 2005.

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From our Archives: Today's Highlights, August 3, 2006

  • Genres: New Age

Biography

Homemaker, caretaker, master baker, lifestyle dictator, back breaker, music curator, stock trader -- these are just a few of the many labels that could accurately describe multi-tasking, multimedia diva Martha Stewart, but none are as accurate as just defining her as a plain old American pop cultural icon and businesswoman to which few of her caliber could aspire. Martha Helen Kostyra (or "M. Diddy" as her inmates liked to call her) was born on August 3, 1941, in Jersey City, NJ, a place she no longer calls home today. She began her professional career as a model and married Andrew Stewart. This is how she ended up with the last name she still retains today. Shortly after they married, Martha became pregnant and gave up modeling for stock trading, a normal career switch for expectant mothers during the '60s and '70s.

After the grand recession of 1973, Martha left Wall Street for Mulberry Street, purchasing an antique farmhouse in New England and starting a catering business. It was also around this time that she also began to write columns on a wide variety of subjects, including cooking, decorating, and interior design. This fame led to positions at magazines and a contract with Kmart, a relationship doubtlessly just as tumultuous as her marriage. As the '90s arrived, so did Martha's acceleration to the top of the happy housewife pile. Her syndicated program was so successful it spawned several spinoff shows, her own Kmart product line, and earned her a spot next to Busta Rhymes at the MTV Music Awards.

But it was her appearance on Conan O'Brien sipping a 40-ounce of Old English that earned her a spot in the hearts of millions, proving that she was equally adept at self-mockery and making a mean plate of spaghetti. She became a predictable target for jealous late-night talk-show hosts, but it was Stewart who would have the last laugh: she went public with her company Martha Stewart Omnimedia and raked in more money than the GNP of many small third-world nations combined. But the shining light of success wasn't to last for long.

In 2002, Stewart was investigated for insider trading and was found guilty, even though no concrete evidence was ever found. This led to a massive fallout of support from many of her colleagues and led to the inevitable cancellation of her television shows. This eventually turned into a three-year paper chase of endless trials and lawsuits, ending in Stewart being sentenced to five months in federal prison for conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Prison life was a bit of a change for Martha, but like the hardest of hip-hop artists, M. Diddy couldn't be held back for long.

After her release from prison in March 2005, her relationship with Kmart improved, no doubt in small part to the merger of Kmart with Sears, ensuring her products greater exposure to millions of mall shoppers worldwide. She also made a triumphant return to television with a daytime talk show and her own edition of the wildly successful The Apprentice. Once again redefining the line between reality and television, Stewart berates and humiliates potential employees while they take on tasks in order to please her and win a spot at one of her coveted companies. In 2005, she launched her own station on the Sirius radio network, released a line of DVDs from some of her favorite television episodes, and curated a series of compact discs designed to serve as background music for all occasions. ~ Rob Theakston, Rovi
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Martha Stewart

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Martha Stewart

Stewart at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival Vanity Fair party
Born Martha Helen Kostyra
(1941-08-03) August 3, 1941 (age 70)
Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Residence Katonah, New York,
Mount Desert Island, Seal Harbor, Maine
Nationality Polish American
Education Nutley High School
Alma mater Barnard College
Occupation Host of Martha
Founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
Publisher of Martha Stewart Living
Home town Nutley, New Jersey
Net worth increase US$638 million (2011)[1]
Spouse Andrew Stewart (1961–1989; divorced)
Children Alexis Stewart (b. 1965)
Relatives Jude (b. 2011) (granddaughter)
Signature
Website
Official website

Martha Stewart (née Kostyra; August 3, 1941) is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, merchandising, and electronic commerce. She has written numerous bestselling books, is the publisher of the Martha Stewart Living magazine, and her syndicated talk show, Martha, is broadcast throughout the world.

In 2004, Stewart was entangled in the ImClone insider trading affair and there was speculation[2][3] that the incident would effectively be the end of her media empire.[4] She began a comeback campaign in 2005[5] and her company returned to profitability in 2006.[6] Stewart rejoined the board of directors of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 2011[7] and became chairman of her namesake company again in 2012.[8]

Contents

Early life

Martha Stewart was born in Jersey City, New Jersey to middle-class Polish American parents, Edward "Eddie" Kostyra (c. 1912 – 1979) and Jadwiga Martha Ruszkowski Kostyra (b. September 16, 1914, Buffalo, New York – d. November 16, 2007, Norwalk, Connecticut).[9][10] She lived in Jersey City until the age of 3, when her family moved to Nutley.[11][12] She was raised in Nutley along with her five siblings.[13] She took the name "Grace" for her confirmation name before graduating from Nutley High School.[14]

At the age of 15, Stewart was featured in a television commercial for Unilever soap.[15] Her next brush with fame came in 1961, when she became the occasional babysitter for the children of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Gil McDougald of the New York Yankees. The Mantles had four boys, all under the age of ten and Merlyn Mantle was overwhelmed. Martha would organize birthday parties and babysit for all four. "They would behave for Martha", declared Martha, and her domestic career thus began.[16]

Stewart's mother taught her how to cook and sew. Later, she learned the processes of canning and preserving when she visited her grandparents' home in Buffalo, New York. Her father had a passion for gardening, and passed on much of his knowledge and expertise to his daughter. Stewart was also active in many extracurricular activities, such as the school newspaper and the Art Club. During this time, Stewart began a modeling career. She was hired and appeared in several television commercials and magazines, including one of Tareyton's famous "Smokers would rather fight than switch!" cigarette advertisements.

Initially intending to major in chemistry, she switched to art and European History, and later architectural history. It was around this time that she met and later married Andrew Stewart, on July 1, 1961. She left Barnard but continued her moderately successful modeling career, while her husband finished his law degree at Yale Law School. She returned to Barnard a year later, to graduate with a double major[17] in History and Architectural History. In 1965, her only child, daughter Alexis Stewart, was born.

Career

At this time, Stewart began to hone and develop her business skills.

Andrew and she moved to Westport, Connecticut. They purchased and undertook a restoration of the 1805 farmhouse on Turkey Hill Road that would later become the model for the TV studio of the Martha Stewart Living show. Martha and her husband undertook the entire venture by themselves. During the project, Stewart's panache for restoring and decorating became apparent. In 1976, Stewart started a catering business in her basement with a friend from her modeling days, Norma Collier. The venture quickly became successful, but soured when Collier alleged that Stewart was difficult to work with, and was also taking catering jobs on the side. Stewart soon bought her portion of the business. Stewart was also hired as the manager of a gourmet food store, the Market Basket but after a disagreement with the owners at the mini-mall she was forced out and opened her own store.[18]

Stewart at the 2010 Time 100 Gala

Andrew had become the president of prominent New York City publisher, Harry N. Abrams, Inc.. In 1977, he was responsible for releasing the English-language edition of The Secret Book of Gnomes series, by Dutch authors Wil Huygen and Rien Poortvliet, which quickly became a blockbuster success and was on The New York Times Best Seller list. He contracted Stewart's company to cater the book release party, where Stewart was introduced to Alan Mirken, head of Crown Publishing Group.[19]

Mirken was impressed by Stewart's talent and later contacted her to develop a cookbook, featuring recipes and photos from the parties that Stewart hosted. The result was her first book, Entertaining (December 13, 1982),[20] ghostwritten by Elizabeth Hawes.[21]

Following Entertaining's success, Stewart released many more books under the Clarkson Potter publishing imprint, including Martha Stewart's Quick Cook (1983), Martha Stewart's Hors D'oeuvres (1984), Martha Stewart's Pies & Tarts (1985), Weddings (1987), The Wedding Planner (1988), Martha Stewart's Quick Cook Menus (1988), and Martha Stewart's Christmas (1989), among others. During this time, she also authored dozens of newspaper columns, magazine articles and other pieces on homemaking, and made numerous television appearances on programs such as The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live. Andrew and Martha Stewart divorced in 1989.

Later career

In 1990, she also signed with Time Publishing Ventures to develop a new magazine, Martha Stewart Living, for which Stewart would serve as editor-in-chief. The first issue was released in late 1990 with an initial rate base of 250,000. Circulation would peak in 2002 at more than 2 million copies per issue. In 1993, she began a weekly half-hour service program based on her magazine, which was quickly expanded to a full hour, and later to a daily format, with half-hour episodes on weekends. Stewart also became a frequent contributor to CBS's The Early Show, and starred in several prime time holiday specials on the CBS network.

On the cover of the May 1995 issue, New York Magazine declared her "the definitive American woman of our time".

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

In September 1997, Stewart, with the assistance of business partner Sharon Patrick, was able to secure funding to purchase the various television, print, and merchandising ventures related to the Martha Stewart brand, and consolidate them into a new company, named Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Stewart served as chairwoman, president, and CEO of the new company and Patrick became Chief Operations Officer. By organizing all of the brand's assets under one roof, Stewart felt she could promote synergy and have greater control of the brand's direction through the business's activities. That same month Stewart announced in Martha Stewart Living the launch of a companion website and a catalogue business, called Martha by Mail. The company also has a direct-to-consumer floral business.

On October 19, 1999, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia went public on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol MSO. The initial public offering was set at $18 per share, and rallied to $38 by the end of trading, making Stewart a billionaire on paper. The stock price slowly went down to $16 per share by February 2002. Stewart was then and continues to be the majority shareholder, with a commanding 96% control of voting power in the company.

Stock trading case and conviction

According to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Stewart avoided a loss of $45,673 by selling all 3,928 shares of her ImClone Systems stock on December 27, 2001, after receiving material, nonpublic information from Peter Bacanovic, who was Stewart's broker at Merrill Lynch. The day following her sale, the stock value fell 16%.[22]

In the months that followed, Stewart drew heavy media scrutiny, including a Newsweek cover headlined "Martha's Mess". Notably, on June 25, 2002, CBS anchor Jane Clayson grilled Stewart on the air about ImClone during her regular segment on The Early Show. Stewart continued chopping cabbage and famously quipped, "I just want to focus on my salad".[23] On October 3, 2002, Stewart resigned her position, held for four months, on the board of directors of the New York Stock Exchange, following a deal prosecutors had made with Douglas Faneuil, an assistant to Bacanovic.[24]

On June 4, 2003, Stewart was indicted by the government on nine counts, including charges of securities fraud and obstruction of justice. Stewart voluntarily stepped down as CEO and Chairwoman of MSLO, but stayed on as chief creative officer. She went on trial in January 2004. Prosecutors showed that Bacanovic had ordered his assistant to tell Stewart that the CEO of ImClone, Samuel D. Waksal, was selling all his shares in advance of an adverse Food and Drug Administration ruling. The FDA action was expected to cause ImClone shares to decline.[25] After a highly publicized five-week jury trial that was the most closely watched of a wave of corporate fraud trials, Stewart was found guilty in March 2004 of conspiracy, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and making false statements to federal investigators, and was sentenced in July 2004 to serve a five month term in a federal correctional facility and a two year period of supervised release (to include five months of electronic monitoring).[25]

Bacanovic and Waksal were also convicted of federal charges and sentenced to prison terms.[26][27] Stewart also paid a fine of $30,000.[28]

In August 2006, the SEC announced that it had agreed to settle the related civil case against Stewart. Under the settlement, Stewart agreed to disgorge $58,062 (including interest from the losses she avoided), as well as a civil penalty of three times the loss avoided, or $137,019. She also agreed to a five-year ban from serving as a director, CEO, CFO, or any other officer role responsible for preparing, auditing, or disclosing financial results of any public company.[29] In June 2008, the UK Border Agency refused to grant her a visa to enter the United Kingdom because of her criminal conviction for obstructing justice. She had been planning to speak at the Royal Academy on fashion and leisure industry matters.[30]

Incarceration

Federal Prison Camp, Alderson, where Martha Stewart was confined

Stewart wanted to go to prison in Connecticut or Florida. She did not want to serve at Federal Prison Camp, Alderson in West Virginia, due to its remote location; in 2004, her lawyer said that the remoteness would make it difficult for Stewart's then-90 year old mother to visit.[31] Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum recommended to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) that Stewart be given her first choice, Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury, or her second choice, Federal Correctional Complex, Coleman.[32] However, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice said that the BOP would not send her to FCI Danbury because the news media could too easily access the facility. The bureau could not send Stewart to FCC Coleman because of complications from Hurricane Ivan; the Coleman complex filled because inmates from Federal Correctional Institution, Marianna were moved to Coleman. Therefore, the Federal Bureau of Prisons assigned Stewart to Alderson. The spokesperson said that he was concerned that the assignment to Alderson could be perceived as being vindictive.[31] Alexis Stewart said that she believed that the BOP "may have made a point of sending her far away".[33]

Cedarbaum ordered Stewart to report to her prison sentence before 2 pm on October 8, 2004.[32] By September 27, 2004, Stewart received the BOP ID 55170-054.[32][34] At about 6:15 am on October 8, 2004,[35] she reported to FPC Alderson.[36] Stewart said that her prison nickname was "M. Diddy".[37] While in confinement, she took a job and became an informal liaison between the administration and her fellow inmates. The People special, Scandals! That Rocked America, stated "Some expected America's goddess of domestic perfection to fall into terminal despair. Instead, with the drive that would make her a billionaire, Stewart took her lemon of a sentence and made lemonade. Heck, she made a lemon soufflé."[38] Stewart was released from FPC Alderson at 12:30 am on March 4, 2005.[39] She was then placed in a two year term of supervised release; during five of those months, she was placed in home confinement with electronic monitoring.[35][39] Stewart served her home confinement at her residence in Bedford, New York.[37] She was allowed to leave her house for 48 hours per week for work-related visits.[40] After her home confinement ended, but while her supervised release continued, she was required to remain employed and not to associate with people with criminal records. In addition, during the supervised release, she was required to receive permission from federal officials if she was going to leave the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.[41]

Current projects

Martha Stewart at the Metropolitan Opera opening in 2008

Following her release from prison in March 2005, Stewart launched a highly publicized comeback, and was once again involved in Martha Stewart Living. Offerings of her company's Martha Stewart Everyday line at Kmart were expanded to include a new line of ready-made home furnishings, and its mass market interior paint line became available at the larger Sears stores. However, the most heavily promoted aspect of her comeback was in television. Stewart returned to daytime television with The Martha Stewart Show and appeared in an adapted version of The Apprentice (called The Apprentice: Martha Stewart). Both shows premiered in September 2005, and both were produced by Mark Burnett. The Martha Stewart Show is currently in its sixth season.

However, New York Magazine reported in 2011 that Martha Stewart Living had only managed to make a profit in one of the previous eight years.[42] Her prime time Apprentice spin-off received poor ratings, which some attribute to popular dislike for the opportunistic tone of the network's massive promotional campaign and to NBC's slotting the show up against the hit drama Lost. The Apprentice: Martha Stewart was not renewed for a second season.

In October 2005, Stewart also released a new book called The Martha Rules on starting and managing a new business, and a month later her company released Martha Stewart Baking Handbook. In October 2006, Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook, a reference book about looking after your house, was published by Clarkson Potter. She also is a regular contributor of cooking, gardening, and crafts segments on NBC's Today show. Stewart's daily talk show was nominated in six categories for the 33rd Daytime Emmy Awards in 2006, including Best Host and Best Show.

Stewart in 2008.

MSLO launched a line of houses that carry her name to be built by KB Home, initially in Cary, North Carolina and various other locations nationwide. The first homes, which were inspired by Stewart's homes in New York and Mount Desert Island in Maine, were completed in early 2006. Ultimately 650 homes are planned with prices from low $200,000 to mid-$400,000s. A line of paper-based crafts for EK Success is also in development. In September 2007, she launched an upscale line of homewares for Macy's, which was the largest brand launch in Macy's history. Appearing in commercials for the line, Stewart stated she has designed more than 2,000 items exclusively for Macy's. The line includes bedding, bath, cookware and dinnerware. In addition to television and merchandising, MSLO launched a 24-hour satellite radio channel with Sirius in November 2005, on which Stewart currently hosts a weekly call-in show.

Stewart also made a special appearance on the comedy-drama series, Ugly Betty, in the November 16, 2006 episode "Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral", in which she gave her friend Wilhelmina Slater (played by Vanessa Williams) tips on how to prepare a turkey. Justin Suarez (played by Mark Indelicato) is a fan of Stewart.

In July 2006, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced a multi-year agreement with FLOR, Inc., the eco-friendly manufacturer of high-style modular floor coverings, to manufacture and market a new line of Martha Stewart-branded carpet tiles. The Martha Stewart Floor Designs by FLOR[43] line debuted in 2007 with the distinctive design and color palette associated with the Martha Stewart brand. The agreement with FLOR was part of the Martha Stewart organization's growing home furnishings program, which includes a wide range of products such as furniture with Bernhardt, wall color with Lowe's, and floor coverings with FLOR.

On September 14, 2007, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced that it inked a partnership with E & J Gallo Winery to produce a wine brand with label "Martha Stewart Vintage" (for sale in 6 cities, January, at $15). 15,000 cases to be sold include: 2006 Sonoma County Chardonnay, 2005 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon and 2006 Sonoma County Merlot (for Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, North Carolina, Denver, Phoenix, and Portland, Oregon). Martha Stewart also signed a contract with Costco to offer frozen and fresh food (label - Kirkland Signature).[44]

In July 2008, Craft items under the names "Martha Stewart Celebrate" and "Martha Stewart Create", two divisions of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, premiered in Wal-Mart stores. The deal came about in part due to the closing of more than 600 K-Mart stores in the U.S. In a move from broadcast television to cable, on January 26, 2010, Hallmark Channel and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced a multi-year strategic partnership. The award-winning, popular daytime series, "The Martha Stewart Show" would move to the Hallmark Channel in September 2010. Following the flagship program, Hallmark concluded it would air multi-hour blocks of exclusive MSLO developed programming.[45] In 2011, she will have a new show titled "Martha Bakes" on the Hallmark Channel.

Stewart will begin her acting debut on the long running NBC legal drama, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Stewart will play a private school headmaster in an episode titled "Learning Curve," scheduled to air in April 2012.[46]

In Fall 2012, the TV series 'Cooking School’ is expected to debut on PBS. Each weekly 30 minute episode will cover a cooking technique.[47] It is based on her book of the same name.[48]

Personal life

Alexis Stewart(left) and Martha Stewart(right), in September 2008

At age 19, she married Andrew "Andy" Stewart, on July 1, 1961. She left Barnard College for a year after she married but later returned. Her daughter Alexis Stewart was born in 1965. In 1989, Martha and Andrew divorced. Stewart dated Sir Anthony Hopkins, but the relationship was short-lived since she decided to cut it short after seeing The Silence of the Lambs, due to her being unable to avoid associating him with the character of Hannibal Lecter.[49]

Stewart reportedly dated billionaire Charles Simonyi, who was an early employee of Microsoft and head of their software group, on-and-off for 15 years. She featured footage of him as a space tourist aboard Soyuz on her television show in 2007. They broke up around February 2008.[50]

Stewart is an avid animal lover. Her pets include champion show Chow Chow dogs, French Bulldogs, Himalayan cats, and Friesian horses, including her dark horse Rutger.[51] Stewart also created a video[52] on behalf of fur-bearing animals after being approached by PETA while in jail. Stewart stated, "I used to wear real fur, but, like many others, I had a change of heart when I learned what actually happens to the animals".[53] Stewart filmed a public service announcement on behalf of the farm animal welfare organization Farm Sanctuary.[54]

Martha Kostyra, Stewart's mother, died at the age of 93 on November 16, 2007.[55] Martha Kostyra, also called "Big Martha" by her family, had appeared on Martha Stewart Living numerous times.

Stewart currently resides in Katonah, New York, a hamlet of Bedford, New York. She also maintains a 35,000 square feet (3,300 m2) residence on Mount Desert Island in Seal Harbor, Maine, known as 'Skylands', the former summer estate of automobile designer and tycoon, Edsel Ford, with gardens designed by renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen (1922).[56][57]

In an episode of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., it was discovered that Martha Stewart's maternal line has its roots in the Lipka Tatar people of Poland.

In the episode 23 of the 2 Brokes Girls when she eats a cupcake in the ladies bathroom.

Recognition

In 2011, Stewart was inducted the New Jersey Hall of Fame.[58]

See also

Further reading

References

  1. ^ Forbes estimate of Stewart's net worth
  2. ^ Byron, Christopher (May 10, 2004). "Gray Outlook At Mso - Without Martha Juggernaut, Company Appears Doomed". New York Post. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/nypost/access/634663661.html?dids=634663661:634663661&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+10,+2004&author=Christopher+Byron&pub=New+York+Post&desc=GRAY+OUTLOOK+AT+MSO+-+WITHOUT+MARTHA+JUGGERNAUT,+COMPANY+APPEARS+DOOMED&pqatl=google. 
  3. ^ Howard, Theresa (March 8, 2004). "Homemaking empire tries to dust off image". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2004-03-07-mslo_x.htm. 
  4. ^ "Elliptical vs. treadmill: Which will give you the better workout?". Daily News (New York). http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2004/03/06/2004-03-06_martha_s_dynasty_could_be_do.html. [dead link]
  5. ^ "The Reinvention of Martha Stewart", BusinessWeek
  6. ^ "Martha Stewart Living posts a quarterly profit", MSNBC
  7. ^ "Martha Stewart Rejoins Her Board". New York Times. September 26, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/business/martha-stewart-rejoins-her-board.html. 
  8. ^ "Martha Stewart Named Nonexecutive Chairman Of Namesake Company". Wall Street Journal. May 23, 2012. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20120523-712695.html. 
  9. ^ Ancestry of Martha Stewart
  10. ^ Stated on Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., May 6, 2012
  11. ^ "Fast Facts: Martha Stewart Timeline". Fox News. 2005-03-04. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,113424,00.html. Retrieved 2008-11-17. 
  12. ^ "In her New Jersey hometown, Martha Stewart's downfall stings". Associated Press. 2004-03-14. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20040314-1002-marthashometown.html. Retrieved 2008-11-17. 
  13. ^ "Martha Stewart Biography". about.com. About.com. http://manhattan.about.com/od/citylife1/p/marthastewart.htm. Retrieved 30 June 2006. 
  14. ^ Curran, John. "In her New Jersey hometown, Martha Stewart's downfall stings", The San Diego Union-Tribune, March 14, 2004. Accessed October 22, 2007. "A straight-A student, she belonged to almost every club there was at Nutley High School."
  15. ^ "Martha Stewart Stars in Unilever Ad -- 55 Years Ago: Before She was Famous, She Was Promoting Lifebuoy" Advertising Age, Published: June 23, 2011 [1]
  16. ^ Leavy, Jane. "The Last Boy Mickey Mantle and the end of America's Childhood, 2010
  17. ^ graduate with a double degree/double major
  18. ^ "Martha Stewart". Reference for Business: Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd ed. Advameg, Inc. http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/businesses/M-Z/Stewart-Martha.html. Retrieved 29 October 2010. 
  19. ^ Stewart was introduced Alan Mirken
  20. ^ "History of Entertaining - Martha Stewart Entertaining". Marthastewart.com. http://www.marthastewart.com/264286/history-of-entertaining. Retrieved 2011-12-28. 
  21. ^ referenced, Entertaining
  22. ^ "U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pancakes". www.sec.gov. www.sec.gov. http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2003-69.htm. Retrieved 4 June 2003. 
  23. ^ "More 'Ridiculousness'", Newsweek, July 8, 2002
  24. ^ "Martha Stewart quits exchange board" BBC October 4, 2002
  25. ^ a b "Stewart Convicted on All Charges," CNN, March 5, 2004
  26. ^ "Martha, out and about" CNN
  27. ^ "The Broker Who Fell to Earth," The New York Times, Oct. 13, 2006
  28. ^ "Stewart sentenced to five months in prison" Reuters, published in The Sydney Morning Herald, July 17, 2004
  29. ^ Securities and Exchange Commission Litigation Release No. 19794 / August 7, 2006
  30. ^ Daily Telegraph, June 20, 2008
  31. ^ a b Meier, Barry. "Martha Stewart Assigned to Prison in West Virginia." The New York Times, September 30, 2004 1.
  32. ^ a b c "Martha is now inmate #55170-054." CNN Money. September 27, 2004
  33. ^ "Interviews with Alexis Stewart, David Chesnoff, Tatum O'Neal". CNN. October 22, 2004
  34. ^ "Martha Stewart." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on January 5, 2010.
  35. ^ a b "Martha Stewart Begins Service of Sentence." Federal Bureau of Prisons. October 8, 2004. Retrieved on January 5, 2010.
  36. ^ de Vries, Lloyd. "How Martha Coped At 'Yale'" CBS News, 1. September 20, 2005. retrieved on April 25, 2009.
  37. ^ a b "'M. Diddy' Stewart's Prison Tales, Martha Calls House Arrest 'Hideous'; Says She Can Remove Monitor - CBS News". July 5, 2005. p. 1. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/05/entertainment/main706388.shtml. Retrieved 2007-12-26. 
  38. ^ "Martha Stewart: A Federal Case." Scandals! That Rocked America. TIME Inc. Home Entertainment, 2009, p. 70
  39. ^ a b "Press Release." Federal Bureau of Prisons. March 4, 2005. Retrieved on January 5, 2010.
  40. ^ "'M. Diddy' Stewart's Prison Tales, Martha Calls House Arrest 'Hideous'; Says She Can Remove Monitor - CBS News". July 5, 2005. p. 2. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/05/entertainment/main706388_page2.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody. Retrieved 2007-12-26. 
  41. ^ "Sans ankle bracelet, Martha's back." The Standard. September 2, 2005
  42. ^ http://nymag.com/news/features/martha-stewart-2011-8/
  43. ^ Flor.com
  44. ^ Martha Stewart to sell signature wine
  45. ^ "Hallmark Channel and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Form Strategic Alliance to Create Lifestyle Programming". Business Wire. 26 January 2010. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100126005886/en/Hallmark-Channel-Martha-Stewart-Living-Omnimedia-Form. Retrieved 29 October 2010. 
  46. ^ Ross, Robyn (March 21, 2012). "Exclusive: Martha Stewart, Tony Hale to Guest Star on Law & Order: SVU". TV Guide. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Martha-Stewart-SVU-1045122.aspx. Retrieved March 21, 2012. 
  47. ^ Lisa De Moraes (April 19, 2012). "Martha Stewart hops to PBS with ‘Cooking School’ TV show". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/martha-stewart-hops-to-pbs-with-cooking-school-tv-show/2012/04/19/gIQA5fhFUT_story.html. Retrieved April 22, 2012. 
  48. ^ Martha Stewart; Sarah Carey (2008). Martha Stewart's cooking school : lessons and recipes for the home cook. Clarkson Potter. ISBN 978-0-307-39644-0. OCLC 250743785. 
  49. ^ "Martha Stewart Stopped Dating Anthony Hopkins Because of Hannibal". http://www.hollywood.com/news/Stewart_Stopped_Dating_Hopkins_Because_of_Hannibal/3600693. 
  50. ^ "Bill Gates in Sweden for High Society Wedding," The Local, Sweden's News in English, November 22, 2008.
  51. ^ Martha Stewart Dating Former Microsoftie? InsideMicrosoft, 29 December 2006
  52. ^ Martha Stewart Renounces Fur, Hosts PETA Video Exposé
  53. ^ Martha Stewart: Unlikely PETA spokesperson
  54. ^ "Martha Stewart speaks out about cruelty to farm animals". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-fqTEtgG_A&list=FLq0lQw8q6N4N3qS1NkL6vKA&index=1&feature=plcp.  Youtube| Retrieved on February 27, 2012
  55. ^ Martha Stewart's Mother Dies - Tributes, Martha Stewart : People.com
  56. ^ "From My Home to Yours". Martha Stewart Living. June 2007. http://www.marthastewart.com/article/from-my-home-to-yours-june-2007. Retrieved 2009-06-16. 
  57. ^ Grese, Robert E. (1992). Jens Jensen: Maker of Natural Parks and Gardens. Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 102, 184. ISBN 0-8018-4287-5. 
  58. ^ The Newark Star Ledger. 

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