This has been a typically busy year for
Martha Stewart.
The iconic tastemaker continues to shape cultural trends and says she has no plans to stop.
“I have never thought about retiring. I am lucky to do so many jobs in a day and will continue to do so as long as I’m able,” Stewart says.
Her many ventures range from personal passion projects—“I am working on the ultimate vegetable garden with both a year-round greenhouse and in-the-ground plantings,” she says—to professional collaborations with Skechers and Amazon, which is home to her brand store, the World of Martha. Also keeping Stewart busy are her three shows on the Roku Channel and her namesake weekly podcast with iHeart, in which she interviews people from all walks of life who inspire her.
Stewart also opened some eyes earlier this year when, at the age of 81, she made her Sports Illustrated debut as the oldest cover model in the history of publication’s swimsuit issue.
“The response was utterly phenomenal coming from all corners of the earth. Most impressive of all was that many comments came from women my age and older who felt it liberated them,” Stewart says.
Throughout the year she’s also been working on her next book, which is due out in 2024 and will mark a major milestone as her 100th since her first how-to book, Entertaining, came out in 1982. The upcoming book focuses on recipes and how family favorites and traditions can evolve, she says.
Stewart has developed a unique perspective when it comes to cooking.
“There is no separation from one cuisine to another. I still look for innovation, creativity, cross-over taste, and new ingredients,” she says. “The culinary scene is so exciting and ever evolving.”
Fans of Stewart will be able to see her culinary skills in person in October, when she’ll serve as a headliner at the Kohler Food and Wine Festival, which the Kohler Co. holds each year in its namesake village in Wisconsin.
Stewart, 82, recently caught up with Penta from her 156-acre farm in Bedford, N.Y.
More: Hometown Pride and the Allure of the Ocean in the Mid-Cape
Penta: As someone who has extolled the virtues of staying curious, how do you describe your commitment to learning something new every day?
Martha Stewart: I’m a teacher first and foremost, and teachers must keep learning in order to teach. I have to know the best way to do things so I can teach students the best way to do things. For example, I am very interested in sustainable farming. In the coming weeks, I am visiting a new type of scallop farm in the deep ocean. I can’t wait to see how this is done. Very exciting progress is being made.
The term ‘prolific’ is almost always attached to your name in any profile. What does that mean to you?
When I think about 100 books, I would say that is a prolific output. These books reflect the work I’ve been doing for the last 40 years. To me, this seems like a natural progression. Everything I do is natural, unforced, and reflects a busy life, and a creative and curious mind with an audience that is willing and able to partake in the stuff I want to teach, display, and create.
You’ve often been described as a pioneer of omnichannel marketing. Looking back, do you consider yourself a trailblazer?
My company [launched in 1997] was originally called Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and was the first company to incorporate all types of media in one company. We viewed our company as kind of a solar system with content as the center, or the “sun,” then with publishing, then omni-merch, then omni-internet as the rings. In 1990, when I started Martha Stewart Living magazine, [the internet] was just beginning, and now we are getting into AI. The future is bright!
Speaking of AI, is that something you’re looking forward to incorporating?
I certainly hope that I live long enough to see AI—aka “Ask Martha”—in good working condition. Distribution could be universal, in every language, with topics like “how to keep your shower clean” or “how to make potato pierogi,” just by asking the questions out loud.
How would you describe your approach to travel?
I love to travel, and I have two inquisitive, travel-crazed grandchildren who have already been to seven continents, who are just 11 and 12 years old. Having not traveled beyond New York from New Jersey until I was 18, this is an exciting prospect. We are visiting places I haven’t been. We are planning a trip to Japan at the choice of the grandchildren, and we are looking for places I have never seen or been to learn a lot.
Among your current projects and interests, which do you find the most rewarding?
I am very committed to expanding the Martha Stewart Centers for Living at Mount Sinai Hospital [in New York City], which is an outpatient geriatric hospital center that has served many thousands of visitors seeking help in successful aging. I am also very involved with Friends of Acadia on Mount Desert Island in Maine, where we are looking for ways to keep America’s national parks healthy, thriving, and good places to visit.
Celeste Sloman
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Read the full article here
