“I catnap now and then, but I think while I nap, so it’s not a waste of time.”
Cheeky words from Martha Stewart, whom Ladies Home Journal once called America’s third most powerful woman. But at age 67 and worth an estimated $638 million, you can’t keep her down.
Her strength was tested in 2004, when she was convicted of lying to federal investigators about a stock sale. Five months in prison and a turnaround campaign later, her company marched back to profitability in 2006. Martha, none the worse for wear, emerged unscathed — more vibrant than ever before.
During her jail stay, then-CEO Sharon Patrick worked to distance the company from its founder and figurehead. The tactic was soon turned on its head. Patrick was sent packing, and Martha’s popularity soared. What followed was a barrage of methodical redecorating and a series of new initiatives, much of which were developed during Martha’s federally sanctioned alone time (we assume before, during, and after any naps she may have taken during her stay): The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. A rejuvinated Martha Stewart Living magazine. The Martha Stewart Show. The Martha Rules book, a guide to starting new businesses. The Martha Stewart Baking Handbook. Frequent spots on NBC’s Today Show, and around-the-clock programming on Sirius Satellite Radio. Needless to say, her post-prison appeal as an avatar of good taste has been bulletproof.
Today, Martha is at once playful, advisory and irreverent, mixing appearances on th David Letterman Show and hosting Conan O’Brien alongside regular skewering courtesy of daughter Alexis Stewart, on Whatever, Martha. (If you were wondering why Martha would ever subject herself to regular on-air skewering, consider that she’s the shrewdest judge of her audience, and believes Whatever, Martha will expose her to a younger generation of viewers. At the very least, we know she doesn’t take herself too seriously. Here’s a hilarious clip that spotlights her s’mores technique:
So why do we love Martha Stewart? The woman runs an empire, is the height of obsessive compulsive, and has been called by everyone from her daughter Alexis, to Rosie O’Donnell, as patently hard to work with. Simple: because above all, her persistence and durability continues to amaze. In the face of a public relations nightmare, she came out ahead, stronger than ever before. While her title at her company is Founder, she is in most eyes, both the yeast and the breadwinner. The product sundial on her stock certificate (currently on sale!) perfectly sums up the company’s varied interests, as well as the culture of Martha: fun, positivity, and a deep drive to do things better. Have we sipped a bit of the kool-aid? Sure. And we aren’t ashamed to admit it!
How do you feel about Martha Stewart? Are you a fan of her tv show, her magazine or her books? Share your thoughts with us, and be sure to indicate if you’re a current shareholder in the company!
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