At 83, Martha Stewart looks as glamorous and put together as you’d expect from someone known as the world’s original influencer. America’s first self-made female billionaire isn’t just an entrepreneur, bestselling author of 101 lifestyle books and an Emmy-award-winning television host, she’s a brand. Through her magazines, TV shows, books and retail lines, Stewart’s lessons as a homemaker reach more than 100 million people a month. No big deal.
If you’re one of the millions who follow her work, you’ll be thrilled to hear Stewart is headed Down Under to headline Martha Stewart In Conversation at ICC Sydney on May 28 as part of the Vivid Sydney festival.
America’s Original Influencer to Headline at Vivid Sydney
Long before “influencer” became part of the cultural vocabulary, Stewart was shaping how millions cooked, entertained, and decorated their homes. Through her magazines, TV shows, bestselling 101 lifestyle books, and wide-ranging retail lines, her lessons on homemaking now reach more than 100 million people every month.
Martha Stewart In Conversation promises candid reflections on her extraordinary career – though some topics, including her legal troubles and political views, will naturally be strictly off-limits.
Still, attendees can expect Stewart’s signature brand of hard-earned wisdom. Speaking from the US ahead of her trip, she offered advice for those navigating professional ups and downs.
“Try to get a stable position in your work if you can,” she said. “You have to be ready to accept the bad with the good and somehow get out of it and never lose faith in yourself. If you are a good person, if you have good ideas, never lose faith in yourself.”
Why Is Martha Stewart So Famous?
Stewart built her fame by elevating homemaking into an art form and a serious business. Her television programs, magazine Martha Stewart Living, retail partnerships, and sprawling media ventures taught generations how to live stylishly. In doing so, she became America’s first self-made female billionaire.
From Prison to Pop Culture Icon
In 2004, Stewart was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and lying to federal investigators about a suspicious stock sale. She served five months in federal prison, followed by five months of house arrest and two years of supervised probation. She has maintained her innocence, insisting she had no insider information when she sold shares of the biopharmaceutical company ImClone Systems.
Her time in prison became another unexpected chapter in her legend. According to her magazine Martha Stewart Living, Stewart foraged for dandelion greens to improve the prison food, created microwave recipes, read Bob Dylan’s autobiography, and even taught yoga classes to fellow inmates.
Rather than retreating from public life after her release, Stewart staged a remarkable comeback. She returned to television, launched new businesses, and even partnered with Snoop Dogg for the hit series Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party in 2016 – a pop culture pairing that cemented her appeal across generations.
Is Martha Stewart Still a Billionaire?
While Stewart’s peak financial success saw her cross the billion-dollar mark, her current net worth is estimated at around $400 million, according to Forbes. Though no longer officially a billionaire, she remains one of the most influential figures in American business and lifestyle branding.
Breaking Glass Ceilings
Stewart’s journey to the top was not without confrontation. She recalled an early experience auditioning for a commercial where male executives asked her to change into a bikini – though it had no relevance to the job.
“I just said, ‘Well, thank you, gentlemen,’ and walked out of the room,” Stewart said. “I was brought up like that. I was brought up to stand up for myself and not give in to stupidity.”
Her upbringing in Nutley, New Jersey, where she was the second of six children, shaped that resilience early on. “Being the second oldest in a household that required all of us to do chores and hard work helped make me strong,” she said. “We don’t give up in our family.”
“Breaking glass ceilings in America for me wasn’t very hard because I really believed in what I was doing,” she added.
Who Is Richer, Martha Stewart or Oprah?
While Stewart’s career has been groundbreaking, Oprah Winfrey remains in a financial league of her own. Winfrey’s estimated net worth is around $2.8 billion, compared to Stewart’s $400 million.
What Is Martha Stewart’s Famous Saying?
Among Stewart’s most enduring catchphrases is, “It’s a good thing.” The phrase became a hallmark of her TV shows and books, speaking to embracing quality, creativity, and positivity in everyday life.
A Legacy of Mentorship
In recent interviews, Stewart has emphasized not just her own achievements, but her role in fostering the careers of others. Reflecting on the Netflix documentary Martha, which chronicled her rise, fall, and resurgence, Stewart noted an important omission.
“It did not cover the great affiliations that I’ve made with so many talented other people,” she said. “I started so many careers – not my careers, but other people’s careers – and encouraged them. I think I’ve been really good at finding like-minded people to come and work with me on projects that have turned out to be very successful.”
How to I get tickets to see Martha?
Stewart’s appearance at Vivid Sydney offers a rare glimpse into the mind of a woman who has not only lived the American Dream but helped redefine it. With wisdom, wit, and unshakable resilience, she continues to inspire new generations – and remains, without question, a very good thing.
To purchase tickets, go to iccsydneytheatre.com
