Past Event On April 26, 2025
Martha Stewart with Soledad O’Brien
The Life Behind Living
We heard stories and lessons learned from every era of the grand duchess of domesticity’s life, from her early ambitions to her triumphs over adversity. No chapter was left unexplored.
“It’s not hard to start a brand today. It’s keeping the brand and nurturing it — that’s the hard part. Keeping the interest, keeping your own interest, and staying true to your subject matter — that’s what matters most.”
Martha Stewart
The Life Behind Living
April 26, 2025
Martha Stewart may be best known for perfecting the art of everyday living, but at The Richmond Forum, she offered something even more intriguing: a candid, often hilarious portrait of a life built on fearlessness, resilience, and boundless curiosity.
In a conversation with award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien, Stewart reflected on her unconventional journey — from skinning muskrats as a child to building a billion-dollar brand — while offering lessons on entrepreneurship, reinvention, and staying curious at every stage of life.
Although Stewart’s empire now spans television, publishing, merchandising, and beyond, she made clear that it all began with a love of the home — and a sharp eye for opportunity.
“I like to find the void and fill it,” she said. That instinct remains alive today, as Stewart teased new ventures involving the convergence of artificial intelligence and the home, as well as a renewed focus on pets. “There are no good pet programs on TV right now,” she said, nodding to a possible new project. Stewart has long been a fan of animals — dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, and even peacocks, of which she has 20.
Stewart’s early life — as one of six children, growing up with few frills and a lot of chores — shaped the work ethic and resilience that would later define her.
“If you want to be happy for a year, get married. If you want to be happy for a decade, get a dog. If you want to be happy for life, plant a garden.”
– Martha Stewart
“You have to learn something new every day,” she told the audience, recounting memories of skinning muskrats with her brother for extra money and tying trout fishing flies with practiced skill. Even today, she said, she tries to learn something new each day — like exploring Richmond’s gardens upon her arrival, learning about new plants and architectural styles.
Her love of discovery even extends to pop culture. To the audience’s delight, she recounted her admiration for Eminem and her unexpected affection for rap music after watching “8 Mile.”
When asked about facing roadblocks in male-dominated industries, Stewart didn’t hesitate. “I never felt there was a glass ceiling,” she said. “If I sensed a restriction, I argued about it.” She shared stories of standing up for herself early on, including walking out of a modeling audition when asked to change into a bikini unnecessarily — a moment of quiet but decisive rebellion.
Although her life is notably marked by highly public legal and personal setbacks, Stewart emphasized resilience over bitterness. “I don’t have thick skin,” she admitted. “But I have a good sense of myself.” Keeping diaries throughout her toughest times, she learned to process pain without letting it define her, and to channel challenges into renewed energy. “Success is the best revenge,” she quipped, drawing applause.
Some of the most delightful moments of the evening came when Stewart spoke about the unexpected turns her life has taken — including her famous friendship with rapper Snoop Dogg. Their collaboration, she said, opened up new audiences for both of them — and turned into a genuine and meaningful connection.
“We don’t speak the same language at all,” she joked. “But we interact in a very nice way.” She then launched into a story about harvesting Snoop’s cannabis seeds on her farm — and mistakenly thinking her chicken coop was on fire after getting an unintentional contact high. “I don’t touch the stuff anymore,” she said, laughing along with the audience.
Her openness to new experiences seems to be a key part of her enduring relevance. Whether posing for the cover of Sports Illustrated at age 81 or launching a new NBC cooking competition show with fellow Forum speaker José Andrés, Stewart embraces challenges not because they’re easy, but because they’re new. “I did it because I hadn’t done it before,” she said.
Stewart advised women contemplating reinvention to think in terms of evolution rather than transformation. “Take baby steps,” she said. “See what you like and what you don’t.”
As the conversation drew to a close, Stewart reflected: “It’s been a very interesting life so far.” And judging from her restless curiosity, irrepressible humor, and endless list of new ideas, it’s clear that Martha Stewart’s most fascinating chapters are still being written.
Continuing the Conversation
Martha Stewart is often referred to as “the original influencer”. In what ways do you think she has shaped the way people view domestic tasks such as cooking, decorating, and entertaining? Have you personally ever used any of her recipes, products, or advice?
Stewart became the first self-made female billionaire in the U.S. when her company, MSLO, went public in 1999. What impact do you think her success has had on perceptions of women in business and leadership?
How do you view Martha Stewart’s ability to bounce back from legal and personal challenges? What does this say about resilience in business?
How has Stewart’s public persona evolved over the years, and what aspects of her image have contributed to her staying power in pop culture?
About Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is the founder of the first multi-channel lifestyle company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, as well as an entrepreneur, bestselling author of 99 lifestyle books, and Emmy award-winning television show host. Her magazines, television shows, books, and home products reach more than 100 million devoted fans every month. She and her talented staff provide trusted information on all aspects of everyday living: cooking, entertaining, gardening, home renovating, collecting, organizing, crafting, healthy living, holidays, weddings, and pet care.
Stewart was raised in New Jersey in a family of six children. She developed her passion for cooking, gardening, and home-keeping at an early age. Upon graduating from Barnard College with a degree in history and architectural history, she became a stockbroker on Wall Street, where she gained her early business training.
In 1972, Stewart moved to Westport, Connecticut, and founded a successful event and catering business. Her elegant recipes and unique visual presentation later became the basis for her first book, “Entertaining,” published in 1982.
Stewart’s business sense and creative vision provided the framework for launching her namesake company in 1996. The company’s portfolio has since grown to include the award-winning properties Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, and marthastewart.com. Her nationally syndicated television programs, “Martha Stewart Living” and “The Martha Stewart Show,” earned 18 Emmys over 19 years.
Stewart pioneered bringing beautifully designed, high-quality products to the mass market with Martha Stewart Everyday products at Kmart. Today, her branded products can be found in tens of millions of homes and thousands of retail locations. The Martha Stewart brand offers a robust range of products created for or in collaboration with numerous retail partners, including Macy’s, Amazon, Staples, QVC, iGourmet, Barrie House Coffee Roasters, Wayfair, California Closets, Marley Spoon, Wine Insiders, and Canopy Growth.
About Soledad O’Brien
Soledad O’Brien is an award-winning documentarian, journalist, speaker, author, philanthropist, and founder of Soledad O’Brien Productions, a media production company dedicated to telling empowering and authentic stories on a range of social issues. She anchors and produces “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien,” a Hearst political magazine program seen in 95% of the country, and is a correspondent for HBO Real Sports. In May 2023, she was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame.
O’Brien has a national impact through her op-eds, social media, speeches, and books, including her critically acclaimed memoir, “The Next Big Story,” and her 1.3 million followers on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. She has given congressional testimony on media disinformation and has anchored shows and specials on CNN, MSNBC, NBC’s “Today Show,” Nat Geo, BET, ABC, and CBS.
Soledad O’Brien Productions’ most recent projects include the Peabody Award-winning documentary “The Rebellious Life of Rosa Parks,” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and streams on Peacock, and the multi-part series “Black and Missing,” which won the Independent Spirit and NAACP awards and streams on HBO. Other productions have appeared on Discovery Plus, CNN, BET, PBS, and other networks. She works with major foundations, like Ford and Gates, to produce impactful documentaries on topics, such as hunger, race, and education.
O’Brien is the recipient of four Emmys, three George Foster Peabody Awards, four Gracie Awards, two Cine Awards, and an Alfred I. DuPont Award. In 2011 she founded the PowHerful Foundation, which has helped dozens of young women attend and graduate college, and connects them with thousands of others through regional mentoring conferences.
Additional Resources
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Martha’s Recipes, Gardening Tips, and More!
marthastewart.com
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Soledad O’Brien’s Tips for Interviewing
Youtube
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Martha Stewart reveals how her unlikely friendship with Snoop Dogg really began
The Independent
Make Martha’s Famous Pot Roast
