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Martha Stewart has spent more than five decades building a business empire, and the lifestyle mogul is now revealing the financial advice she has carried with her throughout her career.
At 85, the businesswoman has built a sprawling brand across media and merchandising, but says much of what she knows about business has come from experience rather than formal education.
The advice comes from a career that has included major contracts, a public company, major setbacks, and a surprising return to the business world as she continued to find ways to turn her ideas into valuable business opportunities.
Martha Stewart says ‘Every day starts at zero’
For Stewart, financial success does not seem to come from relying on yesterday’s achievements.
Speaking to PEOPLE at SoFi’s Smart Money Social Club, Stewart reflected on the advice she received while working on Wall Street and throughout her five decades as an entrepreneur.
Although she said she received a lot of advice, both “solicited and unsolicited,” one particular lesson has stayed with her.
“Every day starts at zero, and you have to go from there,” she said. “If you are talking about money, talk at the end of the day and analyze what you have done, what you have earned and what you have learned.”
Some of her peers did not have the traditional business-school background, instead majoring in architectural history at Barnard College and taking a six-month course at the New York Institute of Finance.
Stewart admitted that she may have done “well” in the finance course, but she didn’t let that stop her from learning about money and business.
“I’m a very good learner,” she explained, explaining how she learned by watching people who already knew what they did.
Martha Stewart revealed her first big money came from Kmart
Stewart’s financial philosophy becomes even more remarkable when juxtaposed with the deals that helped build his fortune.
As The Blast reported, the media mogul recently opened up about the Kmart partnership that she considers her “first big money.” The deal eventually became one of the most important financial chapters of her career.
Stewart partnered with Kmart to create a line of affordable home goods, and the arrangement gave her a percentage of the sales of products she designed.
Stewart revealed that the business generated nearly $2 billion in merchandise sales, and was clearing approximately $65 million a year in royalties at the height of the partnership.
The money did more than just boost Stewart’s personal earnings. She explained that the income from Kmart helped fund the development of her magazine and the business in general that she was building.
Martha Stewart turned a major breakthrough into a full-circle moment
Stewart’s financial journey has not been without major obstacles. The businesswoman recently returned to the New York Stock Exchange more than two decades after her highly publicized legal troubles forced her to step down from her company’s board.
She came back years after being indicted in 2003 and convicted in 2004 of criminal charges related to the ImClone Systems insider trading case, according to The Blast.
The timing was significant because Stewart had taken her company public on the NYSE in 1999. She returned to the exchange in February 2026 to ring the closing bell with Scotts Miracle-Gro CFO Mark Scheiwer as the company celebrated its 30th anniversary.
The legal scandal took a toll on Stewart’s business and public image. But decades later, she was back at the same institution where she had celebrated one of the biggest milestones in her career.
The Businesswoman Continues to Expand Her Empire
The lifestyle icon’s ability to keep finding new opportunities has been evident in her latest projects.
Stewart recently made her “The Real Housewives of New York City” debut, adding another television appearance to an already long media career.
Her cameo also gave viewers another look at the personality behind the Martha Stewart brand as she joked about releasing her nudes, which quickly drew hilarious responses from fellow celebrities and major media brands.
The 85-year-old continued to expand her presence across various forms of entertainment while remaining active across traditional media, social platforms, television and brand partnerships.
The lifestyle expert continues to win creatively with her ventures
Stewart has also proven that she understands the value of attention, especially when it can be attached to a brand after a big surprise campaign.
The lifestyle queen revealed that she may have been inspired by Kim Basinger’s performance in the 1986 film “9½ Weeks” when developing the concept for her viral MAC Cosmetics campaign. It featured Stewart in her kitchen tasting strawberries and honey while promoting the make-up.
When asked if the inspirational concept was her idea, the lifestyle guru gave a simple answer: “Of course!”
She also explained that although she has people who help with her presence on social media, much of what appears on her personal Instagram reflects her own views.
