A new documentary on Netflix gives us the insight to one of the first American self-made billionaire, Martha Stewart.
“Martha” was released Oct. 30, 2024. We get a glimpse of her early life to her latest comebacks. She discusses her family, relationships, business, homemaking, and prison scandal. We learn how she picked up her father’s trait of being a perfectionist and her mother’s ways in making homemade food. She applied what she learned with her parents to build her own empire.
Considered the first influencer, Stewart’s focus was always on the people’s needs. Her message was that homemaking could be a powerful thing. Stewart did a lot of DIY (do it yourself) before it was considered trendy. She emphasized how you do not need to spend that much to make a home, a home.
Back then, she thought of herself as a modern feminist. Her hustling actions labeled her as “ruthless”. The documentary highlighted how that would be a great trait for a man in the business world.
Stewart ended up getting tangled in a trade that landed her in prison. The media was making jokes about her verdict. When she was released, she made her first TV appearance on Comedy Central for “The Roast of Justin Bieber.”
She participated alongside other actors, comedians, and rappers. Natasha Leggero who was also a participant, called out how there were rappers on the stage but Stewart was the one to have done the most jail time. Making an appearance helped revive her career. The public witnessed how she was able to take jokes and return them back with sass. Prison did not stop her from hustling. Her time incarcerated only made her more creative and stronger. Stewart really is an aspirational force who had the power to rebuild her empire. Clips from the film quickly went viral on TikTok praising Martha for the advice she had given women. She never stopped showing how she truly is a girl’s girl.
Branding herself as a “superwoman” to “everywoman”, she reaches a new audience with the documentary release. Girls can use her story for motivational purposes like turning negative experiences into positive outcomes.
“Martha freaking Stewart” was ahead of her time then and she is ahead of her time now.