Martha Stewart

The first lifestyle guru, and her name has become synonymous with attention to detail in crafting and home-making. She has single-handedly pioneered much of the industries and media outlets that now cater to the public’s interest in cooking, entertaining, and home decorating such as HGTV and the Food Network.

Lesson: Apply creativity and expertise to transform your work into an art form

Governing Principle: Everything should be excellent.

Learning Objectives:

- Master the basics, then elevate them
- Be a lifelong learner
- Create beauty in everyday life
- Share knowledge generously
- Build a brand around your values
- Pay attention to presentation
- Be resilient and reinvent yourself
- Hold yourself to high standards

Goals

Be recognized as an authority; gain visibility; create works of art; teach best practices; elevate standards; sensitize others to the beauty of details.

Values

Over-achieve whenever possible. Influence with thought leadership. Thoughtful flourishes elevate competent work. Impressive user experience builds brand and customer loyalty. Determination drives desired results. Planning and organization are the key to over-achieving. Focus on short-term. Value processes and methods over individual judgment.

Traits

Preppy, driven, perfectionist, detail-oriented, artistic, teacher, rustic, creative, inventive, hard-working, hard-nosed, demanding, self-promoting, detail-oriented, curious, confident, resilient, even in adversity

Biography:

Blessed with smarts, looks, a strong work ethic, and a fierce determination to lift herself from her working class beginnings, Stewart enjoyed success early in life. At age 15, she began modeling, appearing in her share of television and magazine ads. She continued modeling while she earned a degree at Barnard College, double majoring in art history and history. Shortly after graduation, she worked on Wall Street where she became the highest paid stock broker in her firm. Not long after leaving Wall Street, she started a catering business that specialized in gourmet menus and elaborate presentations, establishing her as the caterer to hire in wealthy Westport CT.

Her successes continued. Stewart’s first foray into mass media was the best-selling book, Entertaining, which was followed up by a succession of best sellers. She ventured into television with a Thanksgiving special for PBS. This laid the foundation for what was to become her lifestyle empire which later grew to include magazines, books, a radio show, and television programming. The name Martha Stewart grew into a brand that defined good taste in cooking and decorating, and her name was licensed to retailers, such as Kmart, to sell home goods. She eventually took control of her brand with the company Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, and when that became public, she became the first female self-made billionaire. She seemed unstoppable until she was convicted of insider trading. Instead of fighting the conviction in court, she did a stint in prison, where she plotted her comeback. With her image of perfection tarnished, Martha rebranded herself as a more down-to-earth and snarky version of herself, forming a close friendship with Snoop Dogg and making prison jokes. Today, she is still very much a public and influential figure, embarking on cooking shows, home improvement partnerships, and personal care products.

Questions:

How can I turn the ordinary into an art form?
Is this "a good thing"? If not, how can I make it one?
What do I need to do to build my expertise?
What activities will boost my reputation and visibility?
How can I build my reputation into a brand?
How can I share knowledge and empower others?
How do I turn a setback into an opportunity?

Behaviors:

Focus on planning and execution – Emphasize the importance of planning and execution, ensuring details and results are accurate. You need to be extremely organized in order to pull off a high level of perfection. Think and plan several steps ahead. “Rehearse” until everyone knows the sequenced of events and their roles, expectations, and cues by heart so that little management is required when your group actually has to perform.
Set and maintain high standards of yourself and your brand - Every product and every experience must attain excellence, even ordinary activities. Everything must reflect the brand.
Micromanage – Demand perfection in details impacting user experience. Check progress and assume control as necessary.
Ask for forgiveness rather than permission – Stewart did not get where she is today by being shy! She is where she is today because of sheer determination and not taking “no” for an answer. Don’t ask for permission to do any of the activities above. Assume that any activity that captures your interest is valid for you to be working on.
Toot your own horn – Let everyone know what you can do and what you accomplished. Always focus on the positives of your work and your abilities. Moreover, volunteer for opportunities that elevate your visibility.
Be an artist – Turn the boring into an extravaganza. Use ordinary objects in new ways and never miss an opportunity to create a masterpiece. If needed, take shortcuts or use fakes. You want the appearance of artistry rather than real art.
Talk more than listen – Stewart does not have a lot of time because she is focused on self-promotion (essential for thought leaders). Act more diva-like – people are there to serve you, not the other way around. You will control the conversation, getting what you want out of it first and being direct about what you want. While you speak a lot, you do so to instruct and inform, not to speak for the sake of getting attention.
Establish rapport selectively – You will work hard to establish rapport with people that interest you and that have an interest in you. You do this by giving them recognition and supporting their efforts.
Be overworked and overscheduled – Do not let opportunities slip by; you want to be involved in as much as possible so you can put your unique mark on it. Being busy and running late for meetings is symbolic of your status. It's okay to let others wait for you. .

To embody the icon

These activities will help you to embody the characteristics of the icon. You don't need to do them all. Choose those that will most help you in your current situation.

To get into character

Dress – Stewart’s attire ranges from preppy to elegant, dressing appropriately for the venue or situation. Although she obviously takes great care and pride in her appearance even when working outdoors or in the kitchen, her appearance seems effortless and understated. While you are being Stewart, you will need to pay careful attention to your personal grooming and your clothing without being flashy or overly fashionable. You should craft a look that communicates who you are.

Speech – Be direct with the people you work with. Facts are more important than feelings, and you don't have time to waste on hurt feelings or other trivialities.

Diet – Eat well while you are Martha, nutritious and tasty homemade food preferred. Review her recipes and plan out a week's worth of meals. Obtain ingredients and do the prep work in advance so your work during the week will be minimal. This is to practice being very well organized.

Bring gifts - Whenever Martha did a public appearance, she brought a homemade gift of food or flowers. Her IPO was beautifully catered. Get in the habit of bringing a beautiful gift to work or friends or wherever you go.

Activities to do alone

Perfect your craft – You should start your time as Stewart figuring out how to perfect your expertise in a particular field. Review your strengths and interests for candidates. This can be a narrow skill or best practice; the point is to become preeminent in your company. Some examples are creating an investment analysis spreadsheet, a marketing plan template, or a lesson planning guide. The goal is to create something that can be used throughout your company and for which you can be seen as the “go to person.” Apply your creativity to make your craft extraordinary. Stewart is an obsessive workaholic, so you may need to hone your skills or achieve perfection in your spare time.

Perfect one of Martha's crafts - You couldn't be Martha Stewart without cooking, home decorating, or gardening. Choose one (or more!) of the above and use Martha's advice to master a recipe, beautify a home space or grow some plants. Take your time to really learn about the topic, master techniques, and understand why some techniques work and others don't. Bask in the enjoyment of your new space or meal to appreciate why "It's a good thing."

Monitor trends and best ways of doing things – Follow trade journals and experts to keep abreast of what others are doing in your particular field. Research intriguing ideas that resonate with you and ingratiate yourself to those you want to learn from. Apply and experiment what you learn to hone your expertise. Try different ways of performing your craft. Learn from first-hand experience.

Develop a personal brand – Your brand should go hand in hand with your craft. Using your list of strengths, determine which ones you want to develop and promote. Write a short narrative (elevator speech) that describes your unique talents and skills and captures the essence of who you want to be. Tape this some place where you’ll see it every day and make a point of living your brand every day. Review your workload to determine how it fits into your brand. How can you change your work to fit your image? What other work should you be doing?

Project your image – Once you have figured out your brand, determine how you can broadcast the relevant image. Take a look at your work space and ask yourself what Martha Stewart would think of it. Get rid of clutter, get organized, and create an elegant but homey work space. Buy fresh flowers or plants to decorate your desk. Take a good look at your email format and other communications. Create templates that communicate your brand.

Keep a journal for your ideas - Allot some time every day to journal your ideas for home, work, or personal improvement. The goal is to get your creative juices flowing and turn those great ideas into a plan!

Activities to do with others

Promote your brand – Stewart is a promoter of herself and her craft. Like her, make sure that your function is valued and your group develops an esprit de corps. If you don’t have one already, develop a unique logo and coordinating look and feel for all your marketing collateral. Get feedback on what that logo says about you and revisit the process until you are satisfied. Use every opportunity you can to elevate the visibility of what you do, making sure that what you do is crisp and highly polished.

Teach your craft – Stewart’s media empire is essentially a collection of how-to articles, books, and videos. Begin sharing your enthusiasm for what you do. Share what you know generously. Volunteer to teach others whether at work, via the internet, or your local library. When you see someone in your group who is good at something, point it out. Give them opportunities to hone and highlight that skill. Your hope is that they will take pride in it the way you do.

Learn from setbacks – Stewart served a prison term for insider trading. Many thought that her company was finished as a result of her indiscretion and revelations about her diva-like nature. Some observers of her court case thought her prison term was less about her crime and more about her character. When sentenced, Stewart quickly and quietly went to prison to put the incident behind her. Much to the public’s surprise, she behaved admirably in prison, winning over her jailors as well as fellow inmates. Once released, she returned to her company, showing a more human and ironic side to the public. Since then, many of the public’s ill feelings towards her have dissipated. As you play Stewart, remember that setbacks are never fatal and they can help you become a better person. Review your past for a major setback. Determine what caused it and what you learned from it and what you might still need to learn. Discuss this failing and its aftermath with those close to you, with the goal of learning how to improve. Talking about your failings will also help you develop a thicker skin, like Martha’s.

Host an event - Whether it be a dinner party, a clean-up party, or a training class, Martha is a consummate host and you need to become confident in that role. You'll need to be involved in every detail of the event, including its promotion, and ensure that this event showcases your brand, expertise, and excellence.

Meeting behaviors

Your role in a meeting is to ensure that you sound authoritative, in control, and important. Martha is often double-booked and late, so allow yourself to be as well. If you are limited in time, attend only those portions of the meeting that concern you. Establish your presence as the authority in the meeting by taking up a lot of space and sitting and standing tall. Take control of the meeting and facilitate. Lead the search for answers and improvement. Be Prepared and Organized: Arrive with ideas and resources ready for discussion. Set High but Achievable Expectations: Encourage excellence and clarify standards.

Speaking behaviors

Your goal is to inform and impress. Your presentations are designed to meet the needs of your audience, while impressing them with your knowledge and insight. Consider performing a demonstration or providing samples to encourage audience interaction. You want your audience to come away changed. Be detailed, prescriptive, and offer step-by-step instructions.

Your presentations will also be equally impressive for their crispness. To help, you may want to review the work of presentation gurus like Guy Kawasaki, Nancy Duarte, and Garr Reynolds. Concentrate on your audience and allot ample time for questions. Provide one-page executive summaries to your audience. Ensure your materials are perfect and communicate your brand.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse