This is America At Work. I’m Debra Stamp.

I bought one refrigerator, that was my big investment, one that would hold enough food to do a party for 300. And then I started to build on that. And from the first party and then with very good marketing, which I seem to be rather natural at, you build from there.

Those marketing instincts must have been right on, because today we all know this lady from West Port, Connecticut. Martha Stewart. Author, magazine editor and creator of her own TV show.

I don’t believe as much in advertising my own products as promoting them. A full page story about some unique thing that I’m doing in a local newspaper is certainly better marketing than a little brochure sent to, you know, a thousand people that may, or may not, respond. First of all, you know, spend your time being creative, doing the things. I spend my time doing rather than talking about it.

Coming up with ideas is something Martha’s doing just about all the time. In fact, she says that if she doesn’t get some sort of inspiration from somewhere every day, she feels cheated.

I think very carefully about where is there a void, where isn’t there something that I could do. Then I go after that market share. The reason that they work so well, is they’re real. The other word I use all the time is real. It has to be real, it has to be approachable, it has to be beautiful, it has to be creative and, back again, it has to be real.            

In the case of her books, her magazine and her TV show, there is a common thread. Combine fabulous aesthetics with very down to earth, basic, how-to. You can find those that emulate the style now, any problem with that?

If you have a really good idea and you know it is your idea, you can develop it, you can grow it, you can market it, you can promote it and you are way ahead of any competition. What I tell everybody who asks me about how to start a business is that you have to have an idea that people need, you have to have an idea that works and you have to be creative. You have to have your own imprint on that idea. I studied companies and I saw how companies could be built from scratch and I believed always from the very beginning that if you’re going to work hard, you should be well paid for it and if you were going to start a business, you should start with as little expense as possible and build on your successes and reinvest the money that you make in your business.

Almost from the very start of her catering business back in 1972, Martha learned to adjust to unpredictable and sometimes conflicting demands.

I had to build a second kitchen in the basement. It turned out that the Health Department required a second kitchen so that you could cater, but the town planning and zoning didn’t allow second kitchens. So you have to learn how to deal with that.

Martha admits to the ‘bad jolt’ as she puts it, when she and her husband parted ways. You would think her business might have taken a turn at this point. Did it?

No, my business continued to burgeon after that. But that’s because I just worked harder.

Today, she surrounds herself with creative people. A long time friend and business associate, Susan Magrino has worked with Martha from the start on her books and now on the magazine.

It’s not so much the creative input from other people that I rely on. I rely on people who can work with me to develop ideas and that they can help me get across this inspiration in the way that we think is the best way to do it.

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