PROFILE: Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart (nee Kostyra) was born on the 3rd of August 1941 in Jersey City, New Jersey. Her parents were middle-class Polish-Americans who had 5 other children. Martha learnt her gardening skills from her father and household skills from her mother and grandparents. She was active in extra-mural activities participating in the school newspaper and Art Club. She had a successful modelling career while at school and was later awarded a partial scholarship to Barnard College because of her straight A's. She began studying chemistry but went on to focus on art, European history and architectural history. She continued her modelling career while her husband finished his degree at Yale Law School.

Her business skills were honed in 1967 when she became a stockbroker for 6 years. She stopped to spend more time with her daughter and renovate her new home in Connecticut. This home was the house used as the model for the set for the Martha Stewart Living television program. She began a catering business in her basement with a friend and successfully transformed The Market Basket, a gourmet food store.

Through her husband's successful career she was introduced to a publisher who convinced Martha to develop a cookbook, 'Entertaining'. Following the success of her book, she released 7 more, appeared on television shows as well as wrote newspaper articles focusing on homemaking (my passion!) She then went on to develop the magazine, Martha Stewart Living and a daily telelvision show. With help, she founded Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia which listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1999. In January 2004, Martha was charged with securities fraud and obstruction of justice. Stewart paid a fine of $30000, served a 5 month prison and a 5 month home confinement sentence.

Currently, Martha is enjoying the fruits of her big come back proving that there is no such thing as bad publicity. She remains in New York, is no longer married to her husband Andrew but has a daughter, Alexis. Visit her website at: http://www.marthastewart.com/