The Martha Stewart Podcast

Audiences around the world are rooting for Brendan Fraser in this moment. A beloved fixture of 90s films like Encino Man, the acclaimed Gods and Monsters, and the blockbuster The Mummy franchise, Brendan’s latest role in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale has fans and critics buzzing - and put him in contention for his first Oscar. He talks here with Martha about his emotionally electrifying performance as Charlie, a 600-pound English professor striving to reconnect with his daughter, the physical transformation he went through for the film, and what we can all learn from this character. The two neighbors also reminisce and share stories about past outings, including a horseback ride that nearly ended in disaster.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher is an artist. He creates one-of-a-kind, timeless, and highly coveted lamps. In fact, he's made lamps for four different White House Administrations, the Presidential Blair House, and many other distinguished American homes. He’s also the author of A Year at Clove Brook Farm: Gardening, Tending Flocks, Keeping Bees, Collecting Antiques, and Entertaining Friends. But how did he become so successful? What drives his passions? Why lamps? Martha sits down with Christopher in this episode to explore his background and hear his stories. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the “Martha Fan Universe,” there are fans, and then there are “Super Fans” – those who drive several states away to attend an event, those who meticulously curate Martha-centric social media feeds, and those who frequent tag sales and consignment shops to find authentic brand products. Andrew Ritchie created a Facebook community, “Martha Moments”, that connects thousands of Martha followers. Bernie Wong and Dennis Landon met through the community, and eventually married. All three appeared on Martha’s “Great American Tag Sale” on ABC, and they reunite on this week’s podcast to talk about – what else? Discovering and many times re-discovering “All things Martha.” Listen to what Andrew, Bernie and Dennis love about the Martha Stewart brand.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does Martha have in common with Madonna, DeNiro, and Lil Nas X? Answer: Allen Grubman. In 1987 Martha was a caterer, new author, and just starting to branch out into retail. Grubman was a New York City lawyer, handling contracts for musical artists, who recognized the business potential. He helped negotiate Martha’s contract with Kmart, which they then leveraged to buy her magazine from Time-Warner ­­-- the most important deal of her career. Thirty-six years later, they are still working together, and Grubman is still creating power deals for the most influential stars in music, movies, and beyond. Listen here as they catch up.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you know that nature depends on various keystone species to survive and thrive? That's right, and the wolf is one of these critical keystone creatures. By regulating prey populations, wolves enable many other plants and animals to flourish. They initiate a domino effect and support natural levels of biodiversity. However, the wolf is in danger – at one time there were an estimated quarter of a million wolves in this country, and we now have fewer than 6,000 in the lower 48 states - so it's never been more urgent than right now to stand up and defend the mighty wolf.   Samantha Attwood, Co-Founding Member of the #RelistWolves Campaign, a coalition made up of dedicated conservationists, wildlife advocates, and scientists committed to raising public awareness about wolves and advocating to restore Gray wolves to the Endangered Species List, and Maggie Howell, Executive Director of the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, New York, join me to discuss wolves, what is happening to them, and why it is so important to help protect them.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Designer Dennis Basso gave Meryl Streep her iconic “Devil Wears Prada” fur look and has dressed everyone from Princess Diana to Naomi Campbell (and Martha!). His clients rely on him to bring the glamour, the furs, and the insight on how to pull it all together. He is known for his evening wear, bridal and home collections and is one of QVC’s most successful retailers. As he heads into his 40th year in fashion, he sits down with Martha to talk about how people are dressing in a post-pandemic world, their shared work ethic, and achieving longevity in such a challenging industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martha is endlessly on the hunt for the very best products that make daily living better. So it's no surprise that she took notice of Wirecutter, the product review site on The New York Times website. Just in time to help inform holiday shopping, Martha sits down with Wirecutter Deputy Editors Christine Cyr Clisset and Jason Chen. Martha wants to know: can we trust Wirecutter reviews? should we buy an instapot? what led to a spike in searches for bidets? Listen here to learn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martha Kostyra Stewart became “Martha Stewart” after she shook up the publishing industry in 1982. She soon linked up with a young publicist at Crown Potter who understood and matched her drive, Susan Magrino. Together, they navigated the ascent of Martha’s fledging entertaining brand into a global household name. Listen here for the real stories of two women, friends and partners, pushing the barriers of the publishing world, and beyond.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does a 21-year old designer from suburban New York become the head of an eponymous fashion empire? What does it take to build an iconic and distinctively American brand? Martha talks this week to Michael Kors about tireless work, creative vision, and being a “control freak.” They also dish about their night at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards, crop tops in the office, where fashion is trending today – and fashion looks neither will forget. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s podcast, hear Martha in a revealing conversation with one of her closest friends and teachers. Charlotte Beers broke the glass ceiling of the “Mad Men” advertising industry as the head of two global advertising agencies. She served as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs for Colin Powell. She and Martha met as divorcees, single women carving their paths in a demanding New York City business environment. Their friendship grew as they built brands, sharing ideas and learning from each other, and celebrating their successes together. Martha trusted Charlotte’s business expertise so much that she asked her to join her company’s board. Here, the two talk about pioneering the concept of brand stewardship, why women need to keep their own scorecards, and stories they usually share only with each other.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.