Media mogul Martha Stewart reflected on her five-decade-long business career and shared one piece of advice she still follows. Stewart, 85, also admitted that she did not have much formal business education and probably did poorly in a six-month course at the New York Institute of Finance.
Martha Stewart admits she “probably did poorly” at finance school before building her business empire
Stewart currently presides over a vast business empire through Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. The organization includes a large number of media and merchandising brands. It also makes millions in annual revenue. However, the business icon also admitted that she had very little formal business education. In a sit-down interview with People, the tycoon said that she learned largely through experience.
The conversation took place at the inaugural Smart Money Social Club ahead of a live recording of SoFi’s Richer Lives podcast with financial expert Vivian Tu. Before Stewart made it big in business, she had followed her father’s lead and worked as a stockbroker.
The businesswoman majored in architectural history at Barnard College. This was followed by a six-month course at the New York Institute of Finance. She admitted that she “probably did poorly on” the course.
Stewart said becoming a successful businesswoman came down to being a quick learner. “I’m a very good learner,” she said. “I learned how to cut sushi by watching [celebrity chef] Nobu [Matsuhisa] cut sushi. And after a while he tested me and I got a jacket with my name on it from Nobu — I’m very proud of that. So same thing with finance, same thing with anything that I do,” she said.
She received both “wanted and unwanted” business advice on Wall Street. However, the entrepreneur stuck to one piece of advice that ultimately helped shape her approach.
“Every day starts at zero, and you have to go from there,” she told People. “If you’re talking about money, talk about the end of the day and examine what you’ve done, what have you earned and what have you learned.”
With five decades of experience behind her, Stewart said she was happy to be in a position to give business advice to those who need it.
