The Martha Stewart Podcast

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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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Michael S. Smith began his career in interior design in his 20s, and quickly rose to prominence with projects including the White House residential quarters for Barack and Michelle Obama and Shonda Rhimes’ stunning  NYC apartment. He has been named to Architectural Digest’s “A-D 100” seven times. Here he talks with Martha about how the home has evolved through pandemic changes and beyond, the things to do - and not do - when embarking on design projects, and the building project Martha was scared to take on. 

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Where disasters strike - José Andrés is there, with his army of chefs and volunteers dedicated to combatting hunger worldwide. His culinary career started in Spain, took root in the US, and has expanded to an empire of restaurants that spans the world. After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, he funneled his ferocious energy into creating the World Central Kitchen. Here he gives a report from the frontlines of Hurricane Ian and the Ukraine and shares his passion for uni in this conversation with Martha.   

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The architect David Rockwell has had tremendous impact on the way that many people encounter spaces. Anyone who has walked through the restored Grand Central Terminal, eaten at a Nobu restaurant, or watched the 81st and 82nd Oscars, has experienced his work. He designed the original Nobu and helped expand that brand globally, shifting the look and feel of luxury dining in the process. Martha has visited many of the hundreds of restaurants David has designed, and talks to him here about about her favorites, his Tony-award winning theatrical set design work, and David's secret to creating a terrazzo ceiling. 

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What does it take to bring a respected 2-star brasserie to the top of the “World’s Best Restaurant” list? According to Will Guidara, former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, the key is “Unreasonable Hospitality,” also the title of his new book. Here, he talks to Martha about that meteoric rise, being mentored by restaurant royalty Danny Meyer and Daniel Boulud, and about where to find the best hot dogs up and down the East Coast. 

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Nearly thirty years ago, chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson met in the kitchen of Daniel Boulud’s Restaurant Boulud. Since then, their names have been synonymous with superlative French bistro dining in New York City. After years helming the kitchen at the iconic Balthazar, they opened up their own restaurant, Frenchette, to great acclaim. Their latest project, Le Rock, a beautifully-designed 4,000-square-foot restaurant, is part of an ambitious re-imagining of Rockefeller Center. Martha, a fan of theirs from the beginning, catches up with her old friends to hear how these chefs are continuing to interpret and reinvent classic French dishes in their new dining room.

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As bandleader for David Letterman’s late-night shows, Paul Shaffer has played with a constellation of musical stars, and played the walk-on music to bring Martha on-stage for nearly 50 appearances. Listen as they trade stories about near-disasters, James Brown’s hairdryer, and what it’s like to be “the greatest sidekick in television.” 

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