Martha Stewart's Early Life: Before the Lifestyle Empire

Before her name became synonymous with "good taste," Martha Stewart, born Martha Kostyra, was the eldest of six children in a prosperous Polish Catholic family. Growing up in Nutley, New Jersey, she demonstrated an early entrepreneurial spirit: at the age of 10, Martha secured her first paid job by organizing birthday parties for neighborhood children. As a teenager, she embarked on a modeling career, earning $50 an hour for appearances in advertisements for brands like Chanel and Tareyton cigarettes. With her 5'9" stature and striking beauty, Stewart's modeling portfolio showcased the same blend of cool elegance and playful allure that would later define her entire brand.

However, it took some time before Stewart became recognized, as David Letterman once dubbed her, as the “James Brown of home entertaining.” Stewart continued modeling into her early twenties, primarily to supplement her scholarship at Barnard College. After earning a degree in architectural history, she married Yale Law student Andy Stewart, welcomed their daughter Alexis in 1965, and pursued a career on Wall Street as the sole female stockbroker at her firm. “The job taught me so much about what it takes to build a real business, a real company—a meaningful and useful enterprise,” Stewart later reflected. “Yet it was not until I left Wall Street that I discovered my true entrepreneurial bent. I loved ideas. I loved building. I loved creating…and I loved making money as a result.”

Photo: Susan Wood

Nurtured by parents who instilled a love for cooking and gardening, Stewart left Wall Street in the mid-1970s to establish a catering company from the basement of Turkey Hill, her renowned former estate in Westport, Connecticut. Her culinary skills and refined aesthetic garnered her acclaim among East Coast elites fortunate enough to attend her celebrated garden parties.

Many of the recipes she developed during her catering days would later be featured in her debut cookbook, Entertaining, which achieved immediate bestseller status upon its release for the holiday season in 1982. This domestic guide is filled with her insights, stylish interpretations, and dry wit: “So the pie isn’t perfect? Cut it into wedges. Stay in control, and never panic,” she advised.

Martha Stewart's Early Life: Before the Lifestyle Empire

Before her name became a byword for "good taste," Martha Stewart, originally Martha Kostyra, was the eldest daughter of six children in a prosperous Polish Catholic family. Raised in Nutley, New Jersey, she displayed an early entrepreneurial flair: at 10 years old, Martha landed her first paid gig by organizing birthday parties for neighborhood children. She began modeling as a teenager, earning $50 an hour for appearances in ad campaigns for brands like Chanel and Tareyton cigarettes. With her 5'9" frame and striking beauty, Stewart's modeling portfolio radiates the same blend of cool charm and playful sensuality that would later define her entire brand.

However, it took some time before Stewart became known, as David Letterman once referred to her, as the “James Brown of home entertaining.” Stewart modeled into her early twenties, largely as a way to supplement her scholarship money at Barnard College. After graduating with a degree in architectural history, she married Yale Law student Andy Stewart, had a daughter, Alexis, in 1965, and worked on Wall Street as the only female stockbroker at her firm. “The job taught me so much about what it takes to build a real business, a real company—a meaningful and useful enterprise,” Stewart later recalled. “Yet it was not until I left Wall Street that I discovered my true entrepreneurial bent. I loved ideas. I loved building. I loved creating…and I loved making money as a result.”

Photo: Susan Wood

Raised by parents who passed on their love of cooking and gardening, Stewart left Wall Street in the mid-’70s to start a catering company out of the basement of Turkey Hill, her iconic former residence in Westport, Connecticut. Her kitchen skills and elegant aesthetic earned her a reputation among any East Coaster lucky enough to attend one of her famed garden parties.

Many of the recipes she developed as a caterer would eventually be featured in her first cookbook, Entertaining, which became an instant bestseller when it hit holiday shelves in 1982. It’s a domestic bible imbued with her wisdom, stylishly delivered takes, and dry humor: “So the pie isn’t perfect? Cut it into wedges. Stay in control, and never panic,” she writes.