“Just get that through your thick skulls”
Martha Stewart has no plans to slow down, even at 85, and she firmly believes that trying to achieve a perfect work-life balance is unrealistic.
The lifestyle entrepreneur shared her blunt perspective during a live appearance on the Richer Lives by SoFi podcast with financial expert Vivian Tu. Stewart criticized the idea of balancing professional responsibilities with personal life, describing those who pursue it as “boring” and accusing them of having “thick skulls.”
When Tu asked how she manages her personal life alongside her extensive business and media ventures, Stewart dismissed the premise that the two could be perfectly balanced.
“Just get that through your thick skulls. You can’t balance it, it doesn’t balance,” Stewart declared.
The businesswoman, who recently revealed that fashion brands provide her with a $40,000 wardrobe allowance for attending runway shows, said she has little faith in the concept of work-life balance.
“This thing about balance, I don’t know who thought about that, but it just doesn’t work,” she explained. Stewart added that while she occasionally envies people who seem to achieve it, she considers them “boring.”
She also reflected on how unpredictable personal relationships can be, arguing that marriage and divorce do not necessarily follow a carefully planned schedule.
Inside Stewart’s Demanding Daily Routine
Stewart’s own lifestyle reflects her commitment to staying busy. According to Business Insider, she typically begins her workday at 7 a.m., but her mornings start much earlier.
She reportedly wakes up around 4 a.m. to read, complete puzzles that challenge her mind and exercise before turning her attention to work.
The entrepreneur spends five days a week at her New York City office, overseeing her lifestyle brand, media business and numerous other ventures.
Her demanding schedule illustrates the work ethic that has helped her maintain a prominent presence in the business world for decades.
Why Stewart Opposes Working From Home
Stewart has also been outspoken about remote-work arrangements, arguing that employees cannot accomplish as much when they spend only part of the week in the office.
“You can’t possibly get everything done working three days a week in the office and two days remotely,” she previously told WWD.
She also criticized France’s traditional August holiday period, using it to question whether extended breaks and reduced working hours contribute to a country’s economic success.
“Should America go down the drain because people don’t want to go back to work?” Stewart asked, expressing her frustration with resistance to returning to the office.
Her comments reflect her preference for a more traditional, office-centered approach to professional life.
From Modeling and Wall Street to a Lifestyle Empire
Stewart’s career began long before she became a household name in food, home décor and entertaining.
As a teenager, she earned money modeling for print advertisements and television commercials for brands including Chanel, Lifebuoy Soap and Clairol.
After marrying Andrew Stewart, she pursued a career in finance and worked as an institutional stockbroker on Wall Street.
She eventually left the financial industry and established a gourmet catering business from her Connecticut farmhouse. The venture helped pave the way for her first bestselling book, Entertaining, published in 1982.
From there, Stewart built a widely recognized lifestyle brand spanning publishing, television, home products and other business ventures.
Divorced since 1990, she continues to expand her professional portfolio and has shown little interest in retirement.
Stewart Recalls Losing $1 Billion During a Difficult Period
Despite her remarkable business success, Stewart has also experienced significant setbacks.
During an appearance on the Other People’s Business podcast from MasterClass, she recalled a particularly challenging period in her life when she said she lost approximately $1 billion.
“I fell in a hole, and I lost about $1 billion,” Stewart said
Her comments offered a glimpse into the financial difficulties she has faced despite building a successful business empire.
Stewart also served five months in prison, from October 2004 to March 2005, after being convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal investigators in connection with her sale of ImClone Systems stock.
Despite these challenges, she continued working and eventually returned to the public spotlight.
Her Approach to Beauty and Maintaining a Youthful Appearance
Beyond business, Stewart has also discussed the treatments she uses to maintain her appearance.
Although she has said she has never undergone plastic surgery for facial enhancement, she has acknowledged receiving cosmetic fillers.
In an interview with PEOPLE in August, Stewart identified New York City dermatologist Dr. Dan Belkin as her provider and praised his work.
“I go to Dr Dan Belkin in New York City. He is a very superb dermatologist. And I use a little bit of fillers. I go maybe once every four months for touch-ups,” she said.
Her comments offer insight into the beauty routine she follows while continuing to maintain her demanding professional schedule.
