Martha Stewart is the original influencer.
The ultimate lifestyle and branding expert has continued to be at the top of her game at age 82 with her cooking shows, numerous books, delectable recipes — and now intriguing social media presence.
Ahead of Stewart's Ultimate Brunch experience at the 2024 Sun Wine and Food Festival at Mohegan Sun on Sunday, January 28, the businesswoman spoke exclusively with OK! about evolving with technology, inspiring future generations to hone in on their own brands and the secret to throwing the perfect soirée.
"I'm a known early adopter of all kinds of technology," the best-selling author explained. "That's part of my DNA. It's very important to be where the people are."
"Where are they learning things? Where are they reading things? Where are they looking at things? I have always been there," she noted of always being eager to educate herself. "When Twitter started, I was right there on Twitter. When Instagram started, I was right on Instagram. We have millions of viewers on TikTok. Social media has changed the landscape with influencers and also how we impart knowledge onto people. I learned a lot on those different platforms. All of that is very important."
"I travel a lot. I can teach a lot. I can help people a lot. I can answer questions," Stewart added. "I've been creating content since 1982. That's a long time to be creating. We have come up with probably 30,000 recipes, maybe more, and thousands of pages of articles dealing with everything to do with lifestyle. That's hard to reproduce."
Although Stewart pioneered the lifestyle space, she has nothing but love for the upcoming generations. "What those new influences are doing is accumulating from everywhere else and using that in terms of their expertise — and they're good!" she said.
As the television icon has always embraced trying new things, her willingness to be on the cutting edge of culture has made herself — and her company — timeless. "Every single day, I do something new and different. I'm always willing to learn and always anxious to evolve. I don't call it reinvention as much as its evolution," Stewart emphasized.
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When hosting her huge brunch for a sold-out crowd of hundreds at the 2024 festival, Stewart made sure there were a few key elements to making it an enjoyable experience for all. "Know your guests and prepare a menu that you feel comfortable making," she revealed.
"Plan a menu where things can be done in advance," Stewart continued. "Have drinks that can be prepared or at least measured out, so it allows you to be with your guests for the whole brunch and not with your back to them at the stove."
