“What do you do when you fail?” Martha Stewart paused.
Then said one word: “Persist.”

That one word stuck with me from the moment Martha said it this morning at the EO Women Summit in Montreal. No buildup. No filter. Just the truth. It was Martha being Martha—honest, direct, and fully herself.

She shared decades of hard-earned wisdom in the most Martha way: unscripted, bold, a little irreverent, and completely unforgettable (yes, even with a dog barking in the background).

Here are the ‘Martha’s’ I’m taking with me:

🖤 Authenticity is everything.
“Pretty won’t build your brand,” she said. “Knowledge will.” You have to know your stuff and be unapologetically yourself. She reminded us that her first book, Entertaining, published in 1982, became a homemaker’s bible—not because she planned it that way, but because she knew what she was doing and cared deeply about it.

🖤 Adaptation is a leadership skill.
Whether she’s partnering with Snoop Dogg, responding to tariff issues, or navigating AI’s growing role in branding, she doesn’t resist change—she leverages it. Her approach to AI? “Use it wisely, but never let it replace your voice.”

🖤 Resilience is a decision.
She talked openly about setbacks—from business challenges to personal ones, including her time away during incarceration. She didn’t dwell. She said she used her time to teach and reflect, then came back even more focused. Her advice: “Don’t be afraid. Be supported. Keep showing up.”

🖤 Curiosity fuels creativity.
From cataloging every insect on her farm (says she has hundreds of pets) to designing a new swimming pool in Maine, she approaches every project with fascination. “Encourage your own curiosity,” she said. “That’s where innovation starts.”

🖤 Continuity matters.
Martha has managed to stay relevant for over four decades because she honors her brand’s core—and evolves with her audience. She spoke about re-releasing Entertaining for a new generation who discovered her through her documentary. (Said we are going to Loooooovvvveee it) She’s not reinventing—she’s reintroducing.

🖤 Selfies are about the light.
Yes, she even gave a mini masterclass in how to take a perfect selfie. (“Light on your face. Always.”) Because of course she did.

Martha Stewart built more than a brand—she built a blueprint for how to be boldly, brilliantly yourself in business and in life.

Today, she reminded us: failure isn’t the end. It’s the nudge to persist.