FNAA Icon Award Honoree Martha Stewart Has Some Sage Advice for 2025: ‘Be Positive. Don’t Be Afraid of Anything. Go For It!’

On Dec. 4, Martha Stewart will be honored with the Icon Award the 38th annual FN Achievement Awards. Below is a cover story from the magazine’s Dec. 2 print issue about the trailblazer’s incredible year.

When FN went in-depth with Martha Stewart for a June 2023 cover story, the entrepreneur opened up about her aversion to an oft-overused label — legend.

“Legends are dead. I would much rather be an icon,” Stewart said emphatically. 

Few people embody the word as perfectly as Stewart, the original influencer who has an inherent talent for reinventing herself again and again.  

Now, as she prepares to accept the Icon Award at the 2024 FN Achievement Awards, Stewart ponders her own definition of the term. “To me, an icon is a living person who has accomplished something extraordinary during their lifetime,” the octogenarian said. “My icons are adventurous, take risks and are forward thinking.”

Stewart is describing herself: After all, it was just 18 months ago that she made history as Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s oldest cover model, a moment that was hard to top. But in 2024, the image maker again proved she’s unstoppable, from her starring role at the Paris Olympics with Snoop Dogg (her bestie and fellow Skechers ambassador) to the launch of her 100th book (“Martha: The Cookbook”). And recently, her viral “Netflix” documentary has had just about everyone buzzing. 

In today’s social media era, when fame has never been more fleeting, Stewart understands how to keep fans highly engaged — and much of her power lies in her ability to look ahead.

For example, as some people are still discovering her film, Stewart — who was openly critical about certain aspects of it — is already talking about “Martha 2.” “There’s still more to tell,” she said last month during an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”

The story she’s told so far — the incredible rise, the dramatic fall and the illustrious comeback — has certainly surprised and delighted viewers, especially ambitious young women who are looking for a role model during a turbulent time.  

“Watching the Martha Stewart documentary and she is just a delightful bad ass bit** [who] gets shit done,” wrote one Threads user.

Said another: “This Martha Stewart documentary was IT! I had tears in my eyes knowing how the world can be cruel to successful women. She has lived so many lives, what an ICON!”

The attention around the documentary — which has personal new revelations about Stewart’s childhood and marriage, as well as her time in prison — has helped drive demand for “Martha: The Cookbook.” It was released in November, more than four decades after Stewart’s first book, “Entertaining.” 

“What I think people like about my books are the recipes, photographs and stories that are evocative, personal and inclusive. Creating an ambiance and environment that speaks to the food is very important for the visuals,” she said. 

In this digital age where online recipes are ubiquitous, Stewart is immensely proud of the fact that her cookbooks remain a mainstay in American kitchens — and continue to influence chefs everywhere.

“I went to a big Christmas party last year and noticed a huge mound of butter,” she recalled. “I quietly laughed to myself as the ‘butter mound’ was featured in ‘Entertaining.’ Talk about timeless.” 

She Never Stops Surprising

“You can always work a little bit harder and maybe get to your goal a little bit faster. I work 24/7,” Stewart said at FN’s June 2023 “Women Who Rock” event. 

That’s not much of an exaggeration: In the span of a frenetic few days last month, she held court at the Louis Vuitton store opening in New York, traveled to Charleston, S.C., to celebrate her new book in front of a crowd of 1,200 people, sat down for an on-stage iHeartRadio interview, toasted a friend’s book launch at The Carlyle and appeared on “The Today Show” to serve up her brioche stuffing-filled roasted pumpkin. (The travel lover later revealed she was skipping Thanksgiving turkey this year and taking her grandchildren to Rome during the holiday instead.) 

While she’s been spending much of her time promoting the book and documentary, Stewart also continues her other pursuits, including a burgeoning partnership with Skechers. The entrepreneur has visited the company’s Manhattan Beach, Calif., headquarters several times, furthering her education about the business of footwear. 

“I really admire that Skechers is a family company with Robert Greenberg, the patriarch, his son Michael and many other family members. Everyone there is considered family. I like them because they are innovators,” she said. “Designing a line of comfortable and useful footwear with Skechers has been a challenge and pleasure.”

Michael Greenberg lauded Stewart for fully committing to everything she does.

“Martha isn’t just wicked smart and creative — she’s incredibly funny and fearless as a person. A true icon on every level,” said Greenberg. Looking ahead, the partners are planning to expand Stewart’s Skechers collection internationally.

“She is truly unstoppable. Her ambition knows no bounds, matched only by her pursuit of perfection,” Greenberg said.

Strong business partners have been crucial to Stewart’s recent success — especially Marquee Brands, which in 2019 acquired the Martha Stewart nameplate from Sequential Brands Group.

Together with Marquee, Stewart is working on her next projects, including a collection of gardening tools. Her empire already spans beauty, bedding, crafts, fashion, food and beverage, restaurants, home décor, kitchen, office, pet and wellness. Up next: a retail project in Dubai.

“Martha doesn’t just set the standard — she redefines it, inspiring all generations to strive for excellence in every aspect of life,” said Heath Golden, chief executive officer of Marquee Brands. “She is the very definition of an icon: timeless, innovative and ever-evolving.”

As Stewart herself likes to say, “When you’re through changing, you’re through.” 

Now, with 2025 coming into focus, Stewart knows many people, women especially, are wrestling with the future. Despite the uncertainty ahead, Stewart is encouraging everyone to step it up, confidentially and with purpose. “Be positive. Don’t be afraid of anything. Go for it,” she said. 

Martha Stewart will never stop going for it.

For 38 years, the annual FN Achievement Awards — often called the “Shoe Oscars” — have celebrated the style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans. The 2024 event is supported by sponsors Listrak, Marc Fisher, Nordstrom and Vibram.