Martha Stewart has accomplished many things during her career: She has written nearly 100 lifestyle books, she has had multiple successful TV shows and she became the first female self-made billionaire when her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, went public in 1999. That is to name a few.
And at 79 years old, Stewart has no plans to slow down, even amid the pandemic.
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"I thank the heavens for the luck that I've had, being able to continue to work and to keep the people around me working and being productive," Stewart tells CNBC Make It.
On Tuesday, Stewart, a known dog lover (she has two French bulldogs, Creme Brulee and Bete Noire, and two chow chows, Emperor Han and Empress Qin) announced the launch of her line of pet CBD products with Canopy Animal Health. (CBD is short for cannabidiol, which is one of the several cannabinoids found in cannabis and hemp plants. However, it contains no THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana.) Stewart partnered with the marijuana grower Canopy Growth in 2019 to develop hemp-derived CBD products (for humans).
Stewart says she became curious about CBD after working with rapper Snoop Dogg (aka Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.), who is a known cannabis user.
"I'm not a user of [marijuana]," Stewart says. But she was interested in exploring derivatives of the plant that are said to have health benefits, especially those that help with sleep. (Some studies have shown that CBD can be effective in relieving symptoms of anxiety, chronic pain and can help with insomnia. Other benefits are anecdotal.)
Here, Stewart talks to CNBC Make It about her health and wellness routine, where she gets her drive, how she handles stress and getting the Covid vaccine.
CNBC Make It: What ways do you alleviate stress? Do you meditate?
Stewart: Do you think a hyper person like I can meditate? No, I'm not good at that, but I do like yoga. And it's not relaxation; I do Iyengar yoga, which incorporates a little bit of relaxation. [Iyengar is a form of yoga that focuses on alignment and can involve holding poses for longer periods of time.]
What else are you consistent with when it comes to your health and wellness routine?
I drink green juice every morning. I have a vegetable greenhouse where I grow my spinach, my celery and my parsley. Even arugula goes into the green juice and other certain kinds of strong lettuces. And then I buy organic cucumbers. Pomegranate juice goes in there, too. But that's my green juice and that's an essential part of my everyday diet because it really does help with anti-aging. I don't like the word "anti-aging" — I say successful aging. And it also helps a lot with hair.
I [also] horseback ride. I've been lucky to have my horses during this entire [pandemic]. Outdoor activity is very good. Sitting around inside, I don't think is a good thing.
How do you use CBD?
I'm an insomniac and the CBD Martha Stewart oil drops are so helpful. A dropper full of the orange [flavored oil] or a dropper full of the lemon... I also love my CBD gummies.
Where do you get your motivation from?
Definitely my curiosity. Like with CBD, my curiosity, which was initially kindled by Snoop Dogg. I mean I did three seasons of our show, "Martha and Snoop Dog Potluck Dinner Party," learning a lot about cannabis. I'm not a user of cannabis but then I got very interested in not only cannabis but also in hemp and the derivatives.
I'm very interested in supplements...in what will make you live longer, what will make your brain stay clear and what will make you continue to be active. Those are the kinds of things that I'm looking for, not the secret to eternal youth — I'm not taking injections. But I am trying very hard to keep myself in as good shape as possible for a long as possible.
What advice do you have for people looking to reinvent themselves?
Go for it. That's what it's all about. Try. Give up trying, you give up. It's always better to try, to try and to try.
I'm constantly trying new things. My new line of [CBD] skincare is a new thing for me, but I'm so excited about it. It's something I've dreamed about doing for a long, long time. That will be coming out a little bit later this year.
I love developing things and building things. I am building a new house. But those are things that keep one young, keep one interested and keep one relevant.
How are you feeling after getting the Covid-19 vaccine?
The vaccine was great. I'm looking forward to my [second] shot next Monday.
But I'm certainly not going to drop my guard. We are very careful. There's no way that you can drop your guard, you can still be a carrier and you can still maybe get it.
But I feel a little bit more secure for my own health and I'm going to be very careful for everybody else's health too.
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