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6 Things Martha Stewart And Marie Kondo Have In Common

Before Marie Kondo’s KonMari method became popular, Martha Stewart’s name was the one that was top-of-mind when you wanted to look up tips for organizing and solutions for decluttering. Her name is still synonymous with good food, entertaining, crafts and decorating, gardening, and all sorts of practical and genius home solutions. With Martha’s business empire, it’s not hard to see why she has remained a household name since the 1980s (or the 1990s for us in the Philippines).

 

READ: If Martha Stewart Isn't Already Your Hero, She Should Be—Here Are 7 Reasons Why!

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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At age 77, Martha Stewart is more than twice Marie Kondo’s age (who is 34), but she still remains relevant to this day. In fact, we can’t help noticing a lot of similarities in the careers of these two mavens. And while Marie Kondo’s expertise doesn’t extend to cooking and baking, it will be interesting to see how similar (or different) her career will shape up to be.

 

READ: How To Apply Marie Kondo’s Principles When Packing For Your Holiday

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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They’re savvy business women

Before the books and shows, Martha and Marie started their own businesses where they honed their skills and developed their techniques.

Martha enjoyed gourmet cooking and during her travels, she studied Italian, German, and French cuisines. In 1963, Martha started her own catering business. Working from her own kitchen, she catered for prestigious corporations, celebrities, and weddings, sometimes even preparing meals for as many as 1,500 guests at a time.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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On the other hand, Marie started a consulting business at age 19 where people could enlist her help. She would go to their houses to help them declutter using her KonMari method. She was so in-demand that her wait list was six months long.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Their books established their cred

In 1982, Martha wrote her first book, Entertaining, which she considered an important step in her life. Packed with beautiful photographs and lots of tips for 35 different types of parties, the book was an immediate hit. From there, she went on to write many more cookbooks and books on all things for the home. Today, she has almost 100 books to her name!

Magazines followed for Martha Stewart, with her first one, Martha Stewart Living, launching in 1990. To this day, the magazine is still in print!

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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For Marie, because of such a long wait list of people seeking her help, she wrote her best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which has everyone abuzz about the KonMari method, with one of its main teachings to only keep the possessions that spark joy.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Their stars shine brighter on TV

With so many books and magazines, of course, it was only a matter of time before Martha had her own TV show—or shows! The year 1993 was the launch of Martha Stewart Living on TV. She also had her daytime TV talk show Martha in 2005, just six months after the end of her prison sentence. Her 30-minute baking show Martha Bakes started in 2011, where she shares recipes for mouthwatering and impressive cakes, cookies, and other pastries. Now on its 11th season in the US, Martha Bakes recently aired on Metro Channel. And don’t forget about her recent TV hit Martha and Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party, plus tons of cameos on shows like Ugly Betty, 2 Broke Girls, Law & Order: SVU, and the film Bad Moms.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Martha Stewart (@marthastewart) on

 

On the other hand, the popularity of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix is also huge for Marie. The first season of eight episodes has been on Netflix since January 1 of this year.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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They have become lifestyle brands

As early as 1997, Martha created a line of lifestyle products for Kmart. She currently has a number of collaborations with other US brands, namely Macy’s for home stuff, Michael’s for crafts, Staples for organization tools, The Home Depot for kitchen and bath items, and more items at Amazon, Payless, QVC, and more.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Marie has also put her name on pretty storage boxes, which have been sold out since launching on her website last year. She also currently has a line of jewelry boxes with Turkish brand Cuyana.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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They have a strong online presence

Of course, checking out the official websites of these two domestic divas leads you down a rabbit hole of articles, blogs, videos, and tips on getting organized and becoming more home-savvy. Head over to www.marthastewart.com and www.konmari.com for lots of inspiration.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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And don’t forget about Martha’s YouTube channel with hundreds of videos of recipes, home solutions, and entertaining ideas. Even Martha herself has featured Marie and the KonMari method several times on her website and YouTube videos.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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They live by their famous sayings

Martha says, “That’s a good thing,” while for Marie, it’s all about “sparking joy.” But whatever the saying and the method of organizing, the important thing is that they both inspire us to get organized so we can live better lives.

Marie believes in tidying your home and everything else will follow. She writes, “By being surrounded only by the things that spark joy, your life naturally begins to achieve clarity.”

 

 

Martha continues to provide tips and recipes to help us along. She continues to learn so she can share with us more of what she knows and does best, whether it’s cooking, entertaining, or doing just about anything at home. As she said, “I continue to learn each and every day, and will continue to teach what I know to as many people as will listen.” And that’s a good thing!

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Photos from @marthastewart @mariekondo