At 84, Martha Stewart has new projects on the go, two in Toronto. Just don’t call it a reinvention: ‘I hate that word’

Martha Stewart adores Toronto. She raves about Quetzal and Sushi Masaki Saito. She got her four beautiful Friesian horses up here.

She’s just launched Martha Stewart Grocery, a line of pizza and pantry staples, at Longo’s across the city (and Walmarts nationwide). And now she’s back for more, with an appearance at May 27’s 20th-anniversary gala for Chai Lifeline Canada, a charity that supports families with seriously ill kids, where she’ll have a fireside chat with Shopify president Harley Finkelstein.

We happily endured a light roasting from the legendary lifestyle mogul while delving into life at 84, her unstoppable drive and her concern about the state of the world.

This charity event is billed as an evening of “heart, strength and hope,” so I’d love to dig into these concepts with you. First, you must get asked to do so many charity events. What was it about Chai’s mission that really touched your heart?

You call it “chai.” It’s pronounced “kai.” Do you know that?

Oh, yes, perfect.

I belong to the Speakers Bureau, to be quite frank, and they present me different opportunities, and I love Toronto. The organization, as they support children in need, is a very high-minded organization.

Now strength — when in your life did you feel the strongest?

Right now.

And, finally, hope — what gives you the most hope these days?

Well, hope is a little harder to engender right now because of the situation in the world. I try to maintain some optimism, but it is extremely difficult. I’m worried about it, not so much for me, as I am for my daughter and my grandchildren and my nieces and my nephews. I do not like the instability of the world leadership.

Your fireside chat will touch on resilience and reinvention. At what moment did you feel your resilience falter most in life, and how did you get it back?

I’m a pretty resilient person and I don’t ever feel downtrodden. It’s not in my character to be downtrodden. I will wait things out. I will work things out. I will figure things out. That’s what I do. I just had to negotiate a contract, and it took over a year to negotiate with extremely difficult people. And you know what? We got it done. It was a horrible thing, but onward and upward, as my old dead mother-in-law used to say.

You have reinvented yourself many times over in your life —

I would not say that at all. I hate that word, “reinvention.” I do not use that word. I have evolved and I continue to evolve. But I’m not another person. I have the same body parts. I have the same hair. I have the same personality. Nothing has changed. I have evolved, probably, into a stronger, better, smarter person.

You are known as a trailblazer — hopefully it’s not also a word you hate.

I like trailblazer.

What advice would you give to people looking to follow their own dream, whether it’s a new career direction or a leap of faith in their personal life?

They should go for it, if they possibly can, and try very hard, with resources, to accomplish what they’re dreaming about.

Is there a career path you wish you had pursued that you think you would’ve been really good at?

I would have been a great veterinarian. I do so many different things right now. I can lecture, I can act, I can talk, I can do a TV show. I can do all kinds of stuff. So I’m lucky. I’m not afraid to try.

You’ve been at the centre of so many media maelstroms over your career. What do you wish journalists would ask you about more?

The new stuff that I’m thinking about — that’s very interesting. I’ve always been thinking about the future, about what can be better, and I think I’m good at that.

And now you’ve got a pizza and pantry staple line. What is the number-one mistake people make when making pizza, and how can they fix it?

I’m glad you got to that. (Chuckles.) Well, you know, you don’t have to make anything with these: you open a box and put it in the oven, so that’s what’s delightful.

You love to teach others, but what is the best advice you ever got?

One of the things I most treasure is my father telling me that I was smart and I could do anything I set my mind to, and I have kept that always in the forefront. It’s nice when your father thinks you’re smart.

And what is the worst advice you ever got?

Oh my God, there’s too many instances. Most of them I didn’t take, so that’s good.

What makes you happiest these days?

Travel with my family. My animals — I have many, many animals. I love them all. And my farm. I love living on a farm. I love growing my own vegetables.

To wrap up, I’ll ask the same question I ask everyone: in the 1998 Japanese film “After Life,” when people die, they are asked to pick a happy scene from their life that they get to live in forever. What scene from your life would you pick?

I’d be in a beautiful place with my grandchildren growing, and hopefully educating them, and hopefully they’re having their own families in a world that’s euphorically fabulous and beautiful with no war and no strife. Dream on, Martha. Dream on.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.