Mary, Megan, and Martha: Walmart Wins
Megan & Martha: Business’s Most Powerful Duo (Sounds Biblical, I Know, but Close Enough to Be Doctrine) | I Am What an Intellectual Property Attorney Looks Like.
Hey Fam,
When you hear “Martha” paired with another famous name, you might think of the sisters in the Bible — Mary and Martha.
One sat at Jesus’s feet, the other ran the household.
But today, let’s talk about an unexpected, modern-day pair who’ve written a playbook so powerful, it might as well be scripture for anyone building a brand: Megan Thee Stallion and Martha Stewart.
On the surface, they couldn’t be more different:
One is a Grammy-winning rap superstar who turned Houston slang into summer anthems and viral hashtags.
The other taught America how to cook a perfect turkey and decorate a living room without breaking the bank.
Yet both share the same radical business truth:
They made exclusivity accessible, fiercely protected what they created, and turned personal resilience into billion-dollar brands.
If you’re a founder, creative, or culture-shaper, this is your sign to study their blueprint — and treat it like doctrine.
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Martha’s move:
Martha Stewart could have limited her brand to upscale department stores, keeping it aspirational for the elite. Instead, she signed a game-changing deal with Kmart.
KMART of all places.
I remember this like it was yesterday. Every Saturday, we’d get the big K-Mart guide, much like the one above, sent to our mailbox.
My mom, with a scissors and pen in hand (because K-Mart had some great coupons), would proceed to chop up and annotate the marketing materials; in particular, she’d put a big black circle around Martha Stewart…each and every time.
It was our way of getting “luxury” without breaking the bank.
And I’m sure many of you can resonate as well.
While others were telling Martha to go to the Neiman Marcus’s and Nordstroms of the world, Martha did something different.
And suddenly, good taste was within reach for the average American household.
Fancy monogrammed towels next to back-to-school notebooks?
Revolutionary.
That decision turned “Martha Stewart Living” into a household staple instead of a luxury hobby.
Megan’s strategy:
Fast forward to Megan Thee Stallion’s Hot Girl Summer swimwear line.
She could have made it a limited drop at trendy boutiques or high-end e-retailers.
Instead?
She partnered with Walmart — the world’s largest retailer — making her empowering brand available to millions of women who want to feel confident and seen without breaking the bank.
Some critics thought it was too “mainstream” for a chart-topping artist.
Megan, like Martha, knew better: prestige is nice, but reach is power.
Doctrine:
Too many brands obsess over perceived status instead of real data.
Where does your audience actually shop?
What do they really value: exclusivity or accessibility?
Ego might choose Nordstrom; profit often chooses Walmart.
Check your next launch plan: Are you positioning your brand where your people are — or where your ego wants to be?
Martha’s fortress:
Martha Stewart built an empire not just on homemaking advice but on her name.
Every book, magazine, pillow, and scented candle carries trademark protection.
That legal muscle meant that even after a highly publicized prison sentence, her brand’s value survived — and she was able to license, collaborate, and expand without starting from scratch.
Megan’s armor:
When Megan coined “Hot Girl Summer,” brands lined up to cash in on it — without paying her a dime.
She took them to court, trademarked the phrase, and kept ownership of her cultural IP.
Today, “Hot Girl” is more than a song lyric — it’s a legally protected brand powering merch, swimwear, and more.
Doctrine:
If you’re building culture — slang, catchphrases, a signature style —own it.
Legal protection is more than a flex; it’s a revenue stream and a safety net.
Audit your brand today: What phrases, visuals, or frameworks are people repeating?
Trademark it before someone else does.
Martha’s comeback:
An insider trading scandal could have sunk Martha Stewart for good.
Instead, she faced the headlines head-on, served her time, and then did the impossible: made a comeback as America’s homemaking matriarch and cultural icon.
From roasting turkeys to roasting jokes with Snoop Dogg, Martha showed that reinvention can outshine scandal.
Megan’s testimony:
Megan has turned public trauma — betrayal, assault, legal battles — into anthems of survival.
She’s transparent with her fans, using her pain to fuel her brand’s authenticity.
People don’t just stream her music — they stand by her because she shares what most would hide.
Doctrine:
Your hardest chapters are often the reason people trust you. In an age of hyper-curated perfection, vulnerability sells.
Own your scars, frame them as lessons, and watch your audience lean in deeper.
Ask yourself: What part of your story do you hide because it feels “unprofessional”?
Try telling it. It might be your brand’s strongest asset.
Megan & Martha: not necessarily the dynamic duo you read about in Sunday school — but a pair whose blueprint is powerful enough to be its own gospel for modern entrepreneurs.
Meet people where they are.
Protect what you create.
Turn your wounds into witness and watch your audience grow.
Study them. Learn from them. Then write your own doctrine.
Drop it in the comments. I’d love to hear your story.
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Thanks for reading.
See you next time.