Glowing beneath the crystal chandeliers of New York City’s Plaza Hotel—where she co-founded its in-house finishing school—you might assume Myka Meier descended from the heavens, bright-eyed and beautiful, to restore a sense of civility to our increasingly uncourteous world. Dubbed the “picture of grace” by Vogue, Meier, 43, is a world-renowned etiquette expert, business owner, author, consultant and influencer who's worked with members of the Britain's Royal Family and trained the likes of Snoop Dogg and Gwyneth Paltrow. Lately, she’s been bringing her protocol, polish and perspective to “Ladies of London: A New Reign,” Bravo TV’s reality show about the lives of British socialites and American expats as they navigate high society, family, and business in London.

But before she was “America’s Queen of Good Manners” (a title bestowed by The Times magazine) studying etiquette under the same staff as Princess Diana, Meier was Sarasota High School’s prom queen, bringing Siesta Key sand-covered homework to class and hanging out in orange groves with friends using secret codes on pagers. 

You don’t have to talk to Meier for long to realize that, beneath her studied poise, that Sarasota influence is very much still intact. In the first chapter of her first book, Modern Etiquette Made Easy: A Five-Step Method to Mastering Etiquette, she writes about growing up on the cross streets of Cattlemen and Bee Ridge roads. “People hear those names and are like, ‘How country are you?’” she says with a laugh. “Not as country as you think,—but back then, there was nothing there except a Kmart and a McDonald’s. When McDonald’s came to town it was the biggest deal.”

It wasn’t until she attended University of Florida that she ventured outside town, but after graduating, she took a leap and moved to London, where she worked in communications. “In America, we’re quite casual as a society,” she says. “We’re warm in nature, we’re hospitable, but we’re not very formal. Then I moved to London and there’s linen napkins everywhere and no Classic [styrofoam] cups, even at a casual restaurant. I was a really happy Sarasota fish out of the most beautiful blue water. I grew up surfing, and suddenly I’m sitting at a table with clients and having this moment of, like, ‘How did I get here? How do all these people know how to hold this, do that?’”

It was that insecurity that first nudged her toward the world of etiquette. At the time, her then-boyfriend, now-husband, who grew up in a formal household in his native Switzerland, suggested she take a class to get comfortable navigating the culture. Meier didn’t stop at just one class, going on to study at multiple internationally acclaimed finishing schools.

For many Americans, etiquette classes are thought of as the kind of thing parents jokingly threaten you with when you chew with your mouth open—stuffy, outdated, and more about flashing the proverbial silver spoon than anything else. Not so for Meier.

 “People have these deep-rooted insecurities that prevent them from making friends, getting the job they want, asking someone out, taking the leap,” she says. “It’s confidence! I teach confidence through etiquette, whether it’s through dining or social and business skills. Jamie Diamond [CEO of JPMorgan Chase] just gave this incredible interview where he said that, as the leader of one of the most powerful institutions [in the world], the future of business and the most valuable asset you can have right now is social and emotional intelligence. What’s going to be left after AI replaces human calculators? It’s going to be people that can connect with other people. That’s what etiquette is about.”

That reframing of etiquette as access instead of performance has lent itself to a wide reach. More than a million followers tune in across Meier’s social platforms, drawn not to rigid rules but to Meier’s insistence that kindness, confidence and respect are learnable, valuable skills. And for Meier, those lessons trace right back to Sarasota, which she describes as one of “the friendliest places on Earth.” 

“A lot of the kids in my middle school went to different high schools, so starting at Sarasota High, I knew very few people,” she says. “My dad told me to be nice to everyone, that the right thing to do was to go up and introduce yourself to everyone even if you don’t think you’ll fit in with them. And I did! I remember going up to every single person and saying, ‘Hi, I’m Myka,’ which is maybe kind of strange and not too common to see in your ninth grade class. But he told me to do it, so I did.” 

It’s a practice she’s never outgrown, and one of many traits that have led her co-stars to joke, “Myka is just so nice—and it’s not a façade. But in London, we’re not very accustomed to it!” When those she meets abroad ask if America is “really like that, with the football lights and homecoming and cheerleaders,” her answer is a resounding yes. 

To Meier, that version of America isn’t a fantasy. “People don’t know this,” she says, “but Sarasota used to have the sweetest corn on the planet.” She grew up getting ice cream at Big Olaf and going to shows at the Van Wezel with her grandparents, and speaks fondly of late longtime Sarasota High teacher and coach, Eddie Howell, who she says was, “one of the most beloved teachers to have ever graced Sarasota.”  

“I think when you’re [in Sarasota], you lose sight of its beauty, and how magical it is,” Meier says. “It’s been a great privilege for me to be able to travel the world, and I always come back to it. You know, I never took any etiquette or manners courses. The closest I got was being a Brownie—Troop 340! But these things really shape you. I owe a lot to our beautiful town. I wouldn’t be where I am without it.”

The grand finale of “Ladies of London: The New Reign”—which, by the way, is likely to feature a Sarasota Sailor Circus mention—airs on Bravo tonight, Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 9 p.m., and will be available on streaming services including Peacock.