The VERY modern etiquette expert taking Netflix by storm in the series Mind Your Manners

An etiquette expert is taking Netflix by storm with he new hit TV show Mind Your Manners. 

Harvard Business School graduate Sara Jane Ho, who grew up across  Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, Britain and the United States, founded her charm school Institute Sarita in 2012. 

With courses ranging from Introduction to Expensive Sports to British Afternoon Tea, her lessons quickly grew up in popularity and caught the attention of Netflix executives. 

Mind Your Manners was released on the streaming platform at the end of last year, and now Sara has opened up about how  she views etiquette as a form of socialisation. 

She told the New York Times: ”Wherever I go, I see myself as in the field. I’m observing: “What are the codes of conduct here? How are people behaving?”.’ 

Sara, who speaks four languages, was born in Hong Kong before moving across the world due to her father’s job in oil exploration.

She recalled how she was brought on business trips by her parents where they expected her to socialise with the adults they met. 

In the US, she attended a boarding school before graduating from Georgetown University in 2007 aged 21. 

It was that same year that her mother, who worked in the music industry as an entertainment executive, died from cancer.  

Harvard Business School graduate Sara Jane Ho, who grew up across Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, Britain and the United States, founded her charm school Institute Sarita in 2012

She was working on Wall Street when the stock market crashed, and she went on to attend Harvard Business School.

Inspired by her mother’s interest in etiquette, she attended the Institut Villa Pierrefeu in Switzerland. 

She told Tatler Asia: ‘I recall my friends in Beijing asking me for advice on how to hold a breakfast meeting and other such questions, so I figured this might be a good way to combine what I love doing with my mother’s legacy, whilst addressing a market need in China.’

Her school described itself as ‘China’s leading finishing school, bringing you first-hand experience to help you become more poised and polished, taking your social and professional success to the next level.’ 

Inspired by her mother’s interest in etiquette, she attended the Institut Villa Pierrefeu in Switzerland before founding her own charm school 

Aspiring social climbers could pick from two main types of course: the Debutante, for unmarried women aged 16 and above, or the Hostessing course for married women.

The courses went into incredible detail on every possible scenario a woman may come across in social situations, from peeling an orange to eating a oyster. The lessons even covered how to pronounce the names of luxury design houses.

The Debutante course lasted for 10 days and promised to teach single women ‘high-end social etiquette and protocol’, including history, social, and business customs of different cultures and countries around the world, greetings and introductions, business card exchange, dress code, table manners, dining and entertaining, conversational dos and don’ts and gift giving.

Other subjects included floral art and table decoration, public relations, psychology and personal presentation.

Her courses include lessons on British Afternoon Tea, the pronunciation of British brands, and explanations about different sports  

The Hostessing course, which took place over 14 full days, starting at 9am and finishing at 6pm each day covered the ‘art of being a hostess’, which includes high-end social etiquette, including understanding the behaviour and customs of high society and dining around the world.

It also taught the history, tasting and service of tea and coffee, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, dressing definitions, personal stationery and invitation cards, body language, rules of official and diplomatic protocol, and hotel and restaurant manners.

The Institute stated that: ‘Our courses are designed to give you the opportunity to achieve a greater understanding of other cultures and better interpersonal communication.

‘Every principle discussed is well supported by practice, so that being an elegant lady or confident business executive becomes second nature to you.’

After a Singapore-headquartered production company read about Sara’s work, they pitched her story to Netflix

A two-week course at the Institute Sarita in Beijing cost 100,000 yuan, or about £10,411, and while some may question spending such a large sum, the courses proved hugely popular.  

After a Singapore-headquartered production company read about Sara’s work, they pitched her story to Netflix.

She explained: ‘They seemed to believe in my vision. And they agreed to let me share my method with the rest of the world.’

However due to the Covid-19 pandemic, her school in China was shut down – and instead the series, Mind Your Manners, was filmed in Australia.

It follows a similar format to makeover programmes such as Queer Eye, which follow an individual seeking to improve an element of their life with the guidance of an expert. 

On the show, she offers guidance on how to peel a banana with a knife and a fork, as well as attending an archery lesson

And on the show, she offers guidance on how to peel a banana with a knife and a fork, as well as attending an archery lesson.

Her main advice on the programme is: ‘Come with me, and you’ll know what to do anywhere, with anyone, in any situation.’

Meanwhile she also advises that responses are ‘contextual’, and the main importance of etiquette is to be ‘considerate to others.’

However her advice can sometimes be a little unusual.  

On Instagram, she revealed she would spit phlegm in the street – albeit only in a discreet location with a drain in which to deposit the spit.

The ultra-glamorous expert often shares snaps from her adventures around the world with her adoring Instagram fans 

During one episode of Mind Your Manners, she tells her students: ‘There are no ugly women in the world, just lazy ones.’

Meanwhile on drinking tea, she advised: ‘Some people keep their pinkies out to keep balanced, but it looks really pretentious. Definitely pinkies in.’ 

And in another episode, she told a Chinese American woman who felt disconnected from her roots to break up with her Caucasian boyfriend and try to meet someone Chinese instead. 

She said: ‘Your boyfriend is Caucasian, he won’t understand what I said.’

Her love life is much more settled however – she met a businessman 14 years her senior after filming the series, and married him eight months later. 

Read more: 

Never lie to get out of a function and ALWAYS put your phone away in company: Here are the bad habits to ditch in 2023, according to an etiquette expert 

Etiquette expert reveals how you should be using your napkin (and you’ve been doing it wrong your whole life) 

Etiquette expert reveals the ‘correct behaviour’ for the workplace – including being early and staying away from gossip