Instagram story viewer> @otpym> Posts

Michaela S Guzy

@otpym

86.2K

followers

517

following

Houseless, not homeless.SoloFemaleTraveler📺Series: OhThePeopleYouMeet w @michaelaguzy+SLEEPING AROUND SAFELY>Klyq on Samsung MLUX+QatarAirways 121 Cos

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Who doesn’t love #Venice …?

I am so unbelievably fortunate to get to visit this ancient magical city frequently - which has been inspiring creativity for millennia - as if it’s seeping up through the sinking city streets.

It has been an absolute honor and joy to help produce and direct the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s campaign for their new #ballet 🩰“The Maiden of Venice”

As they say, it takes a village and it certainly did! The BRB team are so dedicated, so professional, so creative and just so beautiful from the inside out. My Italian crew brought their A-Game 🎬 which I can’t wait to share with you.

This project has been a beautiful merger of all my past lives - where I was able to incorporate many of my partners from the Luxury Travel Industry. To quote the general manager of @londrapalacevenezia - “Hurricane Michaela has arrived, but she’s a very good storm.” I mean how often are you navigating floods with ballerinas in one of a kind tutu’s around UNESCO sites?

As I reflect on the past week, I can’t think of a more perfect example of how the arts, culture and travel come seamlessly together. Not surprisingly, it’s the PEOPLE who worked tirelessly with such dedication to make it happen - GRAZIE: PJ, Tom, Jim, Marcello, Patrick, Leonardo, La Finice @venicevenicehotel @londrapalacevenezia @sanclementepalace_venice @tommygondolier @spotlight_coms + so many more!

This is just a short #bts reel from day one of the shoot @otpym productions #onlocation & we have so much more movie magic to come!

To the fabulous @yuuyuu_1005 you have been such a treat to work with. I cannot wait to see you perform on an actual stage - you survived floods in a tutu and still always rocked a smile - you’re such a hard-working person! To finally meet the legendary @cacostaofficial …

As a former dancer, I knew I was going to be excited to meet him - to get to interview him twice, spend a few days just getting to know him as a person = WOW! To learn his vision behind the ballet & visit locations that inspired the ballet = next level.

Watch this space, “The Maiden of Venice,” opens in Birmingham on February 20, 2027. The ballet will travel around the UK & onto NYC next fall. taken in Venice, Italy by @otpym

3

6

a day ago

They say #MosselBay is where Europe first set foot on South Africa’s shores. Bartolomeu Dias sailed in back in 1488. I arrived a few centuries later, slightly less prepared and with far more sunscreen. ⛵

Out on the water, the Garden Route shows you who she really is: wild coastline, endless blue, and a wind with opinions.

But the people make the place, as always. The sailors who hoisted the sails, read the water like a favorite book, and laughed at my “nautical expertise” (almost zero) were the real story. Confident, generous, and completely at home on the waves, they made a nervous landlubber feel like part of the crew.

Somewhere between the spray and the sunset, I stopped thinking about the shot and just let the ocean and the local sailors do the talking.

More from Mossel Bay coming soon 🎬

#GardenRoute #SouthAfrica #OhThePeopleYouMeet #TravelWithPurpose taken in Mossel Bay, Western Cape by @otpym

3

1

8 days ago

Country 122.

I’ve now sat across from more than 500 people with a camera rolling, and it still humbles me every time a stranger opens their kitchen, their home, their story, to someone they met ten minutes ago. That trust is the whole job.

Georgia was no exception. This is one of the oldest cultures on earth, and somehow it has always stayed true to itself: its own alphabet, its own faith, its own way of making wine for 8,000 years. The people are warm, but they are tough. They don’t do small talk and they don’t do fake. Earn a seat at their table and you’ll never want to leave it.

And what a table. Soup dumplings you eat by the handle and never, ever with a fork. A bread boat filled with molten cheese, butter and a raw egg that you stir yourself, like a delicious science experiment. Walnuts strung on a thread and dipped in grape juice until they look like candles. And chacha, a grape brandy that will introduce itself to every organ you own.

A huge thank you to Irina Khangoshvili, founder of the Art & Travel International Film Festival, whom I met in Portugal a few years ago and who has been lovingly, relentlessly sliding into my DMs ever since until I finally said YES to the opening masterclass: “Framing the Journey: The Art of Screen Tourism & Visual Storytelling” - best decision I’ve made all year. To the jury members who came from every corner of the world, to my fellow filmmakers who inspired me endlessly, and to every Georgian who welcomed me in: madloba.

This is certainly not my last time in Georgia - though I hope the construction in Tblisi is finished by then! At the end of the day, an award doesn’t mean much on its own (though so appreciative of both). What stays with you are the lifelong connections, and the people of Georgia genuinely touched my heart. I can’t wait to come back and share their stories with the rest of the world. Real people, places and purposes. Now that’s an award-winning recipe.

#Tbilisi #GeorgianWine #womeninfilm #unesco taken in Georgia (country) by @otpym

3

4

12 days ago

It’s always about the people. ✨

That was the heart of my keynote at the Affluent Traveler Collection Symposium in Texas, and the journey that followed proved it.

At ATC I was so honored to meet Yasar Karadag the founder behind @newfacestravel - when he learned I had three flights to get from Texas via Türkiye to Tbilisi for the Art & Travel International Film Festival, he told me he’d sort me out for my 5+ hour layover in Istanbul.

After 18+ hours of travel, what a sight for sore eyes: a smiling face holding a sign with my name and a buggy waiting to whisk me through one of the world’s largest airports. 🙌

Thank goodness for my United status and Star Alliance, which got me into the Turkish Airlines lounge. During my layover I showered, worked and savored a delicious hot Turkish meal with a glass of Turkish wine. 🍷 Then the New Faces team met me again and whisked me right to my gate.

Because the new luxury is access, not excess. 🔑

They took the stress out of connecting and made the connection a desirable part of the journey. In the end, it’s always about the people you meet. 💛

Texas ➝ Türkiye ➝ Tbilisi 🇬🇪 country 122

#OhThePeopleYouMeet #ATCSymposium #LuxuryTravel taken in Turkish Airlines Lounge Miami Airport by @otpym

3

0

20 days ago

What can I say… I get around. ✈️✨

Texas ➝ Türkiye ➝ Tbilisi. 3 flights, 7,386 miles, 1 exhausted albeit excited nomad.

Straight off the stage at the @theaffluenttraveler Symposium in Texas. It’s always about the people you meet - thanks to @newfacestravel for taking me directly from flight 2 to the @turkishairlines lounge for a shower, Turkish food & wine and then whisking me to the gate for my 3rd + final flight to Tbilisi, Georgia 🇬🇪 my 122nd country!

Can’t wait to speak at the Art & Travel International Film Festival. გამარჯობა, Tbilisi! 🎬

#SleepingAroundSafely #OhThePeopleYouMeet #atcsymposium #atiff2026

Access, not excess. #traveltips - sometimes it pays to be loyal @united @staralliance by @otpym

3

0

21 days ago

A little sneak peek from this morning - day two of the Affluent Traveler Collection Symposium, and what a room 🌍

I had the honor of emceeing, moderating and delivering the keynote:

“The Power of Storytelling in Luxury Travel Sales -
Connection doesn’t scale. That’s why you still and always will matter.”

After 14 years, 121 countries and over 500 people sitting in front of my camera, I’ve never once seen a destination sell itself. A person did.

HNW consumers pay a personal trainer, a private chef, an assistant, a celebrity hairdresser…not because they can’t do it themselves, but because expertise is worth it and time is the one thing you can’t buy more of. So why would your trip of a lifetime be any different? ✨

Thank you to the Affluent Traveler Collection for having me. Next stop: passport stamp #122 in Georgia (the country, not the state) for the Art&Travel International Film Festival - where @otpym Productions have two award-winning films + I’ll be delivering a keynote on the “Framing the Journey - The Art of Screen Tourism & Visual Storytelling” 🎤

Boarding flight 1 of 3 ✈️

Pack a bag (with an AirTag) + Journey On,
@michaelaguzy + the #OhThePeopleYouMeet Traveling Team

#LuxuryTravel #travelindustry #KeynoteSpeaker taken in JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa by @otpym

3

1

22 days ago

Yeehaw! Day 1 at #ATCSymposium ✔️ MC + moderator 🎤 Tomorrow: MC + keynote 🔥

This year’s theme is CONNECTED, and the numbers show why it matters:

✨ 97% of affluent travelers say an advisor is the best way to create a personalized trip

✨ Luxury river bookings for 2027: 84% ahead

✨Luxury spend per guest on guided trips rose from $14,300 to $20,800

✨Luxury room nights are up 44%

✨ 92% of affluent travelers say a travel expert is the only way to get a truly luxury experience

✨ Luxury travel market: $1.6T now, projected $3T by 2033

250+ travel advisors (the OG travel influencers) and partners in one room in San Antonio. Oh the people you meet that make the journey 🫶🌍

#LuxuryTravel #TravelExperts #Keynote OhThePeopleYouMeet taken in JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa by @otpym

3

3

23 days ago

Can you guess where I’m SLEEPING AROUND SAFELY next? Buckle up, because I’m about to depart on an open-ended journey of at least 41 days…which brings me to one of the most frequent questions I’m asked: “How do I #pack 🧳?” While humbling - in no make up- facing my fears and doing my first DTC (direct to camera) in a while. Tune in for some #traveltips + what I’m getting into next 🛩️ 🌍

It’s all about access, not excess. Experiences, not stuff. And Oh, the people you meet that make you feel connected - something tech can never replace.

Pack a bag (with an AirTag) + journey on,
@michaelaguzy + the @otpym Traveling Team

#travelexpert taken in United Club Lounge LAX by @otpym

3

5

25 days ago

25 YEARS.

I’m sitting at an airport thinking about a girl who had just graduated college & moved to #NewYork a few weeks earlier. She was so full of wonder. She was also terrified of being late for work.

The train stopped on the Manhattan Bridge. The conductor said something none of us could make out, something about stopping at Canal instead of our stop. Then someone pointed out the window & said the #WorldTradeCenter looked like it was smoking.

I got to my office & saw a woman from my team crying in the lobby. Her husband worked in the towers - she couldn’t reach him. I didn’t know what to say. I was 22. I ran to my desk & sent the status report, worried that the new girl was going to be late for the big Revlon meeting.

My CMO came to my desk & brought me outside, where the whole agency was standing & looking south at the smoking tower. My mom called to ask where I was - while she was on the phone, I saw the second plane & said, “Mom, Mom, there’s a plane going to help the people at the WTC.”

Then the line went dead.

My CMO looked at me & said, “Kid, you better run.”

I kicked off my shoes & we went down 14 flights of stairs with colleagues I had known for 3 weeks. We just ran north - I was barefoot. One of the only calls that got through all day was a friend in DC telling me the Pentagon had been hit.

Someone grabbed me - I turned to see the first tower implode & we watched the black smoke start rolling up 8th Ave. I remember the smell, the ash, the tanks that appeared out of nowhere…

(continued in comments below) taken in World Trade Center by @otpym

3

3

a month ago

During ILTM Cannes, I had the honor of interviewing some of the top leaders shaping the future of luxury lifestyle experience for OhThePeopleYouMeet ON LOCATION.

From inspiring conversations to behind-the-scenes access at one of the industry’s premier global gatherings, this series captures the voices, vision, and innovation driving luxury forward.

In this edition, please meet a travel industry pal who switched sides. Oh, get your mind outta the proverbial gutter… Rob Cheng stepped away from the luxury hotel business with some of the world’s TOP brands to start planning people’s trips of a lifetime with Travel/Unbound. Can you guess his #traveltrend predictions?

Stay tuned for more insider access from conferences, film festivals, and events around the world through OhThePeopleYouMeet Productions.

#LuxuryTravel #upnorth #japan #onlocation taken in Cannes, France Cote d'azur by @otpym

3

1

a month ago

Flying private has always sounded like something reserved for the ultra-rich. But here’s the thing, you don’t necessarily have to own the plane — you can buy access to it.

I just flew @aero from NYC > LA nonstop - you can simply buy a seat on a scheduled #privatejet 🛩️. No jet card and no membership fee. They’re flying routes including New York to LA, Aspen and Miami.
The real luxury isn’t just the jet. It’s skipping connections, crowds, long security lines and hours of driving to a major airport. You’re buying back your time.

Aero source #localfood from each destination - think CUT, @erewhon or even wine from @wallysofficial 🍷. Plus they have a whole #wellness offering onboard, including #redlight from @therabody 🧘‍♀️.

And #OhThePeopleYouMeet onboard Aero - I think I’ve met some new lifelong pals.

Real luxury is not stuff, it’s making the most of your time + the people you spend it with!

@otpym travel style: @louisvuitton @goldengoose @weworewhat Skincare: @puradermatology taken in Teterboro Airport by @otpym

3

3

2 months ago

Fresh out of Virtuoso Travel Week at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, I was excited to bring the inside scoop to FOX 5 New York this morning, talking about some of the travel industry’s most fascinating emerging #trends — and a few secrets hiding in plain sight.

From #privatejets you don’t have to own and yachts you don’t have to maintain, to fall-cations, “maxxing-out” your travels, and the growing luxury of buying access instead of ownership, the way we travel is changing. 🛩️

And earlier this week, another pretty big milestone became official: our award-winning series OH THE PEOPLE YOU MEET and SLEEPING AROUND SAFELY are coming to TV through klyq on Samsung home screens this October. 📺

There’s something pretty surreal about creating these shows from hotel rooms, airports, boats and wherever else the road takes me — and now seeing them make their way onto Samsung screens in 80 million homes.

I grew up landlocked in Missouri, but I’ve spent the last 14 years building a life around following interesting people to the far corners of the world. I guess that’s why I’m houseless, not homeless — a house is a place, but a home is a state of mind. And these days, I get to call everywhere and nowhere home. Reaching country number 122 this October - can you guess where? Watch the segment to find out how this place ties into one of the biggest trends in travel. 🌎

Thanks for having me on @danbrown212 + @tinacervasio 🙏

Pack a bag (with an AirTag) + journey on,
@michaelaguzy + the @otpym Traveling Team

#travelstyle @ninapenuela @philippagreenjewellery @ysl
#skincare @puradermatology @dr.aminaguffar taken in FOX 5 NY by @otpym

3

6

2 months ago