CARDOZA YACHTS Founder Nicholas Cardoza and His Mission to Revolutionize the Superyacht Industry
Nicholas Cardoza grew up on the water of the south coast of Massachusetts, but it was only after two stints at culinary school did he realize his true passion: being on the ocean.
Cardoza, who is fluent in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Italian, received his first boat when he was 10 years old and joined his school’s sailing team
“It was the best time of my life,” says Cardoza.
He went to culinary school in New York and Italy, worked for Jean-Georges and in kitchens in Sardinia and Florence, opened a restaurant in Argentina, and found himself working as a chef on superyachts. It was only then that he realized he was in the wrong profession.
“I hung up my apron and began working my way through the ranks: starting as a deckhand, then graduating to being a captain. I sailed across the Atlantic Ocean twice, learning everything there is to know about boats, and then eventually moved to Miami, FL where I became a yacht broker,” says Cardoza.
Once hailed by Forbes as the ‘go-to guy for celebrities,’ Cardoza, who is now 38, is passionate about revolutionizing the yacht industry and is a master of reinvention, successfully co-founding and building his own tech start-up and starring as the star of the new Paramount+ reality TV show ‘Hot Yachts Miami’.
After discovering how needlessly complicated it was to charter a boat, Cardoza and a business partner launched YachtLife, an Airbnb-esque mobile app in 2015, which allows people to book a fully crewed luxury yacht with the app, bringing transparency and simplicity to the industry.
While holding the role of Vice President at luxury yacht company VanDutch, Cardoza expanded their U.S. operations with a guerrilla marketing campaign during the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, and the brand rose to become one of the most instantly recognizable around the world.
“There are so many ways that the yacht industry can leverage technology to modernize,” he says.
“While other industries like real estate are using artificial intelligence, property management software, and virtual reality to improve the transaction process for clients, the boating industry still has a long way to go, and I want to fix that.”
Cardoza regularly shares his two decades of industry experience on his YouTube channel ‘Mr. Yachts’ and is passionate about mentoring and educating younger people in yachting after working his way up from the bottom of the industry.
“There are way too many people out there who are using their channels to just film boat tour after boat tour and aren’t adding any real value. I want to use my channel to educate people about the true ins and outs of owning and selling boats, and what it’s like to be in this industry.”
Wanting to revolutionize the industry, Cardoza is launching his own brokerage, CARDOZA YACHTS. He is working on a new platform that will shape the future of boating, but he is playing his cards close to his chest.
He also wants to build a business that looks more like a real estate brokerage, allowing hungry and talented younger brokers to make a name for themselves under the CARDOZA YACHTS brand and be properly compensated for their work.
Cardoza frequently mentions Ryan Serhant, the star of Bravo’s ‘Million Dollar Listing New York,’ and the founder of the mega brokerage SERHANT., as an inspiration.
“The boating industry is changing,” he says. “My clients are increasingly younger CEOs and entrepreneurs who are more active owners. They’re looking for convenience and analyze this stuff thoroughly.”
Cardoza’s experience is rare as a broker who also understands boat operations after having served in nearly every crew position.
“My dad used to own a liquor store, and as a kid, I wanted to be just like him. I used to dust and straighten the bottles before graduating to carrying people’s purchases to their cars. He taught me to treat every customer with respect,” he says.
“Lasting customer relationships is core to my philosophy. I grew up in a family business and want to run a family business. It’s about being a helpful person, adding value wherever I can, and going the extra mile.”
Last month, Cardoza quite literally went the extra mile for a client when seat cushions he recently had upholstered blew off the back of his yacht. He immediately went out into the bay looking for the cushions and unbelievably, found them floating a mile out at sea.
However, he warns against becoming too focused on the client, as that can ultimately be detrimental to the client.
“You need relationships with people in the industry, the little guys who help you do your job. It’s important to build relationships with them,” he says, mentioning that engine mechanics, painters, fiberglass repair experts and marine canvas specialists have all come to the rescue in an hour of need.
It’s these relationships that Cardoza has in mind as he plans to host several events throughout the year, which will connect industry specialists and help everybody build relationships so they grow together.
“I constantly ask myself, if I’m not adding value, then what am I doing?” says Cardoza.
To learn more about CARDOZA YACHTS, visit their website.
