We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrea Tagliaferro. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrea below.

Andrea, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

In 2017 Andrea Tagliaferro founded what would become a leading platform dedicated to supporting and connecting women in the yachting industry. The idea had been forming for some time, but everything clicked after she attended her first Monaco Yacht Show. Surrounded by successful women from across the sector, she saw firsthand what was possible when women were visible, valued, and connected.

At the time, Andrea had recently stepped away from a new build project in Fort Lauderdale, where she had been working as a yacht designer. The work environment hadn’t aligned with her expectations, and it made her realize just how few women she saw in leadership roles—or even on shipyard floors. There was no clear path for connection, mentorship, or visibility for women in yachting.

Two weeks after returning from Monaco, Andrea launched Yacht Dame, a website and Instagram account dedicated to showcasing women in the industry. She began interviewing the women she discovered and telling their stories. At first, finding them was difficult; she relied on word of mouth and brief mentions in industry media. But the momentum grew quickly.

As her platform evolved, so did her vision. Yacht Dame became her personal brand, while Yacht Femme emerged as a larger umbrella—a podcast and platform through which she developed new initiatives, including the Women’s Yachting Awards, online forums, meet-ups during international boat shows, and a paid membership program fostering connection among professional women.

To date, Andrea has spotlighted over 200 women in the yachting industry through multiple initiatives that amplify their stories and celebrate their leadership.

Andrea, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Andrea Tagliaferro is the Founder of Yacht Femme and Chief Marketing Officer at Beatlibrary, a tech startup innovating in the music space. Her career has been anything but linear—she began as an architect, earning a Master’s in Interior Design in Venezuela before moving to the United States, where she worked in both residential and commercial design. She later transitioned into yacht design before ultimately discovering her passion for digital marketing.

Andrea is a self-taught marketer who built her expertise through online courses, video tutorials, and hands-on experience. This foundation eventually led her into media creation and the launch of Yacht Dame, a platform that evolved into Yacht Femme, a growing initiative focused on empowering women in the yachting industry. “Yacht Femme gave me the opportunity to merge my creative background with my passion for storytelling and community building,” she says.

Her work with Yacht Femme opened the door to a role as Marketing Director at VaynerX, where she collaborated with Gary Vaynerchuk’s team at VaynerSpeakers. During the pandemic, she transitioned into tech, taking on the role of Marketing Director at Invisibly, a startup founded by Jim McKelvey. There, she focused on data analysis, growth strategy, and lifecycle marketing.

Today, Andrea continues to evolve with the industry, completing courses in AI and data science while growing Yacht Femme, which now includes a professional community, online forums, in-person events, and the upcoming inaugural Women’s Yachting Awards.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience has been a defining theme in Andrea Tagliaferro’s journey. As an immigrant without deep roots or a safety net in the U.S., she learned to be self-sufficient early on. “For me, resilience came from not having any other option but to succeed,” she says. “There was no fallback plan—just a steady push forward.”

Raised by parents who instilled a strong work ethic and pride in excellence, Andrea credits her formative years at a Catholic school for shaping her mindset. There, academic achievement was what made someone “cool,” and that stayed with her: work hard, set clear goals, and measure success by the quality of effort.

When people ask how she manages to do so much, Andrea is quick to explain that she simply holds herself to the same standards she sees successful people reach. Setbacks are part of the process. When they happen—as they inevitably do—she focuses on resetting: through running, working out, or simply getting a good night’s sleep.

One recent example stands out. Andrea had been planning her first in-person forum during a major boat show. Everything seemed aligned, until an unexpected email informed her the event was canceled. The disappointment was intense—not just because of the setback itself, but the shock that came with it. She had poured months of work and emotion into the project.

But earlier that year, she had launched a membership-based community for women in yachting. Andrea shared her experience openly with the members, and the emotional support she received—along with the new connections they helped her make—lifted her out of that moment. Not only did she recover, but she’s now preparing to host a similar event at the very same show. It was a clear reminder that resilience is not only about inner strength—it’s also about the power of community.

Another defining moment came with the founding of Yacht Femme. At the time, doors weren’t opening, and opportunities were scarce. So Andrea built her own. She created a platform that would amplify her voice—and eventually the voices of many other women in the industry. With no roadmap to follow, the early days were marked by sleepless nights, self-doubt, and burnout. But she kept going, and today, Yacht Femme is steadily growing into a vibrant platform with a bright future.

Her perspective on resilience is simple but earned: setbacks are inevitable. What matters is how you respond. She encourages others to stay grounded, be honest about their challenges, and surround themselves with people who believe in them. That, she says, is where true resilience begins.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

In the yachting industry, building a strong client base often hinges on word-of-mouth recommendations. For Andrea Tagliaferro, attending in-person events has been essential to expanding her network and generating new leads. These face-to-face moments create genuine, memorable interactions and foster the kind of trust that no email or advertisement can replicate.

One of the most impactful lessons she learned from her former boss, Gary Vaynerchuk, was to approach every relationship with the mindset: “How can I help this person?” That sincere, service-driven perspective has consistently led Andrea to build meaningful and long-term professional relationships.

She also emphasizes the importance of thoughtful follow-up—using email and sharing valuable content on social media to stay top of mind and convert initial conversations into real business opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: @yachtdame | @yachtfemme | @yachtawards | @theclevertraveler
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yachtfemme
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-tagliaferro/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/yacht-femme/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yachtfemme
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/5IcN8nztN2FvNspy6bh6tx

Image Credits

The photos of the awards ceremony are by Crest Company (blue dress with blue background.