One Call, Every Chapter: Nicola Elener on Helping Families Move Closer to What Matters

Nicola Elener of The Tangerine Collective joins Dock Talk on how families can move closer to the water, starting with the right school. Wednesday, Oct 14, 5 PM

On this week's Dock Talk, Brian Burns sits down with Nicola Elener, founder of The Tangerine Collective. For more than 20 years, Nicola has helped families make confident decisions about some of life's biggest moments.

Now she is building something bigger: one trusted relationship that supports a family from the first school search to a new life by the water.

Tune in to Dock Talk on Wednesday, October 14 at 5 PM ET, only on Dock Side Live Radio.

Why "Tangerine"?

After two decades in private education, Nicola wanted a name that broke the mold. "It's all about wood paneling and everything sounding so chic," she said. The Tangerine Collective was meant to spark curiosity instead.

"When you say tangerine, it gives your whole face a workout and it ends up in a smile," she explained. The name stands for something fresh, zesty and exciting. "The Collective" refers to her 16 associates, a hand-picked network of specialists working together under one roof.

From school placements to a whole new life

Nicola still works as an educational consultant, placing children into their best-fit schools. But families kept asking for more. Could she help them find a house? Could she help them settle into life in London?

For years, she pointed them elsewhere with no way of knowing whether those referrals would deliver. "I'm bringing their children into the country, into their best fit school, and then I can't help any further," she said. At the beginning of this summer, she decided to change that.

Today, The Tangerine Collective can help a family relocate from anywhere in the world. Its associates cover education (schools, universities, special educational needs, tutoring, mentoring, boarding school guardianship, and safety and wellbeing), relocation (real estate, immigration advice and settling in) and lifestyle (interior design, architecture, wine, luxury travel and superyachts).

A family or family office makes one call, and the Collective takes it from there

Dreaming of the waterfront?

Many Dock Side Live listeners dream of moving their family closer to the water. Nicola says most families start that search in the wrong place. "They always look at the home first," she said. Then they discover the school is the harder piece, because the daily commute has to make sense.

Her advice is to flip the order: find the school, sort out immigration if you are changing countries, then find the home. "It starts with education. Let's find the school and everything else will fall in around that."

Nicola knows what that looks like for a boating family. In 2011, Caroline Blatter and her husband, Andrew, were relocating from Antigua to the UK. They had been living aboard a yacht, and their children had never been to school. It was the wrong point in the admissions calendar, but Nicola found them places and learned firsthand what it takes to move a family from life on the water into school life on land.

She lives the coastal life herself, in Cumbria on England's northwest coast. "I can see the beach and the sea from my home," she said. "It's very chilly."

A proposal beneath the waves

Asked about a memorable day on the water, Nicola shared a story from one of her associates, luxury travel expert Dani. A couple came to Dani wanting a boating experience. What the woman did not know was that her partner planned to propose to her while they were diving.

When the couple surfaced and climbed back aboard, their family and friends were waiting to celebrate. "If you're going to pull something like that out of the bag, you've got to be something quite special," Nicola said of Dani, who she says "goes the extra mile every single time."

More weekends on the water, less juggling

Nicola's number one piece of advice for busy families is simple: get in touch. Every relationship starts with a conversation about the family, where the friction is, and what the Collective can take off their plate. If a service is not on the list yet, she will find the resource.

For Nicola, it is personal. Her son is grown and married, and her parents now live with her. "I know how important it is for families to spend time together," she said. "I want to keep these families together for longer." There is no pressure to arrive with a plan. "Let's see where we can help in the future."

Connect with Nicola

• Website: thetangerinecollective.com

• Email: zesty@thetangerinecollective.com

• Social: Nicola Elener on LinkedIn and Instagram

Listen to Dock Talk

Hear Brian's full conversation with Nicola on Dock Talk, Wednesday, October 14 at 5 PM ET, on Dock Side Live Radio. Listen free at DockSideLive.com or download the Dock Side Live app on the App Store and Google Play.

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