Digital Nomad Interview with Alberto Mattei, Project Manager for the #ConsumelessMed project

Team Photo for Mel Candea Workcation ConsumelessMed Project

I spent nearly 2 decades as a project manager before abandoning my corporate career to become a full-time writer and digital nomad. Not everyone can handle the role of a project manager, it’s not just task tracking and schedule management, it’s also about people management and building a team that is going to work seamlessly together and bring out the best in each other.

Project Managers need to lead by example, and it sounds like Alberto Mattei did just that when he built the team for the #ConsumelessMed project.

This interview is part of a series by Nomadic Times columnist Mel Candea who introduced us to the #ConsumelessMed project in her guest article An American in Sicily: A Workation to Remember. During this project Mel interviewed some of her collaborators and over the coming weeks we’re bringing you a series of digital nomad interview with her team members.

Columist: Mel Candea

Alberto Mattei runs his own website calledNomad Didigitali and was the project manager for the ConsumelessMed workation.

We’d met Alberto briefly in our travels, but this was our first time working with him. He was in charge of pretty much everything, from organizing where we’d go on ‘off days’ to writing copy for the website and making sure everyone was happy. Despite all of the pressure, he brought humor to the work days and guaranteed the project was successful – in just 10 days.

He also has a killer belly laugh.

ConsumelessMed Project Alberto, Toni and Eleonora hard at work in a cafe — Alberto, Toni and Eleonora hard at work in a cafe

Briefly describe your digital nomad career:

I was always looking for alternatives to travel and to work. I traveled a lot (Mexico and Cuba were highlights) and I taught diving for a while. When I returned to Italy, I had the idea of becoming a ‘digital nomad,’ so I worked for ½ days and spent the rest of my free time studying online communication.

I wound up working all over Europe eventually, training others. I wanted my own project, though, and when I got back to Italy again I bought and started the website ‘Nomadi Digitali.’ It’s a site for Italian digital nomads, with tips and ideas.

Where do you live now and what do you do?

I’ve been living in Sicily for the past 2 years. I like it a lot – I’ll stay here as long as it makes me happy. But I might travel over the winter.

Sicily’s really great for freelancers. It has everything: good weather, a deep culture and a low cost of living. It is, however, conservative. More traditional than mainland Italy, maybe.

As far as work, I’m: a blogger; a project manager; and a freelance Online Communications consultant.

ConsumelessMed Project Beach near his home in Sicily — Beach near his home in Sicily

How did you connect with the workation/selection?

It was an interesting moment. I was walking on the beach with Barbara of Svimed Onlus and we were chatting about the difficulties of finding professionals for a project.

We thought: why not ‘import’ digital nomad professionals, each for their skills, to Sicily? We ran the public advert for the project and selected the most qualified. And we had our 10-day workation.

What are your immediate plans (after this)?

I’ll spend my summer in Sicily and might go briefly to Malta. I’d like to finish the book I’m writing about Nomadi Digitali, and I’m considering starting a new website to reflect my new interests.

What are your long-term plans?

I’ve been inspired from the workation to create new projects. Ones that are short-term and intensive, very similar to what we’ve just done. I’d like to incorporate co-living and ‘live skills’ training, too.

ConsumelessMed Project The workation space — The workation space

What advice do you have for anyone organizing a workation?

You can’t just say ‘Let’s have a workation!’ You need to have a tangible plan, a proposal, a budget and organization to back it up. Networking isn’t the same thing as a workation. Not at all.

What advice would you give new DNs interested in your specialty?

For new nomads, I’d really emphasize 1 point: do it because you want to do it, because you have to work doing that job, because you enjoy it. Don’t bother if you approach it as just a way to travel.

If you aren’t putting a bit of yourself in your work, or you don’t believe in it – or if you don’t create something of value, even – you won’t succeed as a digital nomad. Whatever is uniquely you, use that in your work.

ConsumelessMed Project Alberto at Scala dei Turchi — Alberto at Scala dei Turchi

Name your favorite quote (the one you live by):

If you don’t act the way you think you’ll find yourself thinking about how to act.

What’s your favorite Sicilian dish?

That’s easy. Almond-flavored granitas.

Describe the highlight of this workation.

The highlight for me was the conference and press time at the end of the workation. Each person on the team spoke about the experience with genuine emotion and it really felt we’d come together as a team.

What are you taking away with you from this experience?

That communication is vital, for everyone involved in a project. The pieces need to fit together well. If one falls out, the others are affected because they’re all linked together.

I’d like to do more projects like this, but I’d be aware of the huge amount of organization it takes; the communication; and that personalities – the human aspect – also needs to be considered. There is no guarantee a group of strangers will be similar.

I’d be more thoughtful about excursions versus working time, too. I think a ‘workation detox’ is a necessity!

What would you do if you couldn’t be a digital nomad (imagine no WiFi… gasp!):

I’d probably be a sailor or go back to diving instruction. I wouldn’t like to be a captain, just a sailor on a boat.

Meet #DigitalNomad @AlbertoMattei, Project Manager on the #ConsumelessMed project @westydigitalnom Click To Tweet

Meet the Digital Nomads who collaborated with Mel on the ConsumelessMed project in the following interviews:

Introductory Article from Mel Candea
Alberto, Project Manager and Owner of Digitali Nomadi
Toni Bullo, Graphic/Creative Designer
Eleonora, Media Manager and Translator
Armando, Videographer and Animator
Giulia, Writer and Storyteller (‘Blocal’)
Carlo, Web Designer: Coming Soon
Chris, Social Media Manager and Blogger (‘Blog di Viaggi’): Coming Soon

Author Bio for Mel Candea

Mel Candea has been an online writer for 9 years and a digital nomad for 6. She slow travels Europe with her husband in their van. She splits her time between working from the road and exploring the countries and their cultures. Mel is a voracious reader, an avid writer, a partial photographer and a believer in trying to leave places better than how they were found. If at all possible.