Why I joined Nomad Island Fest for 5 years and I won’t stop now

The Arrival

If you have never been to Madeira island, arriving here is already an experience of its own. Known as one of the most dramatic airport approaches in the world, the landing on the steep side of the coast is nothing short of a show. The dark rocky coast appears first, mist swirling, high-energy waves breaking against it. Then the hills rise where the airport was built. Every time I fly here, I feel that deep sense of wonder this island emanates.

Madeira’s origin is fascinating. From the ocean bedrock, unfathomable forces pushed this land up to 1800 m above sea level. Unlike simple cone-shaped volcanic islands, this island is a complex, fractured series of ridges, valleys and cliffs that make it a natural wonder on its own.

Part of Macaronesia, sitting in the middle of the Atlantic, it’s blessed with warm, steady weather year-round that gives it the fame of the “eternal spring” island. Its lush, water-rich biosphere is a paradise for hikers and nature lovers. This charm always makes me smile, despite the relative remoteness and long flight required.

Why I Keep Coming Back

The reason I keep coming here is no less exciting than the island itself. Since 2021, The Nomad Escape led by Michelle Maree has hosted its annual meetup and conference at the beginning of December. Nomad Island Fest is the defining moment for this community of heart-led entrepreneurs and rebels who escaped the 9-to-5. They lead the way for a more conscious, aligned and human way of creating, developing and growing businesses.

When Michelle and the speakers are on stage, you hear – in the same sentence – words like ROI and kindness, belonging and deal making, no-a**holes policies and “romantic relationship contracts”. Despite the apparent contrast, there is coherence in how Michelle and her team run this entertaining mix of a conference, a retreat and a networking experience.

What makes it unique in the “networking clubs” space is the recognition that if people are your way into business greatness, you must first be a great human being before you can be a great entrepreneur.

Here you might encounter multi-millionaires who are not afraid to say that owning 16 cars is ridiculous. Real estate moguls share vulnerable stories about near death experiences and how those changed their lives. Even Rolex owners take time to challenge established mindsets around wealth and luxury.

To the best of my knowledge, there is not a school or university for “mindset shifting” that offers the lessons and inspiration that Nomad Island Fest does. This event is the closest thing I know to a crash course in thinking differently to break the molds society’s norms gave us.

Checking in With Your Mindset

Mindset doesn’t shift in a day. It is rooted in past experiences, inherited worldviews and influenced by ego. Returning year after year lets me check if this big slow cruise ship called mindset is taking me to the desired destination. If not, the main auditorium turns into a room full of people ready to challenge what you think is possible, help you dream bigger and kick your own a** if you break promises you made to yourself.

Key Lessons That Stay With You

Even if many believe they live in relative scarcity, most don’t see that scarcity mindset is the biggest blocker to collective abundance. One key lesson here is “Do not compare”, but another equally important one is “Life has near-limitless opportunities”.

By focusing your brain on the end results more than the hurdles, you can break free from the nay-sayer attitude and set nearly any personal or business goal you once dreamed of.

In fact, one of the most important sessions is the Vivid Vision setting led by Michelle herself. You can’t hit the center of a bullseye if you don’t aim precisely. You need to dream your dreams before making them reality.

Other sessions like speed networking, business bingo, and cross the line give substance to another big mantra of The Nomad Escape: “the Who is the How”. You don’t need to be a “superconnector” with thousands of followers to understand the better relationships you have in your life, the more opportunities will knock at your door organically.

This kind of approach, based on trust forged by a sense of belonging, has consistently created new businesses and collaborations among participants of the fest for the past five years. So many, that Michelle wanted to expand the benefits of this approach not only to the in person events.

In the online community, the Inner Circle, Michelle and her guests host online events on a steady basis to gather professionals, pitch businesses, and form new relationships. Coherent with her mission, she helps everyone’s advancing in their growth journey. Even behind a webcam and screen, Michelle leads with the same heartfelt compassion that brought her so far.

The Role of the Island

Why go to a remote island if most of this can be experienced online? First, the power of meeting in-person is still unmatched by any online experience. Second, because it’s very hard to have new ideas in the same environment you live in every day. Ask any creative where they get their most brilliant ideas, and it won’t be in front of a screen (there’s also a study proving it!).

This is where Madeira becomes the main stage and central character of the event.

The narrow beach town of Ponta do Sol — Sun Point because of the ridiculous number of sunny days per year — and the breathtaking Estalagem Hotel are integral to the experience. Witnessing spectacular sunsets from a jacuzzi on the cliff edge, opening your windows to peaks hidden by clouds, or meditating while waves relentlessly reach the beach convinces mind, body and soul that life is beautiful, more is possible and abundance is not only achievable, but inevitable.

If the venues would not already display enough of this island’s beauty, the signature jeep tour in the middle of the 7 days proves that Madeira is a place like no other. No matter if the loud jeep brigade will reach the mountain top on very bouncy, uneven, muddy off-roads. Or if the panoramic point you just reached will be sitting in the clouds, preventing any landscape picture to be taken. The camaraderie that comes along this fun, balanced challenge, faced together by the jeep passengers, will overcome any difficulty that may arise. Exceptional places stimulates exceptional outcomes.

Because life is not only work and taxes, the two parties at Nomad Island Fest are fun rewards and another chance to bond with your new friends. The Purple Friday, invented by nomads living in Ponta Do Sol in 2021 (the world’s first Digital Nomad Village), turns the deck of the Estalagem, hanging 100m over the Atlantic Ocean, into the most heart stopping dancefloor on the island. And the final private party allows everyone to express themselves fully, whether with an extravagant themed dress or iconic dance moves.

Not Just a Festival, But a Yearly Checkpoint

Attending this wonderful mix of inspiring talks by world class speakers and business owners, mindful networking sessions, and leisure activities, means you don’t leave Nomad Island Fest with a set of business cards. You leave with new friendships that naturally become partnerships. The eye opening knowledge, the memorable moments of fun and the deeper connections made – with yourself or others – are all the ingredients of a nomad fest like no others.

As I did for the last 5 years, when it’s time to leave Madeira and your plane prepares to detach from that narrow runway leaning on the cliffs, my wish is that you carry with you a refreshed sense of hope, memories that last a lifetime, and a big, big smile of satisfaction.

And while the plane rises and the island slowly disappears, shrinking afloat the borderless sea, you might place in a warm corner of your heart the idea that you’ll fly back here next year, to join again the festival of wonders where anything can start.