Meet the expats - Dolores Semeraro : the Italian Digital Media Guru

We came across Dolores on social media site Instagram, where we were inspired by her forward-thinking ways, her free skill-sharing meetups and her stand-up paddle boarding! Upon meeting her, Dolores immediately struck us as a powerful person; someone who is determined, headstrong and knows exactly what she wants and goes for it. Known for her ‘Coffee with Dolores’ meetups, that is exactly what we did last week, when we met her in Tamarin and chatted away over a latte or two. Here’s what happened…

Such a pleasure to meet you Dolores! So to begin, can you tell us how long you’ve been in Mauritius?
Almost one year… I’ve lived in the Maldives for six years before, and I was in China before that.

So, what brings you to Mauritius?
Well, I guess it’s work life.  As an expat moving to Mauritius, you find yourself here for different reasons. Maybe your husband is coming here to work, or maybe because the hotel or travel industry brings you here. For me, I guess it’s a bit of both.

Originally, you’re from Italy. Can you tell us a little bit about where you’re from, your home town and what it’s like there?
Well, it’s a bit of a dream place really and I’m really proud of it. I’m from Puglia in the south region of Italy. It’s coming up as a connoisseur destination where you really experience the local culture. It’s not a typical beach holiday but a true retreat. I kind of escaped it, as I said I wanted to see the world when I was younger; I thought Puglia was so yesterday and that there was so much more to see. And after 15 years of living abroad and travelling, it turns out that Puglia is one of the hottest places to be right now! It makes me feel very proud.

Do you go back often?
Very often. I was there a few months ago; my family is there. I’m actually developing a retreat concept in Puglia.

That sounds interesting. What kind of audience is that aimed at?
A very fine connoisseur level - it will be a private, luxury retreat, very much customised and tailor-made. A retreat is very specific and personal. For example, for one person it could mean playing golf all day; for someone else it could mean reading all your books or writing books even. So the retreat idea is creating something that is unique to the individual. It’s a good project and a work in progress at the moment.

Okay, so before moving to Mauritius, had you been here to visit before?
I had visited many times. I was working in communications for the LUX* group. I was based in the Maldives as Head of Communications for them. So I spent six years on the island (of Maldives). It’s very much my island home. LUX* is a Mauritian company and I was coming in and out for business trips and when the opportunity to move here came up, I felt it was a natural evolution from an island to a bigger island! *laughs*

How did you get into the field of communications and how did you land your job at LUX*?
Life takes you through different paths, and sometimes you end up realising your job and what you like to do by coincidence. I was an interpreter and living in China. I was translating Italian to Chinese or English to Chinese or vice versa, and one day a friend told me, “you’re really good at translating and your communication skills are something you should work on”, and they were opening a boutique hotel in Beijing and asked me to join and take over communications. From there I progressed and worked as a PR manager for Intercontinental Hotels in China. From there, I thought it was time for a change of scene after seven years and so, it was either going to be Thailand or Maldives. It was the Maldives that worked out and that’s how I joined LUX*. It was an amazing learning experience, professionally and personally, and if I look back on the person I am today, the learning experience I had at LUX* helped a lot. It’s one of the most advanced companies in Mauritius.

Can you give a brief outline of what it is that you do for work now?
At the moment I have a 50/50 split. 50% of my time is spent with social media. I basically work with companies in Mauritius that are outsourcing social media management. I support them with a social media strategy, content creation and visuals such as photography. It’s beautiful as that part of my job allows me to know Mauritius, the resorts and areas that I wouldn’t normally visit myself. The second part of what I do is China Media. This helps any companies that are interested in doing business with China – including Chinese digital media. I build WEChat for Mauritian companies. I provide the services of getting registered, as well as the writing of graphics.

How did you find the transition from working for a large company such as LUX* to now working for yourself? How did that happen?
It wasn’t easy. When you work in a big company and you have a specific role, everything is somewhat easier. You work and you perform your specific duties, and there’s always somebody else that decides or takes the lead. When you work for yourself, you are your own sales director, your own creative director, your own accountant, your own HR and finance... so it’s quite demanding to keep focussed. But I have never met anyone who has gone freelancing and then back to an office job, because you can really express yourself there the best you can.

What inspired your transition to freelance life?
I realised there were industries – not just in hospitality - in Mauritius, that are hungry for training and support in digital communication, and I thought this could be a great way of supporting the way I work in digital media communication. That’s why I looked at becoming an MQA approved trainer, which allows me to run courses. Then I designed my business plan to focus on my experience of the Chinese market. Obviously China is a big market that everyone wants a piece of and I have the background of living in China for seven years. So, I train on Chinese cultural awareness, for example how you can host your business partner for a successful business meeting. Usually through small things such as what you give them to drink or how to say hello or goodbye – it makes a difference. Companies are very interested in this.

How did you obtain your MQA Certification?
It was a very simple process. They need to screen your qualifications, your background and CV, and they request proof of employment. So I had to collect quite a big file. However, as an MQA approved trainer it doesn’t mean that everything I choose to deliver is approved. You still have to gain singular approval for each one of the courses you want to deliver. So that side of it isn’t so easy.

And can you tell us how you found the process of setting up a business in Mauritius?
It was challenging. To register a business as an expat living here, there are certain requirements that the Board of Investment have of you, in terms of investment, your business plan...etc. The registration process was actually lengthy and you have to follow it step-by-step and there are a lot of trips to Port Louis, but in the end when it’s done it’s very rewarding. I also did a lot of social media advertising to become known for what I do, and I also created a concept called ‘Coffee with Dolores’, where people can come and learn about social media in a very cosy environment.

Tell us more about ‘Coffee with Dolores’…
For me, it’s an opportunity to get to meet the community of social media lovers in Mauritius, to the point where if I need to work with someone specifically, I can do so. So, it’s becoming a network hub of people who are passionate about social media. And the format is very simple – it’s free and I try to change the location all the time. Now I get people that keep coming – it’s great! I did a session a couple of weeks ago at Cascavelle on video editing and quite a few people came. I’ve done three sessions so far. For me, this is about creating a community and not everything is about revenue; this is something that goes beyond that. I think as a freelancer, you need to choose when you do things for money and when you do something for investment.

We completely agree. As a very independent woman, can you give us an insight into what a typical day for Dolores looks like?
It all starts with a good home-cooked breakfast! I would never start working in my studio in my pyjamas so I get myself ready as if I was going to the office. It wakes me up and puts me in the right mindset. The morning really flies by between emails and my latest content creation reports. I tend to keep my appointments to the afternoon, so morning is content, afternoon is meetings. Late afternoon I have a good jog or gym session just to refresh and sweat it out. The day goes very fast.

We’ve seen on your Instagram Stories that you do stand up paddleboard! What else do you do for fun in Mauritius?
Well, at the moment I’m waiting for the winter to pass! It’s quite frustrating being here and not really able to swim properly – you can, but it’s not really the swimming weather you dream of, right? But I’m a water person. Get me in the water and I’m happy; stand-up paddle, snorkelling, swimming. And I like to go on little exploration trips in Mauritius and take pictures and videos. I love it.

Can you recommend any places that stand out for you especially?
Well, if you look at the South and around Le Morne in particular, the beaches are really nice there. Despite the resorts, the area has kept its unique nature. I also love Flic en Flac. In the North, I have a crush with Mon Choisy - it’s so beautiful there.

Are there any challenges that you face in Mauritius?
I think expat life tends to depend on the geographical location. The North tends to stick with the North and the West with the West etc. As a young woman who doesn’t have kids, you have to kind of find your tribe and that’s not always easy as a lot of expat living in Mauritius is family orientated. That’s perhaps a challenge, but if there is a will there is a way! People usually tend to find each other and you always find people that you are happy to spend time with. I’m not worried about it - I think the Maldives showed me how to live with yourself and how to be a social animal if you want to be. In Mauritius, you can be with yourself or with other people – it’s really up to you.

You mentioned that you drive a lot to meet clients. How have you taken to driving in Mauritius?
That’s a good question! I love driving, but you have to keep your third eye open just in case. You never know what people will do on the road. People actually cross the street on the highway! But what to do, you know? You have to be careful no matter what.

And finally, what does the future hold for you Dolores, and your business?
I wish I could know. I think you can plan and work towards something you want to develop and have a goal. And for me, my goal is to develop Travels and Retreats as a concept of travelling. Whether the destination is Mauritius, Puglia or China – I think the most important thing is to have a goal and work towards it everyday. Take small steps and make it happen. Sometimes you arrive there and don’t even realise. That’s what I want to do: arrive there and think “that’s it?! Let’s do more!”.

To find out more about Dolores, you can follow @prdolores and @travelsandretreats on Instagram. You can also contact her on dolores@travelsandretreats.com

By Sabah Ismail & Khalid Khadaroo