“I don’t raise my voice, I answer with my personality. After all, a leopard can’t change its spots: I don’t waste energy trying to change people’s minds, I prefer to run faster and let the results do the talking."
Such a strong, profound, and above all, self-aware statement coming from such a young girl is formidable (and no, we are not here to fight a men-versus-women war, we are here to give a voice). It makes you realise that perhaps things aren’t going as badly as we like to think; it makes you realise there are minds so sharp and deep that they make you say: BLOODY HELL, IT’S WORTH IT.
“Sexism in the bar industry has always been there. It still happens today that a customer sits at the bar and turns to my male colleague, assuming he’s the only one capable of making a proper drink. Sometimes I feel like I’m in that old joke: ‘Every morning in Africa, a lion and a gazelle wake up and know they’ll have to run.’ It doesn’t matter who you are, the important thing is that you run.”
AND WHAT IF IT’S JUST SELF-AWARENESS?
Nausica intrigued us. She is one of those rising faces, one of those faces you stop to look at and wonder who on earth she is. A polite but never forced smile that brings out that urge to sit at the bar and have her mix you a drink; that desire to leave your problems at the door and feel at home, because that’s the feeling she gives you. She makes you feel welcome (but we’re talking about that natural sense of hospitality, not the kind studied for Instagram Reels). Until today, we’ve limited ourselves to asking the older generations (no offence, but it’s the truth) what is actually driving young people. But now the time has come (and perhaps it’s already overdue) to ask this bloody truth to someone who is living right inside this world.
“The prejudice against my generation. The one about 'young people not wanting to make sacrifices' is the laziest cliché of our century. My generation isn’t afraid of hard work or sweat; we are simply fed up with exploitation disguised as 'paying your dues'. The rules of the game have changed because we are more aware that life cannot be entirely sacrificed on the altar of night work. We look for a work-life balance. I am a train heading towards my goals, yes—I’ve travelled on old tracks and new ones, and I don’t resent a thing because everything has served to get me where I am, and I will keep on going.”
THE FREEDOM TO LIVE
And just like Vianne Rocher in Chocolat (you can read the book, watch the film, do whatever you like as long as you take the core message home), Nausica seems guided by the wind. She seems not to have found the right place just yet, but not with the vibe of someone travelling without knowing where they're going; rather, with the vibe of someone travelling whilst building herself to reach her purpose. And like the protagonist of that masterpiece, she doesn’t use force; she uses hospitality, because the bar isn’t about barriers, it’s about empathy and good things.
“I grew up mostly outdoors. That’s why I define myself, and people call me, a 'gypsy soul'. Outside the bar, I look for calm. Anyone working in this industry spends hours immersed in the noise of music, customers chatting, colleagues, the shaker. In my free time, I need to reset my senses. I like travelling without a precise destination, walking in nature, and being with the people I love. I love wine and home cooking, where a few good, simple things are enough to make you happy. Yes, I’m a simple soul, I don’t need grand things to enjoy moments of peace. My biggest dream? To leave the city and move to a small seaside town. I have Sicily in my heart, who knows if one day I’ll build my own project there.”
PERHAPS IT’S NOT JUST SERVING DRINKS
Stepping onto the World Class stage isn’t just "serving drinks". It’s pressure; it’s an exam under the spotlight (especially if you are part of a team like the one at Nucleo). And, let’s be honest, that competition—like perhaps all competitions—demands a capacity for vision, character, and balance that competitors very often forget. Perhaps you don’t compete just to win; perhaps you compete to test yourself, perhaps for a thousand other reasons. And it’s beautiful to see someone do it with simplicity, with lightness, and at the same time, fear (because the fear we so often push away is the very fuel that drives us forward).
“Stepping onto the Diageo World Class stage requires thick skin. There, you’re not just serving drinks; you’re laying bare your identity, your nerves, and your ability to tell a story under pressure. In my future, I see vertical growth, but not tied to the ego of a 'wholly-owned bar'. I just want anyone who sits at my counter to feel at home, welcomed and understood, without barriers.”
INSIDE A HISTORY MUSEUM
And that this girl has serious guts goes without saying, because it takes real courage to work with and for four absolute monsters of the bar industry (and no offence, but you know full well yourselves that you’re "heavyweights"). Because working in that bar means truly working under the spotlight; working in an environment where everyone from the outside watches every single detail, where every minor slip-up creates a buzz. So, it’s Nausica who tells us about those four characters—she who lives with them every day—and we believe it’s only right that she does. And no, we didn’t ask them for their opinion, because this is her moment and, above all, the fact they chose her already speaks volumes about what they think of her.
“It’s a mix of pure adrenaline and massive responsibility. Working on the Nucleo project in Rome alongside four titans of that calibre puts you face-to-face with various facets: strength, growth, jealousy, fears. Being their star player means they believe in me, and that is the most powerful engine in the world. If I had to give a cheeky but honest x-ray of the pros and cons of each of them, I’d say:
Livio Morena: Pro: He’s a born rockstar—direct, a smooth talker who can entertain anyone (even though he swears he’s shy). Con: He has a clinical eye down to the millimetre; if a detail is out of place, he notices it before he’s even crossed the threshold of the venue.
Davide Diaferia: Pro: He’s a gentle giant and the real brainbox behind the drinks, so much so that for a laugh we always nickname him after the legendary bartenders who made history. Con: You need to know how to handle and dose him, because when he gets going with his historical technicalities, you need a compass.
Andrea Fofi: Pro: He’s a volcano, always rushing around with a thousand projects in his head, but if you need him, he’s always there and never denies anyone a helping hand. Con: He runs so fast... that the pressure he brings with him? Let’s just say he raises everyone's blood pressure a bit!
Daniele Gentili: Pro: He’s a professional with incredible experience and a top-tier vision of the bar world. Con:Not working with him on a day-to-day basis, I wouldn't know what to make up... let’s just say for now he’s "must try harder".”
People who are “gypsies at heart” have their own unique way of living in this world. They have that non-verbal language that speaks for them, they have that chemistry that attracts, and above all, that calmness of someone who knows exactly where they want to go.
