Delighted to have Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz back with us today, sharing what his life is like "away from the office".  Listen and read over his interview here.   James:                           But right now, join me as we chat with Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz and discover what his life is like when the weekend comes. Benjamin, great to have you back on the show. Welcome.   Benjamin:                    Thank you. Thank you. Nice to be with you again.   James:                          It’s so good to have you with us. Benjamin, give us the 411. Talk to us about you and the work that you do.   Benjamin:                    Well, I studied architecture. So but what I do now is interior design. My office started in 1992. I used to work for John Salvino first and then I went on my own. Since 1992, I’ve been doing residential, hotel, and sometimes contract work. But really my passion is residential work. Our office is located in New York City, actually, I’m looking right now at the Calatrava Building that is spectacular right in front of me on a beautiful sunny day and we work all over the world, wherever the clients take us.   James:                          Wow. So you’re traveling a lot then?   Benjamin:                    Well, as it turned out this year, it’s the first year in many that I’m not traveling as much. It’s kind of a unique situation. For the last two years, I just got kind of burned out because I was doing projects in – I was doing a project in Australia and I was doing a project in Spain at the same time there’s New York. So I ended up working 24 hours a day. So the last hotel project that we did, I decided I think I’m just gonna stop this and start to get back into residential in New York which has been fantastic. Back into business, calming, I meet up with my clients; I’ve been in New York. It’s so much better. I mean I still have to travel for a few things but not as much.   James:                          And not as intensely as when you were working –   Benjamin:                    No, not as intensely. Yeah.   James:                          Well, it’s all about finding that balance, isn’t it?   Benjamin:                    It is. It is. And I think that I always said that I work for a living, I don’t live for work.   James:                          That’s a healthy way to look at it. Yeah.   Benjamin:                    Absolutely. I mean I try to transfer that to my staff. I don’t like people staying late to work. I like people to leave. We work from 9:30 to 5:30 so I want them to leave and experience life because then they can bring all that experience to us, to the office.   James:                          Yeah, because you end up benefitting if they’ve enriched their lives by culture, travel, all of those great things that make up a beautiful life.   Benjamin:                    Absolutely. Absolutely.   James:                          When you think about your staff, Benjamin, how do you think they view you?   Benjamin:                    I think energetic.   James:                          Energetic?   Benjamin:                    Energetic. I’m in the office designing and then my wonderful staff produces a work and we co-design it and then they produce a work. And one of the things that I always hear is like, “Well, don’t you have to go now?” So, that I’m not in the way because they actually produce more when I’m not in the office.   James:                          Oh, interesting.   Benjamin:                    Because the thing is when you’re in the office and you’re looking at the production, you start looking then you start to improve on the design. That’s the way I use is improve in the design. So something that could have been done quickly and produced, because of me being on top of it, I might delay it. So I think energetic would be the word.