So I was watching Oprah’s after show on YouTube, wondering how she maintains her drive to help people live their best lives when I realized inspiring people beget inspiring people. She remains inspired by surrounding herself with amazing individuals who are up to something in life. It’s not their title that makes them important, but the will with which they live.

That’s what this blog is all about, too.

I had the distinct privilege of connecting with Simi S Nwogugu, CEO of HOD Consulting, recently. She used to work in a fast-paced job as senior director of strategy & business development at MTV Networks. She left her job after having two baby boys back to back. It was time for a change, one she realized she badly needed. Twelve-hour days at the office suddenly paled in comparison to staying home with her two young sons.

“Work-life balance will stop being a struggle once you become clear about the steps you need to take to lead the life you want to live.”

“I hired a coach to help me through my identity crisis (I’d always defined myself by the work I was doing) and fell in love with coaching. At that point, I decided to get a certificate in coaching at NYU. Thereafter, I started a coaching organization to help other executive women deal with work-life balance.”

Through her experience, she realized she prefered the more flexible lifestyle. Raising a family while applying her mind is easier when it’s on your own terms.

“I work from home on Mondays, take meetings only during 10am and 4pm on Tues-Thurs when my boys are in school and try not to do any work on Fridays so I can run household errands and plan activities for the weekend with the family.”

She admits she works more hours than before. However, because she loves what she does and can do it from anywhere (including while at Disneyworld in Florida or from the Nigerian beach in Lagos), it feels a lot less like work.

The challenge is she is only paid when she works, a a trade-off she agrees was worth it.

“Once you are able to connect with who you are,” she told me, “and why you feel you are in this world at this time and what has real meaning for you, attaining work-life balance will stop being a struggle because you will suddenly become clear about the steps you need to take to lead the life you want to live.”

Amen to that, Simi!