Neil Sedaka had it right. Breaking up IS hard to do. And so it is with a mix of sadness (and anticipation) I’m announcing my break-up with DoAhead Woman.

I’m unashamedly using this platform to tell you my list of reasons for the break-up. (I’m hoping to “get to you first” so you’ll take sides with me.)

1. There are times in life when you realize you no longer have as much in common with someone. There are plenty of things that DoAhead Woman and I will always share but for nine months (or more) I’ve been feeling the tug to move on. What I have in common with DoAhead Woman has become dwarfed by a broader horizon.

2. Miss DoAhead has been a blessing to me. She’s taught me a ton. Even more, she’s introduced me to many people (indisputably the thing I’m most grateful for) but I am being led in another direction. I’m certain I’ll take every pearl she’s ever taught me about organizing, looking to the future, and growing in faith but honestly, the relationship has become claustrophobic.

3. I’m genuinely fond of her (I cried when I changed her Instagram page to @cindy_krall) but she’s run her course. I would be doing our relationship a disservice if I continued it half-heartedly. It’s better to show her the respect she deserves and end it in a dignified manner.

*********************************************

Whew. I did it. I made it public.

The above was a bit tongue-in-cheek but I was dead serious when I said I cried. It has been a gift to write and speak as DoAhead Woman. It sounds cheesy but I’m truly grateful for her.

I’m not done writing.

As long as I keep receiving invitations I’ll keep speaking.

But it’s time to do it as me.

Which brings up the next level of cray, cray in this whole introspective process.

Who the heck is me?

Most writers and speakers have a tagline. The thing that defines them.  As I pondered the question about who I was I kept circling back to—

HOME.

It’s ironic that I used to be embarrassed about my home…my roots. I’ll never forget one of the first challenging conference’s I went to. Attendees were split off into small groups. The writing task was hard. Seasoned veterans were struggling. All I could think was:

What the hay am I doing here? I’m just a hick from South Dakota!

My friend Edy picked up on my insecurity. And then she did something gutsy. She called me on it.

To my face.

In public.

Ouch.

I never forgot it.

And I couldn’t be more grateful.

Every conference since then I knew I had a choice.

I could embrace who I was…

Where I was from…

What I was about…

OR

I could run from it.

If you take a peek at the new Cindy Krall logo you can see what I decided. 🙂

My awesome designer Ann Holstein. (yes like a cow) made it. She came up with the idea of having my heart hover over my home-town. (I adore her work almost as much as I adore her.)

“Finding Home” is my new tagline. I’m grateful for my South Dakota roots but faith convinces me I’m not home yet.

I suppose my business cards could still read “speaker” or “writer” but I think the best description for someone who cares about home as much as I do would be “sojourner”—

A traveler who’s not home yet.

There you have it. I and DoAhead Woman are breaking up. You’ll still see signs of her, especially here on the blog.  Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook have new handles (and a new look). However, the new website is still in the making (the launch will be January 2018.) I’ll be posting here in the meantime (DoAhead Woman has graciously allowed me to use her space.)

I hope you’ll stick around…this journey simply wouldn’t be the same without you.