We are not our careers.

At least, I’ve learned that – finally – after a couple of decades of being a veritable workaholic and not ever really being able to separate myself from the work I do as a marketer-turned-sales professional.

Many of you have been along for the ride here for several years as I’ve explored the worlds of social media and digital marketing and a bunch of the things related to those topics. I’ve loved being a part of your professional lives and helping you navigate the changing world of communication on the web.

But I think I’ve said what I need to say on those topics. Here, at least.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t more to be said; heaven knows you have people like Jay and Gini and Ann and Mitch and Chris and Mark. They’re amazing professionals who know more about this space than anyone at all, and they’ll take really good care of you.

And it’s not to say I’ll never ever write about marketing again; that’s my day job at Hootsuite, and I’ve got channels like LinkedIn and Medium too where I’m liable to stray into that territory once in a while.

But here at ambernaslund.com is my “home base”. The place where, if someone were to ask me who I was and what I was about, I’d point them first. The trouble is that it’s not “me” anymore. Or at least, not all of me.

I was incredibly fortunate to do things like publish a book and learn and collaborate with some of the most successful professionals and influencers in this sector. But we all outgrow things, and I guess this is me outgrowing that part of my story in some ways.

I love my job. Seriously, I have the coolest job on the planet. At Hootsuite, I get to build and grow and lead a team who works with our customers and prospective customers to help them navigate their digital transformation journeys. I have a front row seat to what’s actually happening out there, with real companies. I get to stay on top of industry trends by attending conferences and continuing to speak on Hootsuite’s behalf, I get to read and share the thinking of leaders in our industry including my peers and colleagues, and I get to practice what I’ve been preaching all these years by actually doing the work with those customers and their real world  business problems, in the trenches, every day.

That means there will still be plenty of that part of me out there to read and be part of, if you’re so inclined. And it means that I have that much more energy to commit to my clients and customers rather than trying to keep breathing life into marketing writing here that just doesn’t carry the same spark for me anymore.

It also means I have the opportunity now to use ambernaslund.com and my “platform” as the kids call it to explore some of the other things I know about, or want to learn about, outside of just Amber the Marketer. I’m a pretty complex person (like we all are) and I have things I’m passionate about, topics I want to explore, writing I’d like to do on things other than what I do for a living.

I haven’t figured out all the details of what’s next yet…I have bits and pieces but not the full picture. I’m going to take some time to do that over the next few months. I know it’s in there, I can feel the glimmers of it. I just need to give it some breathing room so the rest of it can show itself to me.

Sure, it’s a bit scary for me to stop doing something that has brought me so much success over the years. It feels…foolish, somehow (and trust me, I’ll get the backchannel messages from people who think that’s exactly what it is). But frankly, continuing to do it for me feels a lot to me like clinging to the glory of your high school years long after they’ve passed. Being a “social media rockstar” was a fun experience for me, but that’s not my role anymore, and there are plenty of other people who can carry and are carrying that mantle. Now, I’m ready for some new adventures.

Starting over can also be really daunting. I’m staring at that proverbial blank page and I haven’t a clue how the story begins. But I feel like there is a story there, more things I want to do and write about, more ways I want to make a difference and more ideas I want to share. I’m hopeful that will mean some fresh dialogue here, maybe some more books in my future on different topics, talks on the same, and the adventure of building something new.

To all of you who have supported me, encouraged me, read my writing and followed my work all these years, thank you. I’ll still be around in the capacity of my professional work, and you’ll see me in all the places you’re used to seeing me online. It’s just the writing and focus here on ambernaslund.com that’s going to change.

If you choose to stay tuned, I’ll be happy to keep you up to date on things as they take shape. I’ll certainly write about them here. And if you’d like to shake hands and part ways because marketing advice is what you’re here for, that’s totally great, too. Go follow the blogs I linked to above if you don’t already. I promise you’ll have more than enough great guidance to keep you going.

Thank you again for every conversation we’ve had here. I hope that while this is the end of some of those conversations, it’s the start of many more. Here’s to new adventures, multi-dimensional humans, and breathing new life into old keyboards.

Until the next time, be good humans.