For years, people did not call Marji Guyler-Alaniz by her name. 

They called her “FarmHer.” 

She built the nationally recognized brand from the ground up, traveling across the country telling the stories of women in agriculture and reshaping who the industry saw as the face of farming. FarmHer was not just a business. It was part of her identity. 

Then she walked away from it. 

Years later, Marji, now Chief Operating Officer at AgriSompo, opened up about the struggle of navigating self-identity when your career changes.  

Your career is part of you but it is not all of you 

Marji described selling FarmHer as “sending my baby off to college.” After pouring years of passion, energy and purpose into building the brand, stepping away created a major identity shift. 

“People would say, ‘You’re FarmHer.’ And I’m like, yes… and I’m Marji,” she shared. 

That tension is real for a lot of leaders. Especially in agriculture. 

We care deeply about our work. We tie purpose to what we build. We spend years becoming known for a role, a title or a business. So when our titles change, it can feel personal. 

But Marji’s story is a reminder that growth often requires letting go of the version of yourself that no longer fits. 

The hardest transitions are often the most important ones 

Marji’s career path has been anything but traditional. Corporate agriculture. Entrepreneurship. Television. Executive leadership. 

Her word for it? “Jagged.”  

There was no perfectly mapped-out plan. Instead, there were uncomfortable decisions, risks and moments where she had to trust herself before she felt fully ready. 

“You’re never going to know enough and you’re never going to be quite ready,” Marji said. “But you can figure it out.”  

That mindset shift matters. 

So who are you without the title? Maybe that is the real question. Not “What do you do?” but “Who are you becoming?”  

Because identity is not supposed to stay fixed forever. Leadership changes you. Experience changes you. And sometimes the next version of yourself only shows up after you are willing to leave something comfortable behind. 

Catch the Full Conversation 

Marji’s story is an honest look at career pivots, leadership growth and the identity shifts that come with evolving professionally and personally. From building FarmHer into a nationally recognized brand to stepping back into corporate agriculture as COO of AgriSompo North America, her journey is full of practical wisdom for anyone navigating change. 

Listen to the full episode of the Cultivating Leaders podcast to hear more of Marji’s insights on confidence, reinvention, networking and why the best career paths are rarely straight lines.