Coming Home to My Name: Becoming Lisa Caughman Again

Stepping Into Authenticity After Retirement

There are moments in life when a change isn’t loud or dramatic—but it is decisive.
This is one of those moments for me.

As I step into this next chapter, I am choosing to move forward simply as Lisa Caughman.

You’re also very welcome to call me Caughman.
Many already do—and it feels just right. 🙂

Letting go of the name Payne is not about erasing the past. It is about honoring my present—and aligning my outer identity with who I am now. Names carry energy. They tell stories. And for me, this change reflects a deep return to self.

Retirement as a Threshold, Not an Ending

After retiring from my role with Buncombe County Schools, I found myself standing at a threshold—not an ending, but an opening. For years, my work centered on service, leadership, nourishment, and care for others. I loved that chapter, and I am grateful for it.

But retirement gave me something unexpected: space.

Space to listen more closely.
Space to ask different questions.
Space to choose authenticity over obligation.

What emerged was clarity.

Returning to What Has Always Been True

“Caughman” is not a new name. It is my maiden name. My original name. The name I carried before adapting myself to fit roles, relationships, and expectations.

Returning to it feels like coming home—not backward, but inward.

This choice reflects the work I now do in the world:

• supporting healing through play

• guiding others toward flourishing

• creating spaces for joy, reflection, and transformation

• living in alignment with values rather than titles

My nonprofit work, my writing, my speaking, and my creative projects all stem from this same place: living authentically, on purpose.

Living Authentically, Out Loud and At Ease

This season of life feels lighter. More spacious. Less performative.
I am no longer introducing myself through what I used to do—but through who I am becoming.

Lisa Caughman is not a reinvention.
She is a remembering.

If you’ve known me by another name, know that everything we’ve shared still matters. And if you are meeting me here for the first time, welcome—I’m glad you’re here.

This is a season of truth, joy, and intentional living.
And I am stepping into it—fully.

With heart and gratitude,
Lisa Caughman
(or simply, Caughman 😊)