Our story is proof that one person’s misery can quietly help fuel purpose, joy and fulfillment. And that, no matter how badly life pounds us, we can rise from the depths and soar, lifting others along with them As a global certifying body in the field of coaching, ICF has helped more people understand coaching better and helped coaches hone their craft. After a long and successful career in the corporate world, our co-founder Srikanthan Kumarasamy (Sri) found his calling in coaching. But, his path to finding success as a coach was littered with thorns, boulders and whatnot. Whatever could go wrong went wrong. He got cheated out of his money by ‘business consultants’ and ‘coaches’ who promised the stars. In the absence of a proper guide or credible information about coaching, he wasted a lot of time, money and energy. He made mistake after mistake.
But he persisted.

And, with the help of a few good souls, he eventually got what he wanted: the MCC credential from ICF and a holistic, nuanced understanding of the craft of coaching. Also, he acquired experiential knowledge of the portfolio path to the ICF credentials.
Since he had had to jump through hoops and move mountains, he was keen that others should not suffer the same fate. With his son and co-founder Lakshan, he made it his mission to make things better and easier for other coaches. That’s how Guiding Light was born, on September 3, 2020 (Lakshan’s birthday!).
Then on, Sri, Lakshan and the rest of our skilled and committed team have nurtured Coaches Circle, a vibrant community of more than 300 coaches, and created powerful programs to help coaches build thriving practices. They have always been available as sounding boards, mentors and advisors to coaches seasoned and new.
The stone they threw into the water in 2020 continues to create benign ripples. It will keep doing so for years to come.
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