How My Coaching Journey Led Me to Becoming CEO of IIRIS Knowledge

?About a year ago, after my usual bout of procrastination or should I say elongated #SWOT analysis, I ventured down the rabbit hole of coaching. This period of procrastination/elongated SWOT was catalysed by a friend who pronounced that, "You will do well as a coach."

So, I invested my money and time with Navgati for the coaching training sessions. Lo and behold, my journey commenced. Was the journey smooth? No. Was it painful? Yes, it was, on multiple levels. It was sweet pain. Was it due to the dash and verve of the instructors, Sunitha and Piyush, or was it the company of a rather enthusiastic cohort fellow coaches? Or was I mentally ready for the change? Perhaps it was a combination of all factors. Whatever it was, the training was impactful, touching some chord in me (thankfully). Somehow, I was confident that I would excel as a coach in the near future. And the journey so far has been transformative. Bringing about humongous **changes in me that I thought were akin to a Mission Impossible IX process. Soon, I became a convert to the idea of coaching, and my evolution had commenced. Another facet of life had opened up.

People who have interacted with me would know that I have this unique/annoying feature in my DNA that catapults me from a convert to an evangelist in a short time. People have called me easily impressionable, but yes, I am an evangelist, and I enjoy it. For me, being an evangelist necessitates speaking about the subject I wish to promote. So, coaching became my topic, and many who have spoken with me over the last year have been subjected to my metaphors on how coaching could help them evolve. But only if they wanted to, was the most important factor. I received a range of reactions from people after hearing me speak about coaching, from "I would like to get coached" to "OMG, do you think I need coaching?" ?“Why did you notice something in me that would require me to get coached?” These, responses were a fair representation of people's thought processes, on how they perceived coaching.

One of these people was Garry with whom I used to interact regularly. Over time it became evident to him that I was consumed with the fire of coaching. After one of our many discussions, he decided to pull a huge rabbit out of the hat. He asked me if I would like to join IIRIS Consulting and set up a coaching vertical. The offer was like a bolt from the blue. Obviously I did not expect it & I did not know how to react. Then it was back to the SWOT analysis of the opportunity.

This time the SWOT analysis was quicker Soon after some quick discussions, I agreed. The role then became bigger and more defined. It soon transmogrified into that of an independent CEO with a different brand name. Thus, the brand IIRIS Knowledge came into being. It was also decided that the new organisation has to have a separate logo too. IIRIS Knowledge gained substance with offerings of curated training customised for clients, along with conducting conferences and seminars. Most importantly, the offering of integrated coaching becoming a prominent feature.

All these things happened with breathtaking speed. It has been a wonderful expedition, and I look forward to more excitement. It’s D-Day for IIRIS Knowledge. To think that this 3rd phase of my life happened because of my coaching journey. I am super happy.

ps - I have to thank all those who gave me a patient hearing & encouraged me to strike out in this coaching journey of mine. Heartfelt thanks. There are a legion of my supporters so not listing them out here.

** Changes—well, that is a story for another day.