Cynthia Loy Darst, MFA, CPCC, ORSCC, MCC
I have always been fascinated by people – by the way our minds work, by the way our backgrounds and cultures influence us, by the way we each uniquely see the world. We human beings have so very much in common, and yet are all so unique.
This interest in people first drew me into professional acting and personal growth work in New York City in the 80’s and then into Co-Active Coaching as it began in the early 90’s. In the 1980’s, big hair and all, I became a career consultant for professional actors at Actor’s Information Project (AIP) helping them get focused and into action creating the work that they wanted in the entertainment industry. That was a pre-cursor of coaching today.
In 1992, I was in the second course that the brand new Coaches Training Institute (CTI) offered. I jumped in, took a huge leap of faith, started my business as Professional Co-Active Coach and by 1994 was one of the first Front-of-Room Leaders for CTI. Through Co-Active Coaching, we create the invitation for each client to discover their personal power and the impact that they want to create in the world.
Some people think of me as a Pioneer in the Coaching Profession – here’s why: In 1995 several of us (all of the coaches we could find at the time) came together in San Francisco. We wanted to make sure that this emerging profession had Ethics & Standards, and that we would be able to be ‘self governing.’ Because of that meeting, the International Coach Federation (ICF) came into being.
Fast forward to today….
I’m known internationally as a Co-Active Coach, a relationship worker, keynote speaker, author, provocateur (emcee), course leader, coach trainer, talent scout, leader developer & trainer, team and large group facilitator, business consultant, media guest, and workshop creator. I have been a Front of the Room Leader for CTI (The Coaches Training Institute) and CRR Global, since each of them began, and have played an active role in leader development for both schools. I love this eclectic mix of roles!
Whether I’m working with individuals, partnerships, leaders or teams, I’m always focused on awareness, growth, and development. I work with people from all walks of life: CEOs to chiropractors, singers to Silicon Valley pros, teams that produce documentaries to sales teams in the insurance industry. I love to explore their unique strengths and challenges and work with them to become ever more effective in their work and their world.
Training other people to use coaching skills and to relate to others from a ‘coaching stance’ is one of my passions. I’ve traveled the world – over 14 countries at last count – teaching people how to listen deeply, bring curiosity to their life and be ‘co-active’ in their approach. I do this work with managers, sales teams, IT professionals (in the Agile world), and human beings who want to coach others or simply be more successful themselves.
In 2004, after 10 years of growing coaches to the level of ‘competent,’ I started creating ongoing training for advanced coaches to support them in becoming coaching masters. The Inside Team courses, workshops, and retreats came out of that work. In 2017, The Inside Team book was released.
Whether you are interested in coaching for yourself or your team, having me speak to your organization, or want to learn about becoming a coach yourself, I welcome a conversation with you!