We recently connected with Sivakumar Kumaresan and have shared our conversation below.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

About Me My name is Sivakumar Kumaresan, and I come from a mixed-race family—my mother is Chinese Malaysian, and my father is Sri Lankan Malaysian. I grew up in Sabah, North Borneo, a Malaysian state with a rich indigenous heritage.

Being part of a multicultural family gave me a deep appreciation for human differences, but it also brought moments of frustration and conflict. These experiences sparked my curiosity about how people think and feel, ultimately shaping my journey into the fields of personal and professional development.

I began my exploration in 1996 with a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner course, later earning my NLP Trainer certification in 2017. Over the years, I have also become an ICF ACC Coach and trained as a Clinical Hypnotherapist, continuously expanding my skills to better understand and support others. With a background in engineering and cognitive science, I bring a structured yet adaptive approach to transformation—balancing deep inner work with practical, real-world action.

Training & Coaching Work
I have been giving talks and running trainings for over 20 years, and for the past seven years, I have focused on certifying NLP Practitioners, corporate training, and coaching.

For individuals, my work centers on helping them lead their own lives by mastering how they think and feel—transformations that ripple into both their personal and professional worlds. Many of my clients have shared that they experience greater happiness, particularly in their relationships, and a stronger sense of purpose in their lives. They also achieve significant professional and financial goals. Most of my clients are women in their mid-30s to 50s who are reevaluating their life directions and seeking new paths forward.

What I’m most proud of is seeing those I’ve worked with become not only more joyful but also more creative in their approach to life. There is a deep spiritual resonance in this work for me—I truly believe human life is valuable, and we should live it as fully as possible. True transformation is not about quick fixes; it’s about gradual, intentional shifts that create lasting change. Over the years, I’ve learned to trust the process—helping clients do the same by fostering patience, resilience, and a deeper connection to their own growth.

Corporate Work & Leadership Development
For my corporate clients, I collaborate closely with leaders to clarify their intentions and goals before designing trainings that align with their needs. While I have facilitated programs for employees at various levels, my core focus remains the same: helping people understand themselves better, communicate more effectively, and collaborate to create innovative solutions. I integrate NLP and coaching techniques to strengthen self-identity and capabilities in an organic, lasting way.

Beyond skills training, I help leaders and teams recognize the deeper patterns shaping their behaviors, communication, and decision-making. By understanding these dynamics, they can make more intentional choices that lead to long-term transformation, rather than just short-term improvements. Many of my clients continue working with me because they recognize that true change takes time—real transformation happens slowly, but building a strong foundation ultimately allows them to move faster.

In an era of rapid change, I also help leaders cultivate adaptive thinking—developing the mental flexibility to navigate uncertainty, anticipate challenges, and create resilient strategies. Through Scenario Thinking and leadership coaching, I guide teams in preparing for multiple futures rather than just reacting to immediate pressures.

One of my most rewarding experiences was working alongside a Culture Transformation trainer to support a company over the course of a year. Together, we helped them refine their mission and values, foster greater collaboration among management teams, and elevate overall happiness across the organisation. Moments like these bring me immense joy because they align with my deeper purpose—helping people and organisations create a better world.

Individual & Group Coaching
Lastly, I offer both individual and group coaching, integrating NLP, coaching, and hypnotherapy. I facilitate change by being fully present with my clients—helping them clarify where they are, what they seek, and deepening their self-reflection. Regardless of the approach I use, my core principle remains the same: to support my clients in living meaningful lives aligned with their chosen directions.

Life is messy, and part of my work is helping clients build emotional resilience while gaining a broader perspective on their lives. I’ve seen firsthand how leaders who invest in their personal growth undergo profound transformations, which then ripple into their organizations—often in ways beyond just the workplace.

For clients focused on personal development, I frequently help them enter high-performance flow states more consistently by clarifying their values, understanding the integration of mind and body, and refining their learning strategies. Beyond individual change, I also help clients recognize the systemic patterns influencing their behaviors, enabling them to navigate challenges with greater clarity.

This is perhaps the most challenging aspect of my work, but also the most fulfilling—because as my clients grow, I continue to learn and evolve alongside them

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My very first client was a friend who wanted to learn NLP. She brought along two other leaders from her Network Marketing team, and even though my training style was still unpolished at the time, they found the lessons deeply impactful. Their trust in me led to a preview talk on the NLP Practitioner course, which in turn sparked my first large class. Since then, I have trained over 200 people from their organization, and the leader used these new skills to grow the network to over 40,000 people.

Looking back, I realize that my focus on truly understanding and fulfilling my clients’ needs—while also building genuine relationships—played a huge role in my journey. Over time, I became known in my region as an NLP Trainer and a trusted coach. It took nearly a decade to build this reputation, anchored in integrity, warmth, and a strong focus on results.

Interestingly, it was my personal clients who first introduced me to corporate clients, trusting me enough to recommend me to the leaders they knew. Now, that trust flows both ways—many of my corporate clients, in turn, refer individuals to me for personal coaching. This organic, relationship-driven growth continues to shape my work today.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I have a mixed answer to this question. While most of my business comes from past clients who either return for repeat engagements or refer me to new clients, I also consciously seek out networking opportunities and build connections intentionally in business contexts.

One path that has been particularly valuable to me is BNI, an excellent networking organization that I highly recommend. In my local context, my natural curiosity about people and the networks they are part of has served me well. I enjoy connecting people and creating opportunities, even when there is no direct benefit to me. Many times, this has led to unexpected connections, where acquaintances have intentionally introduced me to new opportunities as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mindsightnlp.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsiva_nlp/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NLPSabah
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sivakumar-kumaresan/