We recently connected with Sami Toussi and have shared our conversation below.
Where do you get your resilience from?
There’s no doubt that it comes from my family. I’m a first-generation Iranian-American. My parents came to the U.S. before the revolution, expecting to return. But once the revolution happened, everything changed, and they had to rebuild from scratch in a place that didn’t always understand them.
I watched my dad navigate the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. Some businesses failed, some succeeded but no matter what he kept going. He saw every struggle as a way to make him stronger.
Then, there’s my mom. She came to the US barely speaking English and built a 25+ year career in sales by connecting with everyone. As a kid, it embarrassed me. Now, I see it for what it is: a gift. Her ability to make people feel seen shaped the way I lead, coach, and build.
That kind of resilience, the one that’s quiet and deeply human is the thread running through all my work.
It’s what led me to create Active Listener, a voice-first space where burned out professionals can anonymously share what they’re working through and receive support from an AI career coach, peers, and professional coaches. The mission is to provide a safe space where people can feel heard and supported. And it’s why I launched E-School, a go-to-market accelerator for aspiring female entrepreneurs who feel overwhelmed, but know they’re meant for more.
Whether it’s through a voice note, a strategy coaching session, or a community call — my work is about helping people find their voice, get clear on what matters, and move forward with confidence.
What do you do? What do you feel is most exciting about your brand and business?
I work with people at pivotal moments, helping them gain clarity, build strategy, and take bold action toward the business or career they want.
What excites me most is creating spaces that feel like a big exhale. Whether someone’s quietly spiraling in a voice note on Active Listener, or finally bringing their dream business to life in E-School, my job is to meet them where they are, no pretending, no pressure.
Some come to me at a breaking point whether they are holding it together in meetings but falling apart between them. Others are buzzing with ideas, but so tangled up in doubt that they can’t see what to do first.
My work blends clarity with compassion. We get strategic, yes… but we also get real. We name the fear. We untangle the noise. We take one doable, brave and strategic step at a time.
And that moment, when someone goes from “Can I really do this?” to “Oh wow, I actually am,” that’s everything. It’s a reminder on why I do what I do!
Whether it’s a voice note, a group call, or a 1:1 breakthrough, the work I do is about helping people come home to themselves, then go build something they’re proud of.
What three qualities or skills shaped your journey, and what advice would you give to someone just starting out?
Three qualities include:
Scrappy courage.
My first workshop was in Dubai, at my favorite yoga studio. I had just wrapped up my role managing marketing and partnerships for Shell Oil via KG, and I took everything I’d learned and pitched the studio without knowing what I’d even talk about. They said yes.
One person showed up, my best friend Nivsi.
But they also sent the invite to 10,000 people and from that, my very first coaching client found me. She paid me, all cash, at the Mall of Emirates, right next to the movie theater. She was a speech pathologist who wanted to leave her job and build something of her own. That was May 2017, and I’ll never forget it.
Clarity.
When I did my first coaching certification in 2015, I had that deep, full-body knowing: this is what I’m meant to do. I saw the bigger picture. I knew I’d turn it into a business. And I’ve been building that vision ever since.
Empathy.
Both of my parents are in sales, and my family is full of people-people. I inherited that, I love people, full stop. Yes, I need my alone time but getting to connect with someone, to be vulnerable energizes me. It’s what makes me a strong coach. I care deeply. I listen hard. And I’m borderline obsessed with helping my clients understand exactly who they’re talking to and how to reach them.
The flip side? Sometimes I forget to take care of myself. But even that has taught me how to hold space without losing myself in the process.
If you’re just starting out?
Be brave before you feel ready.
Talk to real people. Not just your journal. Creating is better than consuming and done is better than perfect.
And stop tweaking your logo — your first client is probably not even looking at your website.
Who is your ideal client, and what sort of characteristics would make someone your most ideal client?
They’re the one everyone goes to for advice — but secretly, they’re tired.
Smart, driven, generous, and a little overwhelmed by how loud their own brain is.
They’re a high-achiever who’s done everything “right” on paper including, the job, the degrees but now they’re wondering, what if I want something different? Something that feels more like theirs.
They don’t need fixing. They need space.
Space to breathe. Space to untangle. Space to get clear on what they actually want — and the tools and support to build it.
My ideal clients are emotionally intelligent, secretly ambitious, and are willing to do the work, even when that work feels uncomfortable. They don’t mind a little homework. They just want to feel like they’re not doing it all alone.
If you’ve ever voice-noted your best friend at 2am talking through your purpose, your career, or whether you should burn it all down and start a flower truck… we’ll probably get along.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://samitoussi.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/samitoussi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samitoussicoaching
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samitoussi/
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