We were lucky to catch up with Sami Toussi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sami, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents taught me about resilience. There’s no doubt 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 — 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.
Watching him taught me that success isn’t about avoiding failure — it’s about staying in the game. That mindset has carried me through every pivot, every new idea.

Then, there’s my mom. She came to the U.S. barely speaking English and built a 25+ year career in sales simply 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 quiet, deeply human kind — 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.

It’s also 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 session, or a community call, my work is about helping people find their voice, get clear on what matters, and move forward with confidence just like my parents did.

Sami, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I help people change how they see their work, their potential, and what is possible for them. I am a published author, international speaker, and founder of Strategist Studio, a space where consulting meets creativity to help founders and professionals grow with clarity and confidence. We are an integrated business and brand growth studio that helps leaders build stronger companies, standout brands, and effective execution plans, all under one roof with a dedicated team. Strategist Studio is the newest expansion of Toussi International, the coaching and consulting practice I spent nearly a decade building to help people create meaningful careers and businesses.

Over the years, I have learned that strategy alone is not enough. People move forward when they feel supported, understood, and confident in their direction. That belief became the foundation for Strategist Studio, where personal growth and business growth evolve together and where clarity is always paired with action.

Our competitive edge is simple. We bridge the gap between strategy and execution. Most firms do one or the other. We do both. Our team helps clients lead effectively, build brands that stand out, and bring their ideas to life with a clear roadmap and the right execution partners in place. We also deliver workshops on work-life balance, communication, mindset, and leadership for organizations such as Meta, UCLA, and Penn, using tools like the Enneagram, StrengthsFinder, and Wheel of Life to help teams collaborate and lead more effectively.

Strategist Studio is one expression of my larger mission: to help people step into their potential at every stage of their professional journey. For early-stage founders, I lead E-School (Entrepreneur School), a 15-week accelerator for individuals who feel called to build something of their own but need clarity, confidence, and direction. And for professionals who need support in real time, I am developing Active Listener, a voice-first platform that helps people share challenges and feel supported through coaching, community, and AI-driven guidance.

Across everything I build, the mission is the same. I help people and businesses find their voice, define their competitive edge, and grow with clarity and confidence. Strategist Studio was created for that in-between moment when you know you are meant for more and just need the right structure, support, and momentum to make it real. That is the work I care about. Clear direction, strong execution, and growth that actually lasts.

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

What helped build my reputation in the market was a mix of consistency, visibility, and social proof. When I started my business in 2017, I said yes to as many speaking engagements and workshops as I could. Sometimes there were packed rooms, and other times there were three attendees, or even one. But I always delivered the same level of energy and value, no matter the size of the audience.

After every session, I made it a habit to personally ask for a review. Reviews are surprisingly difficult to collect, even when people love your work, but they matter. If you make it easy, remind people, and sometimes incentivize the process, most are willing to spend the extra three to five minutes to write something meaningful. Over time, this helped me build a strong base of testimonials and Google reviews that created real credibility long before I had a big platform.

Supportive long-term client relationships and the recognition that came from speaking at well-respected organizations also helped shape my brand. Publishing The Success Coach, which aligned with my E-School framework, expanded that credibility even further by giving people a tangible way to learn from my work.

In the end, people trusted the work because they saw real results and heard about it from others, not just from me. Showing up, even when the room was small, and being intentional about social proof were the biggest drivers in building my reputation early on, and they continue to matter today.

Any advice for managing a team?

My biggest advice for managing a team and maintaining high morale is simple: communicate, stay consistent, and lead with humanity. Communication is the anchor. Schedule weekly stand-ups and one-on-one check-ins, and do not cancel them when you are busy. Those touchpoints create safety, clarity, and alignment. Consistency from the leader builds trust inside the team.

High morale starts with remembering that people are people first and employees second. Managers who check in on the human, not just the output, build teams that are more loyal, engaged, and motivated. Know what drives each person, what their strengths are, and what support they need in order to do their best work. Learn their family members’ names, celebrate their wins, and acknowledge their effort as much as their results.

Two books that influenced my philosophy are How to Win Friends and Influence People and Good to Great. One teaches the art of people skills and affirmation, and the other reinforces how critical it is to invest in the right people, the ones who align on character, collaboration, and long-term growth rather than credentials alone. You can hire the smartest person in the room, but if they lack humility, alignment, or a team-first mindset, it will ultimately harm the culture.

At the end of the day, teams thrive when they feel seen, supported, and communicated with. If you lead with clarity, consistency, and care, morale will follow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.samitoussi.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samitoussi/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samitoussicoaching
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samitoussi/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@samitoussi
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sami-toussi-coaching-los-angeles-2
• Other: https://share.google/QFBppl6wLqSa0X88c

Image Credits

Kori Kurtz
Lauren Vahdani
Daphne Yuandis