local storiesDecember 16, 2024

Exploring Life & Business with Sami Toussi of Toussi International

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sami Toussi

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
From watching my dad build businesses with fearless ingenuity to discovering my own purpose through coaching, my journey has always been about creating systems for success and uncovering unique value.

Growing up, my dad—a self-made entrepreneur who immigrated to the U.S. from Iran—taught me the art of seizing opportunities. He started out selling pizzas to military bases in San Diego and later moved into importing cars from Japan, eventually building multiple car businesses in Houston. He was all about giving back to his community and solving problems creatively. Our dinner table conversations weren’t about small talk—they were about profit margins, marketing strategies, and operations. That early education gave me a deep understanding of how businesses work and how they succeed.

On the other hand, my mom inspired a different side of me. She always pushed me to be better, and that sparked an early curiosity about relationships, dynamics, and personal growth. At 16, I read Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life, and it changed everything. It taught me that the challenges in our lives, even the quirks and struggles we inherit from our families, are opportunities for growth. That moment was a turning point for me—it set me on a path of self-discovery that still fuels my work today.

At UCLA, I dove into communication and marketing programs, where I learned the science behind storytelling, branding, and reaching people effectively. After college, I joined an international company and was quickly promoted to a managerial role, where I was tasked with overseeing complex projects and teams. While I excelled in the organizational and operational aspects of my role, what I truly loved was helping employees align their work with the company’s bigger vision and their own purpose. That’s where my passion for coaching began.

In 2015, I earned my first coaching certification and eventually became Board Certified in 2018. I quickly realized that helping people connect with their ‘why’ was what I was meant to do. By 2017, I took the leap and left a comfortable project management job in the Middle East to start my own coaching business. It was scary, but I knew firsthand the transformational power of taking risks and betting on yourself—and I wanted to help others do the same.

Since then, I’ve worked with entrepreneurs, visionaries, and service-based business owners to uncover their unique value propositions, build systems that actually work, and step into their full potential. For me, it’s not just about helping someone grow their business—it’s about helping them build a life and legacy they’re proud of.
Today, as a business coach in Los Angeles, I thrive on helping people push past fear, hone their unfair advantage, and create businesses rooted in authenticity and community. Because in a city where creativity and competition collide, it’s not just about standing out—it’s about owning your unique brilliance and building something that lasts.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not. One of my biggest challenges was overcoming my fear of charging people for coaching. I kept thinking, I love this so much, and it’s helping people—how could I possibly ask them to pay me? So, for the first two years, I didn’t charge a dime. Pro tip: don’t do this. Eventually, I realized I had to advocate for my worth, and I learned to see pricing as a reflection of the value I provide. It’s a lesson I now teach to many of my clients, especially women, who often struggle with the same fear around money.

After leaving my comfortable project management job, I knew I had to prove to myself that I could build a sustainable business. When I lived in Dubai, I started running workshops. My first workshop? No one showed up. My second? One person came. But that one person got the full VIP experience. I documented the session—photos, videos, the works—and made it look bigger than it was. Over time, I ran 45 more of those workshops, and eventually, built a community. Those workshops taught me a lot about persistence and the power of delivering value to even the smallest audience. I also learned how partnering with other businesses to tap into their networks can open doors, which is something I highly recommend to anyone starting out.

Networking was another big part of the hustle. I joined every group I could find and talked to anyone who would listen about my business. It wasn’t glamorous, but every conversation helped me grow my confidence and expand my reach.

And then there was the moment I’ll never forget—my first paying client, Sahar. She handed me cash at the Dubai Mall, and I thought, This is real—I’m actually doing this. That moment solidified everything for me and reminded me why persistence and believing in your vision are so important.

These early challenges shaped my approach as a coach. Today, I help my clients overcome their own fears, uncover their unique value propositions, and build businesses rooted in authenticity and systems that work. The road wasn’t easy, but it taught me lessons I now use every day to help others succeed.

We’ve been impressed with Toussi International, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I help people turn their big ideas into thriving service-based businesses—in six months or less. Think of me as part strategist, part cheerleader, and part “let’s-get-this-done” coach.

What makes my approach different? It’s not just about the business—I focus on the person behind it. With my background in business and project management (and a little psychology), I’ve created a proven toolkit that simplifies everything from marketing and operations to retaining clients. Basically, I make the overwhelming stuff feel doable.

One of the things I’m most proud of is my book, The Success Coach (available on Amazon and major booksellers). . It’s a step-by-step guide for starting and scaling a business, covering everything you need to know—like vision, branding, and building systems that work. It’s packed with strategies I use with my clients and designed to be like having a coach in your back pocket.

I also run a group coaching program that’s like a crash course in business school but way more practical. And for those who want a more tailored experience, I offer one-on-one coaching to take an idea and turn it into a fully operating business.

At the heart of it, my goal is simple: to help entrepreneurs uncover their unique strengths and use them to build businesses they’re proud of—ones that reflect their values, serve their communities, and position them as leaders in their industries.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was so shy. As an only child, I spent a lot of time alone, and I was the kid who sat quietly in the corner, hoping no one would call on me—but my mind was always racing with ideas. I was also a huge nerd—proud editor of the life section in my high school newspaper, where I spent way too much time brainstorming creative stories (and probably overthinking every headline).

My favorite subject was always English, and I was completely obsessed with dance and swimming. I didn’t have a big friend group. Instead, I had a small circle of 1-3 close friends from different groups. You could say I floated between worlds, but I never quite felt like I fully belonged to any of them.

As an Iranian-American, with parents who immigrated just before the revolution, I often felt caught between two cultures. I wanted so badly to blend in, to be like everyone else. It wasn’t until much later that I realized how much of a gift it is to be different. Now, I absolutely love and appreciate my heritage—and the uniqueness I once tried to hide.

Looking back, I can see how those moments of spending time alone or feeling out of place helped me build creativity, empathy, and the ability to connect with all kinds of people. It’s funny how the things you struggle with as a kid often become your greatest strengths later on.

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Image Credits
Daphne Yuanadis, Lauren Vahdani

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