Built by Magic: Farah Hussain on Coaching as Soul Work
When Farah Hussain introduces herself in a professional setting, she says, “I’m an executive coach who helps leaders expand their leadership capacity.”
But during our informal interview a few months back, she confessed,
“I am much more drawn to telling you that I'm a first-generation American. I'm a middle child. I am an aunt to three kids. I am a painter and I am an entrepreneur on a spiritual journey.”
That distinction—between the polished professional identity and the human being behind it—is the essence of Farah’s work. And it’s the thread that runs through her career path: from a curious child who wanted to animate Disney films, to a corporate leader, to an executive coach guiding directors through CEOs through what she calls “soul work.”
For anyone considering becoming a coach—or hiring one—Farah’s story is a masterclass in what real leadership development looks like.
The Child Who Didn’t Question Her Curiosity
Long before she became an executive coach, Farah was an eight-year-old studying the coloring technique in The Lion King.
“I was so fascinated by that that I used to pull my own markers out and just practice how can I color a large area on my paper without showing the lines?”
She didn’t wait for permission. She didn’t overthink whether becoming an animator was practical. She simply asked:
“If I have a certain interest and I have a certain goal, then I need to learn more about that interest. I need to build some skills.”
That childlike orientation—curiosity first, certainty later—is something she has consciously returned to as an entrepreneur.
“That childlike curiosity where I didn't question myself, I just asked myself, what do I need to learn? What do I need to do to get to my goal? Is something that being an entrepreneur now really requires.”
For aspiring coaches, this is a crucial insight. Coaching is not built on having all the answers. It is built on disciplined curiosity—about yourself, about others, about what’s possible beyond conventional paths.
Independence, Identity, and the Tension of Expectation
Farah’s path wasn’t linear. As the daughter of immigrants, pursuing English and studio art at Wellesley prompted real family conversations.
Her mother, worried about her future, told her:
“Even if you marry a millionaire, you've got to be financially independent.”
Looking back, Farah sees that statement differently.
“As an adult now, I can look back understand that she wanted her daughter to have independence, financial independence.”
Independence—intellectual, financial, spiritual—became a defining theme in her life.
Faith & the Workplace
Growing up Muslim during the Gulf War and being a senior in high school during 9/11 shaped her relationship to safety and belonging in ways that carried into adulthood.
“I did not question my faith. But I suddenly felt less secure in the world.”
In corporate environments, she responded by compartmentalizing:
“I really truly never felt that any of my personal identity were part of my professional identity. I kept them totally separate.” lizzie-mearss-studio-fwfq1_buil…
For many high-performing leaders, this resonates. The ability to separate, suppress, and “perform” is often rewarded—until it isn’t.
Farah learned firsthand that suppression has a cost.
“You can suppress things as long as you want, but they will come out some way, somehow, sometimes in the most inconvenient of times.” lizzie-mearss-studio-fwfq1_buil…
This lived experience now informs her coaching philosophy: integration over compartmentalization.
Coaching as Soul Work
Then she explained how she understands the soul within Islam:
“Religiously, we are taught that every person had a soul before they came into their physical form on earth. And when you leave this world, you will be back in that spiritual form. You have your spiritual form with you while you're on this journey on earth as well, but you have the physical and the spiritual combined.”
Coaching made that teaching tangible.
“When I started coaching other people and going through coaching myself, it required so much deep introspection, so much connecting to who am I, who am I detached from my context, who am I detached from other people, who am I detached from all the systems that we're in.”
“And that is where I started to understand that every soul is different, that every person truly is meant to be here for some reason, and part of life is figuring out what it is.”
Farah’s relationship to spirituality deepened—not in a mosque or classroom—but through entrepreneurship and coach training.
“When I started coaching other people and going through coaching myself, it required so much deep introspection, so much connecting to who am I… detached from all the systems that we live in.”
That process led her to a powerful realization:
“Every soul is different, that every person truly is meant to be here for some reason, and part of life is figuring out what it is.” lizzie-mearss-studio-fwfq1_buil…
This is where her work becomes distinct.
She doesn’t just help leaders optimize performance. She helps them uncover what she calls their “personal leadership framework.” lizzie-mearss-studio-fwfq1_buil… And to get there, she often starts somewhere unexpected.
If a client says, “I feel stuck,” she asks:
“Where do you feel it? Physically point to a place in your body where you know that to be true.” lizzie-mearss-studio-fwfq1_buil…
For some executives, that question is disorienting. For others, it’s liberating.
Farah reads the response not as right or wrong, but as data: how deep is this leader ready to go?
For anyone considering hiring a coach, this is instructive. Coaching at this level is not about advice. It is about expanding awareness—intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual—so that action becomes aligned rather than reactive.
Action Over Overthinking
Despite the depth of her work, Farah is not abstract. She is action-oriented.
She describes two grounding strategies: “the gentle stuff and then the tough love.” lizzie-mearss-studio-fwfq1_buil…
The gentle approach might be Zumba—literally dancing her way out of overthinking.
The tough love?
Public commitment.
When she decided to launch a newsletter, she didn’t give herself time to spiral.
“Within 24 hours of deciding that I was going to launch a newsletter… I went on LinkedIn and I wrote a post announcing to the world that I was launching a newsletter in two weeks.” lizzie-mearss-studio-fwfq1_buil…
Her philosophy is simple:
“What's the one thing that I'm going to do that's going to help me get out of the thinking mode that I'm in now and get into action?” lizzie-mearss-studio-fwfq1_buil…
For aspiring coaches, this is essential. You cannot coach others through uncertainty if you are unwilling to move through your own.
Paying Attention to Signals
One of the most powerful themes in Farah’s story is her sensitivity to what she calls “signals.”
“Learn to pay attention to signals… When you start to pay attention to the signals, you can start connecting dots.” lizzie-mearss-studio-fwfq1_buil…
Her recent work in AI and leadership didn’t emerge from a five-year plan. It began with curiosity. Research led to conferences. Conferences led to partnerships. A public commitment led to a workshop on “leading in an AI first world”—something that hadn’t even been on her radar two months prior. lizzie-mearss-studio-fwfq1_buil…
This is not accidental career growth. It is responsive leadership.
For leaders seeking a coach, this matters. You want someone who can help you see signals you’re missing—not just execute the plan you already wrote.
Who Farah Works With—and Why It Matters
Farah primarily works with directors through CEOs—leaders who are already accomplished but know there is more capacity to unlock.
Her work is relational. It is rigorous. And it is deeply human.
If you are looking to become a coach, her path is a reminder that the credential is only the beginning. The real work is your own introspection, your willingness to confront identity, and your courage to integrate all parts of yourself.
If you are looking to hire a coach, her journey illustrates what high-caliber coaching actually entails: not surface-level tactics, but the expansion of who you are as a leader.
Because ultimately, as Farah’s life demonstrates, leadership is not just about getting from A to B.
It’s about becoming someone capable of holding A, B, and everything in between—with curiosity, courage, and soul.
Connect with Farah
Farah Hussain works primarily with directors through CEOs. The best way to connect with her is via LinkedIn. You can also reach her at info@coachingwithfarah.com.
