For thousands of engineers and coders who land in Silicon Valley each year, the journey begins with ambition, hard work, and a dream. Many arrive from India, Brazil, China, Eastern Europe, and other parts of the world on H-1B visas, having spent years building the skills that tech giants demand. They come prepared for the professional challenges—but what they often aren’t prepared for is everything else.
Loneliness. Cultural disconnect. The weight of family expectations. Uncertainty in personal relationships. A feeling of being adrift, even while succeeding at work.
These are the struggles that don’t show up on résumés or get discussed in onboarding sessions. Yet they are deeply real, and they can quietly undermine even the most talented professionals.
Faranak Firozan has built her coaching practice around supporting these individuals.
An executive life coach based in Santa Clara, Faranak works with international tech workers: engineers, developers, project managers, data scientists—who are navigating the complexity of building not just a career, but a life in a new country. Her focus is on helping people find clarity, confidence, and connection in both their work and personal lives.
She’s not here to offer productivity hacks or surface-level leadership tips. Her coaching digs deeper, into the emotional and relational realities her clients face behind the scenes of high-performance careers.
“I often meet clients who are excelling on paper but feel completely disconnected,” says Firozan. “They’ve made it to one of the most competitive places in the world, but they feel isolated, unsure how to build real relationships, and uncertain about what comes next.”
The Hidden Challenge for H-1B Professionals
Relocating for work is always complex, but for H-1B visa holders, it’s especially demanding. The stakes are higher. Immigration status is tied to employment. Family is often far away. Cultural norms—both professional and social—may feel unfamiliar or even confusing.
While these professionals are incredibly capable, they often carry invisible burdens. They’re navigating communication styles that differ from their home culture. They’re trying to lead teams while second-guessing their place. They’re dating in a culture they didn’t grow up in. They’re pushing themselves to succeed while rarely pausing to ask: Am I actually fulfilled?
Faranak’s coaching creates space for those questions.
Her clients come to her for different reasons. Some are rising quickly in their roles but feel disconnected in their personal lives. Others are dealing with burnout or imposter syndrome. Some want to improve their communication and leadership presence. Others are simply looking for a place to speak honestly about the emotional complexity of life in Silicon Valley.
Coaching with Cultural Intelligence
What sets Faranak’s coaching apart is not just her skill—it’s her awareness. She understands the nuances of working with people from different cultural backgrounds. She recognizes that success looks different depending on where you come from, what you’ve left behind, and what you’re striving toward.
“I’ve had clients who have never had an open conversation about what they want,” she says. “In some cultures, ambition is defined for you—by your parents, your community, your visa status. Coaching becomes the first time they’ve explored what fulfillment looks like on their own terms.”
Faranak doesn’t rely on cookie-cutter coaching models. Each session is tailored to the client’s goals and lived experience. Some conversations focus on emotional resilience. Others explore how to set boundaries in relationships. Many involve unpacking communication habits that may have worked in one culture but need adjusting in another.
And through it all, her work is grounded in trust.
“I’m not here to fix anyone,” she says. “I’m here to help them see clearly—to quiet the noise, identify what matters, and move forward with intention.”
Real-Life Impact
The results of her coaching are often deeply personal—and profoundly meaningful.
One client, a machine learning engineer from Bangalore, arrived in the Bay Area full of excitement but found it hard to build friendships or date confidently. He felt like a stranger in social spaces, unsure of how to connect without feeling awkward. Through coaching, he began to explore the beliefs and stories holding him back. Within months, he had built a social circle, joined a volunteer coding program for local teens, and started dating with more confidence.
Another client, a product manager from Ukraine, was thriving professionally but struggling to assert herself in meetings. She felt hesitant to speak up, worried about sounding too direct or being misunderstood. With Faranak’s support, she practiced new communication strategies, rebuilt her sense of authority, and eventually stepped into a team lead role with more clarity and presence.
These are not overnight transformations. But they are the kinds of shifts that change lives from the inside out.
A Different Definition of Success
In Silicon Valley, success is often measured by output—code written, launches completed, raises earned. But for Faranak’s clients, success becomes something deeper. It’s about knowing yourself, leading with integrity, and building a life that feels connected, not just impressive.
“I tell my clients that they’re allowed to want more,” she says. “Not just more money or promotions, but more meaning, more joy, more presence. It’s okay to slow down and ask yourself if you’re on the right path.”
For international professionals far from home, that invitation is powerful. Many were raised to be high achievers but never permitted to reflect. Coaching becomes a safe space to do exactly that—and then act on what they discover.
Coaching That Moves with You
Faranak works primarily one-on-one with clients across the U.S. and globally via virtual sessions. Her services include ongoing executive life coaching, short-term clarity sessions, and relationship or communication coaching tailored to multicultural professionals.
What connects all of her offerings is a commitment to depth. Clients don’t come to her for quick fixes. They come for perspective, alignment, and the kind of support that leads to lasting change.
In a region built on innovation and disruption, Faranak Firozan offers something rare: grounded, culturally-aware coaching that honors both ambition and humanity. She helps high-performing individuals lead lives they don’t need to escape from.
Because building a new life in a new country shouldn’t come at the cost of who you are.
