About Toyinda

Toyinda Smith is the Principal of The Coaching Seat®, LLC, bringing over 25 years of experience in higher education and business. A respected leadership coach, educator, and author, Toyinda is known for her ability to develop champions in every arena. She is the author of several transformative self-development books, including The Handbook to Unleash Your Potential, The Handbook to Dominate Your Confidence, The Handbook to Coach Yourself, and The Handbook to Constrict the Constrictor.

Through The Coaching Seat®, Toyinda and her team certify coaches and facilitators, and train student leaders, managers, and people leaders to adopt a coaching approach to leadership across academia, government, and industry. The firm’s mission is to amplify the employee experience and improve organizational effectiveness through sustainable, people-centered development.

Toyinda is a Certified Champion Influence® Coach, Facilitator, and Faculty Member, and the visionary behind The International Champion Influence® Coach & Facilitator Certification, which has equipped countless professionals to lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

A former elite athlete, she is a 5-time Big Ten Champion, 2-time Runner-Up, NCAA Champion, and Indiana Track & Field and Purdue University Hall of Famer. She is also a certified John Maxwell coach, TEDx speaker, a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the creator of The Coaching Seat® SEATS Process™ Model for Coaching and the Champion Influence® CHAMPION Model for Facilitation. .

From the throwing circle to the boardroom, Toyinda embodies championship-level discipline, strategy, and insight. Originally from Gary, Indiana, she now resides in North Carolina, continuing her mission to empower others to lead, influence, and transform.