Rewriting the Script: Lexi Dussi’s Journey for Freedom and Meaning

Dussi has a rich history of embracing change. From territorial movements to her own sexuality, she talks about herself as if unaware of her impact on people or perhaps trying to downplay it.

“This is why I have a line item in my budget for ‘maybe therapist?’” she jokes.

Even though her humorous presence hijacks a big part of her persona, it takes no more than five minutes of sharing a room with Dussi to realize that she has much more to offer than a casual spree of jokes, which, she says, is her enjoyable burden.

“Sometimes I’ll go to a party, and people will be like, ‘There’s going to be new people there. Make sure you do your thing,’” she explains. “Sometimes people put that pressure on me. […] But I love making people laugh. I love just comedy.”

Born in 1992 and raised in rural New England, Lexi attributes some of her life’s chaos and intensity to her family’s multicultural background.

“I’m 50-50 Greek and Italian, which is just a recipe for chaos. Like, we’re loud, we talk, we eat, we use our hands. We’re just everything,” she says.

Although Lexi admits that she is “not good with loss,” her path has been shaped by a series of rebirths urged by those “cannot look back moments.”

From the fading light of a turbulent early relationship, Dussi found the courage to look beyond what had been her horizon until then.

In her mid-20s, she moved to California with one of her closest college friends, with whom she has shared a house ever since.

“We packed my Honda with our clothes, a TV, one lamp. And then we shipped our mattresses because we’re both snobs and loved our beds. And that was it. […] We started completely fresh,” she remembers.

Changes now surrounded everything that was known before. Moving to a new area can feel refreshing, yet a daunting sense of unfamiliarity lingers all around. Having grounding points along the process can be comforting, but Lexi recognized them as double-edged swords.

“I had security, I had a boss that I liked. […] I mean, you can’t grow in your comfort zone,” she says.

Owning the pace of a 9-to-5 job can be soothing. Not having to worry about challenging one's own abilities after five o’clock could be a haven for most. However, when the light started to dim, Lexi felt like something was amiss.

“I was just f***ing complacent. I had hit my limit. I had achieved a lot, but it was time to move on,” she says.

Being laid off was the catalyst for a life decision she could not make for herself at the time; however, that freedom brought about other realizations. Dussi confronted her bank statements, which had been in the red for a long time.

“When I got laid off, I had $17,000 in credit card debt that I got myself into from living out here and being a f***ing idiot. I had $4,000 to my name and no money saved,” she says.

Recognizing herself as an asset, Dussi rose to the challenge of earning a living without the safety net of a paycheck. Lexi hustled through various jobs and activities that occupied her mind, time, and calendar, discovering enjoyment in that freedom and achieving significant milestones along the way.

“On Friday this past week, I paid off all my credit card debt. Every penny of it—just paid off, so I’m done,” she says.

Today, Lexi Dussi juggles more than five projects while still finding time for new ideas. In addition to coaching and holding a director title of various programs at the Culver City Soccer Club (CCFC), she plays a significant role in at least three other businesses and contributes in various roles to the Made It Out podcast, created and produced by her close friends Mathilde Jourdan and Mal Glowenke. The podcast leans into unfiltered conversations with queer people, exploring intimate topics impacting the lesbian community.

While Lexi speaks highly of both Mal and Mathilde, Lexi regards Mathilde as an extremely influential person in her life.

“Mathilde is a bridge-builder,” Lexi says. “I admire her as a talented woman and a natural go-getter.” Lexi found Mathilde’s beacon not only in the professional world but also in the most intimate one. Soon after moving to California, Mathilde helped Lexi through one of her life’s most pivotal moments.

“I got on a flight to Palm Springs, then to Joshua Tree, and I walked into a house of f***ing 25 lesbians and had the most groundbreaking weekend of my life. It just was such a vibe, you know, and I’d made some really good friendships on that trip and just felt so good. […] My cup was so full after that trip,” she recalls.

Dussi remembers that weekend as the spark that ignited the bonfire of her courage and allowed her to embrace her own sexuality. The time for hiding her true self from her friends and family had come to an end.

“This is now this time. I had to lean into this and be honest about it. That was kind of the segue into, like, me now being open,” she says.

Despite her struggles to navigate life’s lows, Dussi recognizes that she has become stronger and more resourceful because of them. With a careful dose of optimism, Lexi shows enthusiastic energy when talking about some projects still in the initial stages. Through her work for Mathilde’s podcast and her own format ideas, Dussi keeps her plate full and her horizons broad.

“I actually really am passionate about producing,” she says.

But even after breaking every barrier with a head-first attitude and finding comfort in her personal growth path, Lexi still grapples with the question of her purpose in life.

“I’m a decent soccer coach. I’m a hard worker, like, and I’ll tell you what I’m doing, but like, where am I going? What am I? What the f*** am I doing?” she asks.

Lexi Dussi’s course has been marked by stumbles and scrapes, where gazing into the darkness with a certain yet fearful dread is more a way of life than a method. And so she intends to face whatever the future holds for her.

“If I die and don’t take care of any of the things that I’m scared of, I will be f***ing pissed. I will be f***ing mad,” she says.