Meet Elizabeth Leu

We were lucky to catch up with Elizabeth Leu recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

I am the youngest of 4 siblings, and perhaps my optimism is attached to being the ‘youngest’ … mixed with having a core belief that optimism powers my drive. I have found over the years that spending time in the negative never really gets you anywhere productive. Seeing the glass half full has allowed me to push forward with new ideas and not cloud potential with the ‘what if it doesn’t work’ freezing mentality. I have always looked at failure as a positive – you learn, you grow & sometimes it doesn’t work. And that’s okay. Some of the best things I have done with my business has come from ideas that didn’t work out as I had imagined.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a brand developer at my core, and a small business owner on the daily. I own Fiddlesticks, a kids clothing and toy store as well as Orange Bird, a gift & stationery store in San Francisco. I have been successfully doing this for 22+ years. I love curating and looking for the next trend. Merchandising is my happy place as I am a visual person. I get my creative from my mom & business instinct from my dad – I guess you can say I got the best of both of them.

After college I worked at Coca-Cola in marketing and learned very quickly what a brand really envelopes. Starting my career with such a big brand was a great stepping stone for my future. I was never one to work in the big corporate world, especially in a confined role – so breaking out of that mold and into being an entrepreneur was a natural step. The lessons I learned in the 4 years I worked for Coca-Cola in the merchandising division gave me the mind set for going out on my own and building my own brands. I think it was always my path, and I feel lucky to have found it. My career is my lifestyle, it’s just what I do and an expression of myself.

I have learned a lot over the years, as my experience has been a platform of growth and change. One of the core drivers for me is hearing someone tell me no. Somehow that word turns on a fire of ambition and drive to prove that I can do it. I always try to turn a no into a yes.

It’s 2025 – looking back on my career as an entrepreneur, I have survived a recession and a pandemic, I have raised 2 beautiful kids and have a wonderful family. My kids recently told me that I am really patient which made me reflect on not only raising them but also how that translates to my career. I have faced many challenges, but all the wins put the obstacles in the rear view mirror. I always say keep on putting one foot in front of the other – simple, but true. I am proud of the brands I have built, the amazing team that surrounds me, and all my customers.

Fiddlesticks, my kids store, is my pride and joy. I like to think it has earned the ‘it’s an institution’ status. We get daily confirmation about how cute it is, and our customers keep coming back. San Francisco doesn’t have many kids stores these days – but Fiddlesticks is tried & true… a brand I have built that is fun, loving & of course super cute. Come visit us and while you are there, swing on down to Orange Bird (a few doors down) – our small but mighty adult playground of gifts and stationery that makes for great gifts – for you and your friends!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I took a business writing class at the Renaissance Center in San Francisco when I was initially developing my first store. It was an 8 week class focused on writing my business plan. I knew I needed to dive deep in the plan and study the parts of business that I wasn’t too familiar with like finances. I occasionally go back as a guest speaker to talk to entrepreneurs in the making. One of my biggest messages to them has been to look at your goal as a to do list. Keep adding and crossing off items on the list. Sometimes ideas feel overwhelming, but if you start a list of all the little things it slowly comes to life.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

My current challenge is growth. I white knuckled and survived the pandemic, bounced back… and now it’s time to build my revenue this year so we don’t plateau. How do you get a 10% annual increase is constantly ringing in my ear at the moment. Being the boss, I don’t have anyone over my shoulder to push me – so I have to find the answers on my own and rely on my own drive. I am reaching out to friends and industry leaders for advice, and really listening. I am taking ideas and molding them into what works for my business. I have some good things in the works and I am excited to implement. I am hopeful for solid growth this year!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shopfiddlesticks.com, www.shoporangebird.com
• Instagram: Fiddlesticks_SF, OrangeBird_SF
• Facebook: both stores are on it – just not sure the handle at the moment
• Linkedin: LOL – I am on it as Elizabeth Leu but haven’t checked it in a hot minute
• Twitter: nope
• Youtube: nope
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fiddlesticks-san-francisco?osq=fiddlesticks, https://www.yelp.com/biz/orange-bird-san-francisco?osq=orange+bird
• Soundcloud: nope