MEET SUSAN

Susan Lieu is a Vietnamese American author, activist, and performer whose stories wake audiences the f*ck up.

Her work explores intergenerational trauma, impossible beauty standards, dysfunctional families, and unresolved grief — taking you on a ride that’ll have you laughing, crying, and somehow, finally feeling hopeful.

Her debut memoir, The Manicurist’s Daughter (Celadon), has received accolades from The New York Times, NPR Books, ELLE Magazine, and The Washington Post, and is an Apple Book Pick of the Month.

SUSAN’S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED MEMOIR

“A well-paced, panoramic memoir... [Lieu’s] family story does not represent an irretrievable demise of the American Dream, but its radical, open-ended evolution.”

SUSAN’S ONE-WOMAN SHOW

“Lieu is a dynamo, spouting humor, profanity and wisdom in the same breath.”

–Los Angeles Times

Susan Lieu empowers audiences to take charge of their healing journeys through storytelling, humor, and personal growth. Lieu’s sold-out theatrical solo show 140 LBS: How Beauty Killed My Mother, has received critical acclaim from Los Angeles Times, NPR, and American Theatre. Within one year she held 60 performances to over 7,000 people. Her work has been featured at The Smithsonian, Wing Luke Museum, The Moth Mainstage, and is currently being taught in high schools and universities. She is an alumnae of Harvard, Yale, Hedgebrook, Mineral School, Millay Arts, and Vashon Artist Residency.

“[Lieu’s work is…] fascinating, touching, upsetting, poignant, startling, affecting, engrossing, emotional, informative and, more than anything, humane.”

WAKE UP YOUR AUDIENCE

Susan uses her hard-earned wisdom to guide others to scary heights of boldness, showing audiences what took her years to learn.

It’s not just about making peace with the past — it’s about embracing that zero-f*cks-given most authentic self your past has been warring against.

Susan has delivered her 'kick-in-the-ass' talks at Harvard, Yale, UCLA, and many more, inspiring people disappointed with life to take bold steps toward manifesting their dreams.

  • "My students who identify as immigrants, first-in-family, or working/middle class see themselves in Susan’s work. Her narrative reduces isolation from these tensions and creates a path to healing. If you work with college students, her story will resonate and inspire others to share their stories."

    –Varsha Ghosh, Harvard College

  • “The amount of people who reached out to me after our time together to tell me how much it meant to have you here, how your story resonated with them and how important it was to have your story told was mind blowing—my email and Teams were blowing up so much I had to take a break!”

    –Amy Kaname, Pivotal Ventures

  • “It was wonderful working with Susan! She is such a dynamic speaker and did an amazing job of tying our organization’s mission to her story. The feedback from attendees was incredibly positive. Many folks who have been to multiple versions of this event have said Susan was our best keynote speaker ever!”

    –Roxanne Gossard, Neighborhood House

  • “It was a pleasure having Susan speak to us for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at Gusto. Her story was moving, inspirational, and uniquely intimate, unlike any speaker session I’ve attended. Her book delves into profound and seldom-discussed topics, making it a truly refreshing experience.”

    –Andrew Choi, Gusto

MODEL MINORITY MOMS PODCAST

Ready to conquer the chaos of parenthood as a woman, professional, and parent?

Welcome to Model Minority Moms, where we reckon with the myth of success in career, family and life. We’re Jeanette, Kate, and Susan – Harvard classmates and Asian American working moms who get real about the pressures of fitting in while standing out.

Socola Chocolatier

Susan and her sister co-founded Socola Chocolatier, a Vietnamese-inspired artisanal chocolate company with a storefront in the San Francisco Airport Terminal 3 by Gate E6.