Liz Dawn, owner of Mishka Productions and presenter of Celebrate Your Life conferences, did not follow an easy path to success. “After a 12-year acting career I was done, and acting was done with me. Broke, exhausted and underweight, I left Los Angeles and collapsed at my mom’s house in Scottsdale,” she says. Her mother, Ariel Wolfe, was a psychotherapist/classical pianist/camp director/single mom/psychic extraordinaire/sound healer/spiritual teacher. Dawn shares, “This amazing Jewish woman provided the perfect loving space for me to heal.” What happened next was nothing short of miraculous. “It’s 1995. A phone line, an old desk, a lot of chutzpah and two crazy Jewish women. You get the picture, right?”

Through a series of synchronistic events, they started a business creating events with some of the greatest spiritual teachers of our time. James Redfield was first on their roster in 1995, and was sold out with standing room only. The next Celebrate Your Life conference will be held November 4 through 7, in Scottsdale, featurng some of the greats, including Marianne Williamson, Caroline Myss, Neale Donald Walsch, Gregg Braden, Lisa Williams and others.

Wolfe was always ahead of her time, with a huge array of spiritual books: everything from Eastern philosophy to the great gurus of India. “When I was 16 years old, she [her mother] handed me Ram Dass’ book Be Here Now to begin my spiritual quest,” relates Dawn.

“From this one event, our company blossomed. We named our business Mishka Productions, after our family dog who had passed, as she was filled with such joy and light, it seemed appropriate. For many years, we did one event a month with a different bestselling spiritual author, and then in 2002, things changed. We created a conference called Celebrate Your Life that featured all of these great spiritual visionaries together for one amazing weekend,” says Dawn.

When people started traveling from all over the world to attend, they knew the event was something great. “It was like the smorgasbord of spirituality, offering something for everyone, says Dawn. “It is now 2016, and my beautiful mother, Ariel, has transitioned into spirit. With me at the helm and my amazing team, we continue to create events that open people’s hearts, inspire, transform and heal their lives.”

Dawn states, “We have become world-renowned for our work the past 21 years. I am not sure how all of this happened, but suffice it to say, the universe gave me a sacred gift. I am to be the caretaker of this treasured entity called Mishka Productions, and not for one moment do I take for granted what an honor it is to have been chosen for this role in the world.”

For more information, call 480-970-8543 or visit CelebrateYourLife.Org. See ad, page 9.