Meet Lisa Karen Cohen | Director, Creative Parties for Kids & Play & Parties

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Karen Cohen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa Karen, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting my company is 1986 was initially survival. I was an actress/dancer who was pursuing a performance career in Los Angeles after arriving as a regional theatre artist and dancer from Colorado. I had taught ballet and theatre to children throughout my life and created the concept of “Dance-On-Wheels, which I started with $15 at a Kinkos on Reseda Blvd. in Northridge CA. The creative dance after school programs filled a deep need for arts education, and before I knew it, I had 15 schools and around 7 teachers working for me. I designed the curriculum, met a composer who created original music for me (The Dancical Magical Land – Ray Powers Composer), and the company grew to almost 45 schools in about 5 years. The birthday parties grew out of parents just asking me to perform at their homes,many times as a princess, a mouse, a unicorn etc. I just created magic, threw together costumes and using my backround as an actress and performer to create parties and events. It grew and when I moved to Orange County, the company became Creative Parties For Kids.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is creating enchantment for children through arts education and interactive children’s entertainment. I have dedicated my life to nurturing and inspiring creativity both in children and the artists that I train to do so. What I am most proud of is creating a legacy of celebration and connection. I have been in business both creative arts education experiences, children’s parties, programing and now publishing children’s books for over 36 years. One of my most profound lessons is only surround yourself with the most positive people who have the same passion and values. This was not an easy lesson and one I had to overcome after surviving an arson of my business. This was a painful and yet powerful lesson. I rose like a Phoenix from the ashes. This fire happened in 2017, and we lost everything, but not our spirit. Seven years later our company is not only stronger than ever, but now we have our own location called Play & Parties, where we host beautiful events.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting Los Angeles, I would have them explore so many places. I love the Flower Mart and the Fashion, Fabric District. It really speaks of the culture of Los Angeles. As a business owner, I love to go there to find creative fabric or party supplies, but it is an awesome place to eat, or check out a cultural festival. I also love the various museums and gardens like The Getty, The Huntington Library and of course the Griffith Observatory. There is also so much movie and television history in LA. There are many fun places to check out.
However, I live in Orange, CA and my favorite place is The Orange Circle, because it reminds me of my home in Colorado.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Yes, there is a person that deserves a lot of credit for my success, and that is my business & creative partner John Cox. I met him many years on the set of a Time Warner Cable TV show, where I was being interviewed, he was the producer of the show. He recognized my talent and passion and offered me my own show on the same Public Access channel. We have worked together ever since, creating children’s television, media, books, events and now he and I are full business partners. We find family in this world as we go along, and I am so grateful to him, as he is truly the wind beneath my wings.

The most important job and the biggest honor I have ever had in my life is being Leah’s mom. She grew up taking drama and dance classes that I taught, and then she blossomed into her own artist, becoming a professional actress, director, writer and “Creatrix”. She helped me run the business when Leah was a younger, performing at parties and even had her own division of Creative Parties for Kids in LA for a little while.  My favorite thing to do when I am not working is to spend time with her and bask in the beautiful person she has become. Her professional name is Leah Moth, and she is my most favorite human in the world. 

Website: www.creativepartiesforkids.com

Instagram: www.instagram/playandparties

Linkedin: Lisa Cohen

Facebook: www.facebook.com/creativepartiesforkids

Yelp: yelp.com/playandparties

Youtube: The StoryLadys Magic Book

Other: www.playandparties.com (Party Location & Classes) www.creativepartiesforkids.com (Characters & Events) www.storyladysmagicbook.com (Lisa Cohen, Author Website) The StoryLadys Magic Book on You Tube

Image Credits
John Cox , Photographer