Lord of the Wiens: A Dachumentary was directed and produced by Elise Ballard. Elise is a writer, speaker, and producer. She is the author of Epiphany: True Stories of Sudden Insight to Inspire, Encourage and Transform, a collection of over sixty interviews with amazing people from all walks of life recounting the stories of their greatest epiphanies.

She started her career in entertainment working as an actress in New York, Austin and Los Angeles, and moved into independent filmmaking and producing. Her directorial debut, Lord of the Wiens: A Dachumentary, a movie about the annual Wiener Dog Races in Buda, TX, became a cult hit. She contributes to publications such as Psychology Today, Live Happy Magazine and the wildly popular website, Positively Positive, and is a twice-invited TEDx speaker.

Elise also had the privilege of being invited to attend and cover the Nobel Prizes, and she serves as one of the judges for the prestigious Humanitas Prize in Los Angeles, awarding writers for emphasizing and celebrating humanistic values in their work. She has created, directed and produced numerous projects including the YOU DVDs accompanying the YOU book series by world-renowned, bestselling authors, Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen, and is developing several projects, including film, television and future books inspired by the Epiphany brand. A native of Dallas and New Orleans, she currently lives in Los Angeles.