Meet Allen Rubin

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Allen Rubin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Allen below.

Allen, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
For me, finding my purpose is a lifetime process. I guess you can say that it would be great to know what your purpose is early on, but that would miss the benefits of growth, learning and transformation. Since my younger years (youth is eternal), I have had so many AHA moments. Each time thinking to myself, “This is what I’m supposed to do” (foolishly saying ‘for the rest of my life”). And in the end realizing it’s only temporary.

Many have ideas what they want to do in their lives. But life shows them another path. I will tell you my story and many of my AHA moments that have made me who I am and LED ME TO WHERE I SHOULD BE.

As a young kid, I was the one who constantly went door to door in the neighborhood selling plant and flower seeds, customized greeting cards, cookies, or whatever. What I found then was that one must accept rejection as an integral part of the process. I got more “No thank you” than I did sales. That did not stop me. It did give me the entrepreneur spirit that stayed with me my entire life.

It’s important to be grateful for everything….wins and losses because without the gratefulness, you are not truly growing.

I started training in the martial arts since the age of 8. I got into it because I was bullied for being a small kid, slightly dorky, and not too social. As I got better in the martial arts, I started taking different styles. I found I had an affinity for using nunchakus and other weapons. (I am www.NunchakuKing.com). I won many tournaments and became known for my weapons and skills. This was one of my AHA moments. I thought I would become an instructor and teach all over the world. I did become an instructor and did teach all over the world, but that just didn’t feel like it was my end-all.

I went back to college and took psychology classes (most likely to know myself better 😉 ) and there I took a jewelry making class. I fell in love with making jewelry. Another AHA moment. I decided to go to GIA (Gemological Institute of America) to become a gemologist. (Expert on diamonds and colored stones). I did this so that if I needed to buy precious stones for my jewelry pieces I wouldn’t get ripped off. That was another AHA moment. I thought I could do that forever. I got a job in a jewelry store locally as a jewelry repairman and gemologist, to grade the stones and appraise them for insurance purposes. Only 6 months later, I got a job offer to work at the diamond cutting factories in Israel. It was very interesting to say the least. They cut the diamonds there, made the jewelry, and had many tourist visiting to sell the goods to. My job was to have a gemologist office, grading mountains of diamonds (WooHoo), and sell the loose stones to the visitors. It was a job like no other! I was only there for one year because after a year, it’s required to become a citizen and join the army. This was the days of war with Beirut, so I opted out and came back to the USA.

Once I returned, I created a jewelry company that combined my two loves…Martial Arts and Jewelry. I called it Dragon -Ear Jewelers. Another AHA moment. I would create custom rings and pendants for the dojos using their logos. The dojo owners would sell them to the students. I also made gold and silver martial arts style jewelry such as dragons and tigers and such. I would have a jewelry booth at the tournaments. I even began sponsoring tournaments. I began having martial arts actors signing autographs and posters at my booth.

During this time, I got a second job at a jewelry store in Westwood. There I would have many actors and stars as clients. Many of them told me I should get into acting. The first thing I did was audition for Love Connection. I got chosen to do the show. After airing the show, I received a letter to audition for a movie that had a couple known actors in it. I got the role as a bad guy against the lead. Another AHA moment. I loved it. Acting was fun and seemed very easy AND they feed you well!!!! So, I started taking acting classes, got into other movies, and thought THIS IS IT. This is what I want to do forever! BUT as life shows you, it’s only a part of the process.

During all this the internet began and I was sooo against becoming a part of it. It was all about chat rooms and other not so positive things. I had a project going that needed a website. I hired a designer and he made me a site. It seemed whenever I needed a change or to add a picture, I was paying a high price for every request. I decided to go back to the college d take a few classes on photoshop, website design and the likes. I made myself a website for another project and people and friends started asking if I could make a website for them. This was the start of South Bay Website Design in 1997. It’s still going and has been my main income source for such a long time. That was something that wasn’t even on my radar. Then came mobile phones. I thought, “How dumb is it to have music on a phone? I will NEVER text” I laugh so hard now because now I can’t live without it and probably can type 100 words per minute with my thumbs alone. So, I also started The Phone App Company in 2006. More AHA moments. But is that the end? Did I finally find my purpose in life? It’s seems not. While these companies are fruitful and long lasting, the pandemic came along.

During the pandemic I got a notification that the government is paying for students to go back to school, so I did. Since my companies also help clients formulate their business structures and protect their names with trademarks, I decided to go back to school and get my paralegal degree and certification. It took 2 years and I got straight A’s, which was not my norm in school. After graduating, I went looking for “Remote” work so that I could continue with my businesses and still bring in an added revenue of income. I got a job working for an attorney firm and began learning the real world stuff of law. I thought ANOTHER AHA MOMENT. But NOOOOOO. I decided that’s not enough, I can do more. I started applying for law schools. Got turned down over and over. And then, when I was about to stop applying, I got an email of acceptance. I was a bit unsure if it was real or not. I called the school and it was for real!!!!! I started in September 2023 and am so grateful for this. To me it’s a miracle and definitely another AHA moment. At this point I can’t say where it will lead to but it opens up so many more doors and possibilities.

If you don’t know what your purpose is, and you get frustrated from the uncertainty, alas, relax, take it easy my friend. You are on the journey of transformation. It takes a lifetime. Enjoy it, appreciate it, and be grateful for the ups and downs, the good and the bad (there really is no bad if you learned the lessons from it).

All that matters is when it’s your time to go, that you can say you lived a fulfilled life.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
The most exciting thing about South Bay Website Design and The Phone App Company is making the ideas of my clients come to life. Helping others manifest their dreams and giving them the freedom to do their own thing. When we make a website of mobile app system, we keep the administrator’s functions in mind. We focus on making something that allows them to make the changes they need. Whether it’s adding content, changing content, deleting content, sending newsletters, or whatever they asked for, this is our goal. Making clients self-sufficient in order to maximize their time efforts, financial efforts and growth.

The days when I had to pay an arm and a leg for any minor changes I needed on my website are over. I keep it in mind that no one should have to suffer the same as I did in the past.

Even more than just this basic ability, it’s important to give a client a platform that doesn’t require endless updates and maintenance. We don’t recommend WordPress because it requires updates all the time and occasionally makes plugins (third party) stop working. For that reason, we created out own platform that doesn’t require any updates. We don’t have any recurring fees (I hate recurring fees). We upload the system to the client’s hosting and they own it 100%. We offer a long warranty for any issues that may occur (Sometimes hosting companies upgrade their PHP Version on the servers causing issues).

With all of my legal schooling, I intend to continue in the technology development world, but add more skills and services for my clients to use. If it helps, use it.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
You must be determined with everything you do. Don’t be so quick to quit. As they say, “If it were easy, everyone would be doing it!” Remember to be grateful for everything.

Be able to listen and really hear what other are saying. This is a skill that should be practiced.

Be a problem solver. For every issue there is a solution. There is nothing new under the sun.

Always take time in a day to reflect, meditate, and see what you could do better or change for maximum potential in your life. Don’t expect answers immediately. Sometimes answers change, morph, or resolve.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
Your strengths are your core. Use them in ways that help you grow, that help others grow, and that gives you your character. But, if you find weaknesses or areas that you aren’t so strong in, it only takes time and effort to get stronger and grow. It isn’t about only depending on what you currently know. Be like a sponge, absorb it all, ask questions, learn and grow. Knowledge is like an arsenal of weapons. Not for harming but for helping. Weapons to remove darkness and to bring light. Everything you learn only adds to your arsenal. Strengthening areas of weakness builds on your character. Be a beacon of light. That is what helps not only yourself, but the world. We can all as individuals make a difference in this world.

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