By Sandra Coopersmith 

The Little Engine that could could learn a thing or two from Janice Ruben, a successful business owner in Culver City, whose fortitude was put to the test when tragedy struck.

“Around 1994 my husband, Jay Ruben, a certified public accountants and accounting professor at Cal State Northridge, started Financial Education Resources, which provides continuing professional education for CPAs and enrolled agents,” Ruben said, explaining that “CPAs need 80 Continuing Public Education hours every two years and our tax courses are approved by the Internal Revenue Service to help enrolled agents meet their CPE requirement as well.”

Ruben later came on board to help with marketing. Business increased. But fate had a one-two punch in store.

“In 1999 Jay became extremely tired,” Ruben said. “He saw different doctors but didn’t get a diagnosis.”

The fatigue intensified. That December he went into the hospital on a Monday and died three days later. Two weeks later the test results came back — a rare form of lymphoma.

They had been married for 20 years. “I had lost my best friend and business partner. The business rotated around him 100%,” she said.

Ruben had to re-tool and build a team almost from scratch while still reeling from her loss. 

“Jay was ‘the product’ and that dried up when he passed away,” she said.  “But he inspired and had faith in me that I could carry on. Two weeks before he died he said, ‘You can do it!’ and that became my mantra.”

Prior to becoming CEO of Financial Education Resources, Ruben, a psychology major, held positions as director of marketing for a university law school, business chairperson for a small college in the San Fernando Valley, stockbroker, secretary/office manager for various companies and head of a company’s division. 

She believes that although she was never an accountant, teacher or business owner, her other careers helped her hone the skills that she uses in owning and operating the business.

“The first few months after Jay’s death, the pressure was intense. I didn’t realize until then all Jay did. I couldn’t cry on the phone while running the business,” she said. She credits the support of family, friends and talented professionals.

“My sister, Ele Ryder, a teacher par excellence in Long Island, New York, who never took a day off from work in 39 years, took off a week to stay with me after I lost Jay,”  Ruben said. “After she left, not a day went by when I didn’t receive a greeting card or postcard in the mail. One day she had all the kids in her class make me a card to cheer me and many days I received a little gift, Ele’s way of showing me that she was thinking of me — and it helped.”

Ruben also cited her friends in MAG7, her group of “seven magnificent women,” who began meeting monthly in a Culver City restaurant 11 years ago, after she lost her husband and another woman underwent major surgery.

And occupying a significant role is David Friedland, an industrial psychologist who, she says, makes her believe in herself. “We met exactly two years from the date I lost Jay. It had been recommended that I try a certain online dating service, but through a mix-up I went to one with a similar name. I went on the wrong service, but met the right man.”   

They were married almost four years ago by Rabbi Zachary Shapiro, the first wedding at which he officiated as Temple Akiba’s new rabbi. 

“The business is very labor intensive,” Ruben continued, “and I’m very grateful to my wonderful assistants, Jeri and Dianne, who have been with me many years.” 

While the core business is live public seminars, it also provides classes in-house, including specialty classes on custom-designed business writing and collections to corporations, large CPA firms and law firms. Through an alliance with a major online organization the company now offers online classes.  “And I have just agreed to an affiliation with a nationally known organization offering tax update classes, to complement our CPE courses,” Ruben added.

“In 1998 when the California State Board of Accountancy implemented a requirement (subsequently modified) that all CPAs needed eight CPE hours of ethics education, we were one of only two CPE providers with a course approved in time to offer that January. Now we are the first and only CPE provider in southern California that has a live regulatory review course to replace the old ethics requirement.”

“Business has exploded recently. We actually have a wait list for some of our classes now,” she said.

“A day when I don’t learn something new is a wasted day.” Ruben added.

Acknowledging that she’s “up against giants,” she says she faces the challenge of being a small player by providing exceptional service and going the extra mile. 

See www.fercpe.com for further information.