My Wife Made Me Start a Substack (Send Help)

The origin story of how a guy who thinks Excel is a personality trait got talked into financial content creation:

So it's happening. After years of Emily badgering me to "share my financial wisdom with the world" (her words, not mine), I've finally caved. Welcome to the first edition of In Leyman's Terms - where I'll be translating money jargon into actual human language for those who think diversifying your portfolio means having different colors of credit cards.

For those who don't know me, I'm Bryan Ley, husband to Emily Ley of Simplified fame, and the guy who's been along for the ride from day one when she was cutting paper with a paper cutter in our guest room. Now I'm somehow sitting in front of a camera for this "podcast style" Substack thing with specific instructions not to swear and to "behave myself." No promises.

So Who Am I and Why Should You Listen to Me?

Fair question. I've got what you might call a "mixed bag" background. I majored in finance in college, did lending up until the 2008 crash (fun times), then pivoted to commercial insurance, and now I manage a portfolio of business investments. I'm currently involved in eight different businesses with ownership ranging from 7% to 50%.

But here's the deal - I'm not a "trophy husband" as some internet trolls like to suggest. I don't come from money either. My parents were not financially savvy - my dad was in the Navy, my mom took various jobs, and we always had what we needed but never extra. Every rich person I saw in movies had a stockbroker dad, so naturally, that's what I wanted to be.

While I never became a stockbroker, I've been actively day trading and investing for decades. I've had some spectacular wins (including one multi-seven figure success) and some painful losses (more on those in future posts). The important lesson: I've never risked more than we could afford to lose.

What to Expect Here

Here's what Emily says: "Bryan has this uncanny ability to take complicated financial concepts and break them down so even our kids understand them. He's the guy who can explain the stock market to an 8-year-old while they're checking their Greenlight app. Even I—someone who built a business but used to get glassy-eyed at financial talk—now understand market fluctuations because of how he explains things."

I'm constantly fielding questions from friends, family, and random acquaintances about finance and investing. "What do you think about this stock?" "How did you do that?" "What should I do if...?" Even friends of friends of friends somehow find their way to me for advice.

That's what this newsletter will be - straightforward financial talk without the jargon. I'll share:

• How we've approached money in our family (including how we're teaching our kids about stocks and investments)

• What I've learned from my wins and losses

• Simple ways to start investing even if you know nothing (hint: start with companies you use and understand)

• How to think about risk and when to take chances

My advice for beginners? Start with what you know. If you're using Apple products, consider buying Apple stock. If your kids are obsessed with a certain brand, look into it. I bought On Cloud stock after seeing all the kids wearing them. This approach is not just practical - it's also the most fun way to start.

One thing I won't do is pretend to be a financial advisor (I'm not). I'm just a guy who's been in the trenches, made some good calls, made some terrible ones, and learned a ton along the way. But I do have a knack for explaining complicated financial concepts in ways that actually make sense to normal humans who don't spend their weekends creating Excel models for fun (though I definitely do that).

What questions do you have about personal finance, investing, or building wealth? Drop them in the comments below, and I'll tackle them in future posts. I want this to be useful for you - so tell me what financial topics keep you up at night or make your eyes glaze over when experts talk about them.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a financial advisor. This is not financial advice. Consult with a professional before making investment decisions. Sometimes I've just gotten lucky, and other times I've lost my shirt. Proceed with caution.