About
Hi! I'm Emily.
I'm the founder of Simplified, a skin care enthusiast, and 10x bestselling author.
For the last (nearly) 20 years, I've been building, creating, designing, and writing to remind you that you're worth it.
A look back on the past 14 years
With a dream and a prayer, Emily Ley Paper was born.
2008
Armed with a Masters in Public Administration, I became Exec Director of our city ballet and began a career in nonprofit management.
2006
The first Simplified Planner was released. We sold 500 that first year and bankrolled the company from then on.
2012
Just before my oldest son, Brady, was born, I went full-time with ELP. Soon, my overwhelm as a working mother led me to the aisles of Target in search of the perfect planner. Spoiler alert: it didn't exist.
2011
Our team grew and grew. We won "Best New Product" at the National Stationery Show in NYC launching major success for the brand. We were soon in 800 stores worldwide.
2014
in the beginning
Two beautiful babies were born into our family. ELP was renamed Simplified. My first book, Grace Not Perfection, was released and became a national bestseller.
2015
We closed our wholesale program at Simplified to focus on building community with our customers. Our partnership with At-A-Glance was released in Target, Walmart, Office Depot, and Staples shortly after.
2017
Now, I'm grateful to do life and work with an incredible team of women. With nine bestselling books, 2 million+ podcast downloads, and fifteen years running a multi-million dollar business under my belt, I'm thrilled to soon launch digital courses on simplicity and business.
2022
ONCE UPON A TIME
Before deciding to follow my heart into entrepreneurship, I worked in fundraising, the arts, and healthcare.
I have a MPA (Masters degree in Public Administration) and BA (English Writing) from the University of West Florida. I loved the jobs I held before branching out on my own and carry so much of those experiences into the work I do today. Perhaps the role I learned the most from was when I was selected to serve as Executive Director of Ballet Pensacola at the ripe age of 23. My scrappiness in nonprofit work certainly guides my work as an entrepreneur today.
My writing is inspired by real life with three kids, a husband, and a little floofy puppy named Walter.
In 2008, I founded Simplified, a brand of planners and products for busy women. Now, with my team of nine incredibly talented women, Simplified products can be found online, and in major retail stores like Target and Walmart.
In 2015, I was offered the opportunity to write my first book. To say it was a dream come true to receive that email while in my mini-van in preschool pick-up line is an understatement. Since then, I've written nine bestselling books with more on the way.
I love to write about the nuances of life as a recovering perfectionist, type-A woman balancing work, life, marriage, kids, and family - story telling through the good and bad, the hard and the beautiful.
I'm an Enneagram type 3 or maybe a 2 depending on the day. I'm for sure an extroverted introvert. I love coffee, skin care, any day I don't have to cook, and thriller novels. I'm a mixed bag.
MY REALLY OFFICIAL BIO, the TL:DR VERSION
Emily Ley is the founder of Simplified, a brand of planners and products for busy women. She is a Substack writer and bestselling author. Today, Emily lives in Pensacola, Florida with her husband (Bryan), son (Brady), and twins (Tyler and Caroline).
Your at-a-glance guide to where I stand on all the truly important things.
THE QUIZ
Favorite indulgence
Chocolate covered cherries
celeb i'd love to meet
Reese Witherspoon or Michelle Obama
Guilty pleasure
Hot baths
alternate universe job:
Dermatologist
FAVORITE AUTHORS
Sissy Goff, J.T. Ellison
drink of choice
Iced coffee. Forever.
PROBABLY READING
Mysteries or historical fiction
usually craving
Sour gummy worms
beach vs mountains
Beach
favorite show to binge
Gilmore Girls
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