They met at work. He wore a bowtie. She thought he was nerdy but handsome. And from the very first moment, John Conolly knew: Sandra Smith was the one.
Now, over a decade later, the two have built a life filled with love, kids, and cross-country sacrifices. It’s a power couple story that started in the heart of Chicago and found its way to New York.
From Painting to Trading — and a Bowtie First Impression
Sandra Smith was only 23 when she landed a new sales trader role back in her hometown of Chicago. Fresh off Wall Street and ready to take the next step, she was given a quick office tour on her first day. That’s when she saw John Conolly, the tall, bowtie-wearing, wavy-haired guy who barely looked up when she was introduced.
But Conolly wasn’t uninterested. He was just stunned. Later, he admitted:
“I knew right then that she was the girl I was going to marry.”
And though his background was far from traditional, he held a Fine Arts degree in painting, Conolly had made a name for himself in the world of finance. By the time they met, he was Head of the Futures Division at Terra Nova Trading and already plotting his next move.
Ironically, her first two weeks at the firm were his last.
A Spark on Camera — and Off
Their story didn’t end at that first meeting. Days later, Smith caught Conolly on TV, giving financial commentary in his trademark bowtie. They struck up a conversation and a new chapter began.
Conolly coached her through her own first on-camera appearance, and their professional connection turned romantic. By the time she invited him to see her new apartment overlooking DuSable Harbor, he thought, “This is working better than I expected.”
From there came dates at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, art museums, and sailing trips (which Smith had never done before). She loved how he challenged her.
“She ran track at LSU,” he said. “So I never introduced her to the shallow end. I introduced her to the deep end.”
Long Distance, Late Nights, and True Commitment
Their romance was tested when Smith took a job with Bloomberg Television in New York, sparking a long-distance relationship. She flew back and forth every weekend, sometimes through bad weather and delays, just to keep the connection strong.
“He has always been so supportive of my career and goals,” Smith shared.
“He fell in love with my family, and I his. We’d see friends. We’d go to church on Sunday.”
When Fox Business hired her, the move to New York became permanent. Still, they made it work. On May 1, 2010, the couple married at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.
Soon after, Conolly made the ultimate gesture. He sold his business, transferred to New York, and became Director of Product Marketing at CME Group — all to be with Sandra.
“And we were finally together,” she said.
Happily Ever After — With Kids and a Dog Named Whiskey
Today, Sandra and John are proud parents of two children — daughter Cora (born 2013) and son John Jr. (born 2015). They also share their home with their dog, Whiskey.
Conolly stays mostly out of the spotlight and off social media, but Smith occasionally gives fans a peek into their home life. In 2017, she tweeted about spending Memorial Day with her little ones.
And for anyone wondering whether true love still exists in high-stress careers, high-rise cities, and high-speed lives, Sandra Smith and John Conolly are proof that it does.
