John Conolly Knew at First Glance That Sandra Smith Would Become His Wife

After the couple met at work, John Conolly, Sandra Smith’s husband, relocated to New York to make their relationship work. They have since celebrated ten years of marriage and welcomed two children.

Conolly and Smith were almost two ships passing in the night after enduring a long-distance relationship that posed a challenge to their relationship.

However, the former finance commentator said he knew Smith was one, and the married couple prioritized what meant the most to them– their family and careers.

John Conolly Worked in the Same Company as His Wife

Connolly and Smith met on her first workday back in her home city. As a Chicago native, Smith had fond memories of growing up in Wheaton and attending an elementary school just down the road from her home.

She recalled crossing a small wooden bridge to her childhood home, where her mother would be waiting with a smile and a warm lunch for her.

Fast forward multiple years and Smith was 23 and already on her third job post-university– her second job had been at a hedge fund in New York.

After landing the position of a sales trader in Chicago, the head of the firm gave Smith a tour around her new workplace. And one of the men she was introduced to was her future husband. Smith said:

“As we made our way around to the last person on the desk, there was John, the only person paying me no attention. When prodded, the tall, bow tie-wearing, wavy-haired, nerdy but handsome guy turned around, smiled, and introduced himself.”

Conolly attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1988 and graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting. Despite his artistic tertiary degree, he found his way into the world of finance and trade.

In 2002, Conolly was the Head of the Futures Division at Terra Nova Trading for three years before becoming the Vice President, Director, Managing Partner, and Chief Marketing Officer for over three companies in the next ten years.

However, after meeting his future wife, her first two weeks were his last, as Conolly was leaving to start his own business, and Smith would soon take over his position.

Conolly Knew at First Sight That Smith Would Be His Wife

A few days into her new job, Smith recalled having lunch when she looked up at the TV screen and noticed Conolly’s signature bowtie. He was commentating on their firm’s financial television program, and when he returned to their office, Smith, and Conolly struck up a conversation about it.

Conolly invited Smith to try taping a TV spot at First Business News at CME Group, and although she was a nervous wreck, he couched her through it. Their relationship began to bloom.

However, Conolly said he already knew Smith would be his future wife the first time they met, despite their age gap of twelve years. He revealed:

“I knew right then that she was the girl I was going to marry.”

After Conolly left the firm, Smith took over his position of providing the firm’s TV commentary. However, they continued their relationship outside of work.

Smith had just received the keys to her new apartment overlooking DuSable Harbor when the thought of sharing it with someone special– Conolly in particular– crossed her mind.

After she invited him to see her new home, Conolly remembered thinking, “This is working better than I expected.” It didn’t take long before they were on their first date.

Conolly took Smith to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. And his mom, stepdad, and Smith’s cousins joined them to preview a show at the Museum of Contemporary Art for their second date.

As a competitive sailor at the time, Conolly also took Smith on dates out on the water, something she admitted she had never done before. However, she enjoyed how he challenged her. Conolly explained:

“She ran track at Louisiana State University. So I never introduced her to the shallow end. I introduced her to the deep end.”

As Conolly did not have much of a dating life before his relationship with Smith, she admitted that she “reaped the benefits” of the years he spent working and traveling as opposed to dating. “I don’t think I would have gotten all of John Conolly if I hadn’t met him at that time in his life,” she said.

Although Conolly was on the dating scene, he clarified that he was “actively looking but wasn’t actively finding.” He was approaching his late thirties and knew there was a risk to wait, but his “do it right or not at all” mindset ensured that he didn’t settle for anything other than the real deal.

Conolly and Smith Had a Long Distance Relationship for a While and Tied the Knot in 2010

A year and a half into their relationship, Smith was offered a job with Bloomberg Television in New York. “Thus began our long-distance relationship,” she said.

She caught a flight every Friday, dealing with bad weather, flight delays, and tight schedules to make her relationship with Conolly work– whom she noted never complained. Smith said:

“He has always been so supportive of my career and goals. 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 Smith as an on-air reporter, her relocation to New York became indefinite. However, it proved to b a hurdle they were able to overcome. She was still working in New York and he in Chicago when they married on May 1, 2010, at Holy Name Cathedral.

Smith kept her job in New York. However, Conolly sold his business, became director of product marketing for CME Group, and transferred to New York. “And we were finally together,” Smith said.

They Have 2 Babies and a Dog

Smith and Conolly welcomed their daughter, Cora, in 2013, followed by their son, John Jr., in 2015. The family of five includes their dog, Whiskey.

Like George Clooney, Conolly does not have a social media presence. However, Smith took to Twitter in 2017 to share how she had spent her Memoria Day with her little ones.