In this deeply personal and unexpectedly uplifting episode of What Makes the Cow Guy Cry, **Scott Shellady—The Cow Guy—**reflects on the simple but powerful idea that happiness is a choice, even after life delivers its hardest blows.

Through candid conversation and real-life stories, Scott opens up about losing his daughter, navigating divorce, watching his trading career disappear as markets went electronic, and rebuilding his life piece by piece. He shares how choosing happiness became a daily, intentional practice—not a platitude—and how faith, friendship, humor, and human connection helped him survive moments when simply getting through the day felt impossible.

The episode also explores love found later in life, the wife who helped save him, the family he gained through marriage, and the unexpected joy of becoming a stepfather, mentor, and grandfather. Scott reflects on teaching finance at DePaul University during his darkest period, how mentoring young people helped heal his grief, and why living fully in the present matters more now than ever.

Blending grief, resilience, reinvention, relationships, mental health, and life after loss, this episode offers a raw and honest look at what it means to keep going, embrace emotion, and choose joy—even when it takes effort.