In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Jim Dedelow sits down with The Cow Guy for an unforgettable conversation about resilience, grief, tragedy, and the deliberate choice to be happy — even after unimaginable loss.

The episode begins with a hot-button discussion about the Chicago Bears stadium controversy, the future of Soldier Field, Arlington Heights, and the possibility of the Bears moving to Indiana. Jim and Cow Guy debate the economic future of Chicago real estate, population shifts, sanctuary city policies, corporate departures like Citadel, Boeing, and McDonald's, and the broader trend of Americans relocating to warmer states like Arizona and Florida.

But the heart of this episode dives much deeper.

Cow Guy opens up about the devastating loss of his daughter in the John Hancock Center (now 875 N. Michigan), the moment a Chicago police officer told him, "Sir, your daughter is deceased," and the unimaginable task of making seven phone calls to family members to relive the tragedy again and again. He shares the emotional aftermath, the waves of grief, losing his brother and father shortly thereafter, and how trauma permanently changes you.

This episode explores:

• Coping with the death of a child

• Grief recovery and emotional resilience

• Mental strength and mindset after tragedy

• Post-traumatic growth

• Choosing happiness as a daily decision

• Overcoming anxiety and fear

• Life after loss

• Suicide awareness and family trauma

• Faith, mortality, and perspective

• How routine and work help during grief

• Personal development through adversity

• Leadership through pain

• Motivation for difficult times

Cow Guy shares his philosophy: If you're going to be here, make it worthwhile.
He explains how tragedy stripped away his fear, and why choosing happiness must be deliberate.

Jim also reflects on interviewing a mother who lost two children — including an autistic son killed in a train accident — and how shared tragedy creates a quiet understanding between people who have "tasted death."

This episode is raw, real, and ultimately hopeful.

If you're struggling with grief, navigating trauma, rebuilding after loss, or looking for motivation during hard times, this conversation delivers powerful perspective and practical mindset shifts.

🎙 Topics include:
Chicago Bears stadium debate, Chicago politics, economic migration trends, grief counseling, death of a child, resilience mindset, mental toughness, choosing happiness, overcoming tragedy, life lessons, motivation podcast, personal growth, and inspirational stories.

Watch on YouTube at WJOB1230 or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

From the Chicago Board of Trade to London's LIFFE exchange, this episode dives deep into the collapse of open outcry trading, the rise of electronic trading platforms, and what happens when an entire financial industry disappears.

Former pit trader, broker, and financial markets commentator Scott "The Cow Guy" Shellady shares his firsthand experience transitioning from futures trading in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and London International Financial Futures Exchange (LIFFE) to a full-time career in financial media and market analysis. As electronic trading replaced floor traders in 2015, thousands in commodities trading, futures markets, options pits, and derivatives markets were forced to reinvent themselves.

This episode explores:

• Open outcry trading vs. electronic trading systems

• Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) history and CME floor trading culture

• Career reinvention after job loss in financial services

• Transitioning from Wall Street trading to financial media

• Market volatility, futures trading, and broker life in London and Chicago

• Personal resilience after divorce, loss, and economic uncertainty

• AI replacing white-collar jobs in accounting, investment banking, finance, and software

• Artificial Intelligence disruption in financial markets

• Trade school vs. college in an AI-driven economy

• Career advice for traders, investors, finance professionals, and young entrepreneurs

We discuss financial markets, investing, market psychology, risk management, industry disruption, and adapting to technological change. If you're interested in stock market careers, futures trading, commodities markets, financial news, business strategy, economic trends, or how AI will impact jobs in finance and beyond, this episode delivers real-world insight.

Perfect for listeners of finance podcasts, investing podcasts, business leadership shows, economic commentary, and career growth content.

This is a story about market evolution, economic survival, professional reinvention, and thriving after the death of an industry.

Listen now for powerful insights on trading, technology disruption, financial careers, and embracing change in the modern economy.

In this episode, The Cow Guy opens up about the power of structure, regimentation, and planning, and how those habits don't box him in—but actually free him to think creatively, generate original ideas, and show up every day in media, markets, and life. From waking up before dawn to scripting live radio shows, he explains how discipline creates the mental space for insight, artistry, and sharp commentary.

But this conversation goes deeper than productivity. The Cow Guy speaks candidly about grief, loss, and surviving some of the darkest moments of his life—when routine vanished and survival was the only goal. He shares how perspective, accountability, and what he calls "intestinal fortitude" helped him rebuild, return to structure, and keep moving forward.

Along the way, the discussion touches on motivation, generational differences, leadership, coaching, and why heart still matters more than talent. It's an honest, unfiltered look at how old-school discipline can still work in a modern world—and why thinking time may be the most valuable asset we have.

Raw, reflective, and unapologetically real.

In this expansive and deeply reflective episode, **Scott Shellady—The Cow Guy—**shares the full arc of a life shaped by discipline, loss, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to growth. From playing college football at the University of Colorado under legendary coach Bill McCartney, to living and trading in London for 16 years, Scott looks back on the pivotal moments, mentors, and mindsets that defined his journey. Scott opens up about navigating profound personal challenges—divorce, the loss of loved ones, cancer, and reinvention after the trading floor went electronic—while still describing his life as deeply blessed. He explains why "choosing to be happy" isn't denial or positivity theater, but a practical, daily discipline rooted in accountability, self-critique, and perspective. The conversation explores Scott's personal philosophy of "winning the day," his habit of coaching himself through honest self-reflection, and how athletics taught him to own mistakes, handle criticism, and keep moving forward. He also shares how an early background in art and creativity shaped his unconventional approach to financial markets, media, and personal branding—including the iconic Cow Guy jacket that became part of his identity on television. Along the way, Scott honors the teachers and coaches who changed the trajectory of his life, recounts lessons learned from failure and success, and reflects on what it means to live fully in the present at 60 years old—with gratitude, confidence, and purpose. This episode blends life lessons, resilience, leadership, creativity, athletics, finance, and personal growth, offering listeners a candid and motivating look at how experience, discipline, and self-belief can carry you through every chapter of life.

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.

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, **Scott Shellady—The Cow Guy—**opens up about the life experiences that shaped who he is beyond the trading jacket. Known nationally as a markets expert and media personality, Scott reflects on loss, faith, resilience, and the conscious decision to choose happiness in the face of unimaginable hardship.

Scott shares candid stories about losing his daughter and father within days of each other, living through grief, navigating cancer, and how those moments forever changed his perspective on fear, success, and purpose. Drawing from his years as a trader on the Chicago Board of Trade and in London, Scott explains how surviving life's hardest moments prepared him for high-pressure markets, public media, and reinvention beyond the trading floor.

The conversation explores themes of mental health, grief, faith, identity, and reinvention, including why Scott never defined himself solely as a trader, how he transitioned into financial media and television, and what it truly means to live fully—laughing, crying, and reflecting every single day.

This episode is a raw, honest look at life after loss, the importance of resilience and faith, and how embracing change can lead to purpose, fulfillment, and impact—both in markets and in life.

In this episode, Scott Shellady—widely known as The Cow Guy—shares the untold origin story that shaped his career in global financial markets. From the historic 1987 stock market crash to the volatile spring of 1988, Scott reflects on life as a fresh-out-of-college finance major from the University of Colorado Boulder, navigating a Wall Street world built on 100% commission stockbroker roles.

Choosing a different path, Scott followed his instincts to Chicago, earning just $125 a week while working a second job parking cars at Harry Caray's—a humbling start that laid the foundation for resilience in the commodities and equities markets. The journey takes a dramatic turn when, at just 24 years old, Scott moves to London with no cell phone, no job, and no place to live, where a major misunderstanding unexpectedly becomes a career-defining breakthrough.

This episode is a powerful look at risk-taking, perseverance, financial history, and personal growth, offering insight into what it really takes to succeed in trading, investing, and global markets—and the moments that change everything.

Welcome to the podcast featuring Scott Shellady, nationally recognized market expert and media personality better known as The Cow Guy. In this introductory episode, Scott pulls back the curtain on who he is—both professionally and personally—beyond the trading floor.

Listeners are introduced to the first layer of Scott's journey, from his work as a markets specialist covering commodities and equities to the personal experiences that shaped his perspective, resilience, and voice in the financial world. This episode sets the foundation for a podcast that blends market insight, life lessons, and personal storytelling, offering a deeper look at the man behind the nickname.

Perfect for listeners interested in finance, investing, trading, market commentary, and real-life stories from Wall Street and beyond, this episode marks the beginning of an honest and revealing series about career, identity, and what it really takes to navigate high-stakes markets.