16 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | NOVEMBER 2019 Carey Peña | Contributing Writer It was a day like any other day. Carey Conley’s husband, Ross, got up early, showered, dressed and left her a note that he had an early morning coffee appointment. She would never see him again. “I went to the radio studio to record a show and got a phone call from the police that they were looking for me to give me news about my husband,” Conley explained. “They aren’t allowed to tell you anything on the phone.” Soon she would find out that her husband had died by suicide. Conley, a successful speaker, author and business coach, was left to pick up the shattered pieces of her life. The couple had two beautiful children, Cole and Laurel. Why did he do it? A lot of people asked Conley that question. She doesn’t have a clear answer, but points to the deep unrest Ross felt about his job and career outlook. The death of her husband was a delicate subject and one that Conley did not want to talk about publicly for some time. VISION IS VICTORY Later, Conley’s story would come to my attention. As is the case for many of the people who appear on my digital TV shows and podcasts, someone mentioned to me that she would be a great person to interview. She had picked herself up, carried on for her kids, and continued to inspire thousands of people. The focus of her writing and business coaching was all about vision and how to manifest it in your life for greater purpose. She was not ready to open up about her family tragedy, so the day she appeared on our talk show, we focused on her book, “Vision Is Victory: Where Hopes and Dreams Become Action and Achievement.” In the book, she wrote about “living your purpose and passion, and how to move beyond walls to create a vision that is bigger than any obstacle you might encounter.” Little did Conley know, the obstacles and pain in her own life were about to become even more massive. Moving on from the unthinkable CAREY’S CORNER {carey peña reports} KEEP LOOKING UP

NOVEMBER 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 17 Conley and her daughter, Laurel, titled their book “Keep Looking Up” because they couldn’t move forward in their lives without looking up, and using their faith to heal. Carey Conley said she and her family “lived in a bubble” prior to these tragedies. After her life abruptly changed, her reality shifted, leaving her to search for meaning. Conley said Cole was easygoing, introspective, creative and loved nothing more than being with friends and family.