beautiful silo dwelling

Years ago, I heard a rumor that they were going to turn the Hershey cocoa bean silos into sweet apartment digs. 
 
I have a particular interest in the fate of these silos, so I was happy to hear the news. 
 
The original Hershey factory had been torn down years ago (though not before I got to visit the company store as a guest of my great Aunt Yolanda, who'd worked in the original factory for many years). 
 
I felt very special that day. 
 
And I still use the recipe book I bought there. 
 
But I digress! 
 
There's a lot of family history wrapped up in the ersatz Hershey chocolate factory... 
 
Both the old old factory (torn down)...
 
And the old new factory (also recently torn down, except for the smoke stacks)...
 
The Reese's factory down the road (where my Uncle Denny would get the barrels of expired caramel to feed the bears)...
 
And especially the bean silos. 
 
So to back up a minute and a half, my grandfather was the descendent of Methodist pioneers in the West Virginia/Ohio part of the country. 
 
Somehow or other he and his dad -- my great grandfather -- got involved with a construction company that specialized in building silos. 
 
I don't know the story on this. 
 
But I DO know they'd travel around the country putting up silos and then moving on to the next. 
 
Eventually they ended up in Hershey, PA, putting up massive cocoa bean silos for the factory in the late 40s or early 50s.
 
They would be crew chiefs, foremen, etc. and hire local men for labor. 
 
One of these local men my (teenaged) grandfather was overseeing was the  brother of one Fran DeSantis. 
 
And some 30 years later, I showed up as a result. 
 
It doesn't look like a developer has moved on the call for proposals that went out years ago, so as far as I know there's no plan in the works for redevelopment of the silos. 
 
But when it happens (assuming it happens), maybe I'll be in a position to get one of those condos. 
 
I've always felt a strong connection to the silos -- with good reason, I guess. 
 
And I like the story of how my grandparents met. My great-uncle liked this Mark Gainer character and thought he'd be a good guy for his sister, so he introduced them. 
 
Grandpa told me once that he knew immediately that she was the girl for him. (She needed a little more time, apparently.) 
 
It just goes to show you that when it comes to major life advancements, it's not WHAT you know... it's WHO. 
 
It was true in 1950, and it's true today. 
 
A lot of my "big breaks" have come through personal connections, not independent proof of my merit. 
 
I still have to prove myself, but that personal connection is what gets me in the door. 
 
And some of my BEST professional connections have happened through Copy Chief. 
 
I didn't realize it at the time, but going to Copy Chief Live back in 2019 (remember that year? Right before the world fell apart?) laid the groundwork for all kinds of professional advancement. 
 
I got started in the Copy Chief membership so I could get the discounted ticket -- and I've been a member ever since, because the resources in the group (not to mention the connections) are such high quality. 
 
It's my go-to place when I want to brush up on anything copywriting-related... 
 
From big broad training like "how to write a sales page" or "how to write a facebook ad" down to little niche study-holes on things like blind bullets or a specific kind of email campaign. 
 
There's also a ton of stuff in there specifically for the freelance writer. I've used that part of the membership a lottttt. 
 
But it's also a touchstone for the important relationships I've built. It's the thread that connects us when otherwise we'd be complete strangers. 
 
And now these "contacts" have become friends.
 
If you want to expand your professional network... 
 
Get really good at producing the right copy for your business (or clients)... 
 
Maybe drum up some copywriting work if that's your angle...
 
And further understand marketing and offers while you're at it... 
 
Join Copy Chief. 
 
There's an easy payment plan and a money-back guarantee. 
 
Nothin' to lose, really. 
 
Here's my link to join: 
 
gainer.ink/chief