One cool thing about this guy is that he was riding a train as a young man and happened to make a good impression on another passenger. The other passenger was a manager at an oil company and was offered a job.
It's not about what you know, it's about who you know.
It's more about seizing every opportunity presented to you, no matter how small, and being ready and willing to demonstrate that you are humble, capable, and hungry.
That still requires being exposed to the right people.
You are constantly exposed to the right people, whether you recognize that fact or not.