It's not what you know, but who you know. Most of the hard work needs to come in personal development. Learn your craft, your field, your competition, whatever. After that, it's about meeting people, letting them know what you do, and then being ready to act when the inevitable opportunities present themselves. Some people get "lucky" and have a lot more opportunities, but I firmly believe that everyone gets those chances at different points in their lives. It's whether you are bold enough to take the risk and seize them when they come. It is a risk. You could fail. But, to me, "better to have tried and failed than to not have tried at all".