The article makes an extraordinarily valuable point: It's never going to be only about hard work. But as an outside observer I also look at what she's done and think "This is such a good example of perseverance and grit."

As Seneca supposedly said, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity". Sometimes opportunity is shy and you have to look a lot longer than you'd prefer. But I fully believe that if someone keeps at it, they can find their luck.