Shane Parrish

He just showed what it looked like to see one door close and find another one open.

That instinct would become the defining pattern of Harrison's career.

His mother was a strong-willed former school teacher, and unlike most families around them, she sent every one of her children to university.

She didn't have an MBA or any formal credentials.

Interestingly, she went on to outperform her late husband at stock investing.

Competence in the McCain household was not in short supply.

After the pharmaceutical job, Harrison landed at Irving Oil through a university connection.

His new boss was Casey Irving, sometimes called the Canadian Rockefeller.

Casey built an empire spawning shipyards, oil refineries, newspapers, pulp and paper, forestry, and engineering.

And all of it was privately owned, which Irving argued let him react faster and plan longer than public companies could.

To understand the kind of mind that Harrison was now learning directly from one-on-one, consider this story.

An aspiring young entrepreneur trying to impress Casey once gave him full treatment at a gas station.

Not only did he pump the gas, he washed the windows, cleaned the headlights, and even wiped down the bumpers.

And when he was finished, the young man asked Casey for advice on becoming a businessman.

And Irving's response?

You will need to work a lot faster if you ever want to be successful.

That was Casey Irving.

Every interaction was a lesson, whether he intended it or not.

Casey loved vertical integration.

His son Arthur once explained why Casey got into the oil business.