Steemit has rewarded the hard work I've put into my podcast for the first time ever. I've been doing it for a few years now (off and on), and it wasn't until Steemit that I began to build listeners and "profit".
With only a small investment in myself of $50 (plus crypto profits), Steemit allows me to make a few Steem/Steem Dollars a week (which mean more with the rise in price).
For newcomers, keep hammering, do the work and try to stay in your lane a bit. There are a lot of self-sustaining communities here and they are only growing.