Thanks Chris-- appreciate the supportive words!
Steemit really is one of those places where you can be consistent and put in the work, and success will come to you. I'm by no means in the elite here, but I have done pretty well by just plugging steadily along... and I would have been a lot further along had I not been forced to power down most of the way due to an unexpected financial issue... but then what a blessing that this was here as an emergency fund.
As one of Steemit's rising stars, you can easily put yourself in an excellent position in six months, or a year... but it does take some patience and a willingness to grind it out for a while. Sure, there are shortcuts, and vote bots and such but they don't last... the moment you stop using them, you're back to making 50 cents a post. Interaction and engagement, that builds something lasting.