Yeah, no question about it. I don't have whale followers (none that I'm aware of), but a few dolphins and orcas. The only time a post I resteem gets a big bump in awards is when a follower who has a whale following him or her upvotes it. But that doesn't happen often.
I do a mix of resteeming - newbies, minnows, and others. Sometimes it helps, sometimes not so much.
Anyhow...here is a resteem for YOU to 12,000+ followers. I hope it helps, @playfulfoodie. :)
What @playfulfoodie write resonates with me as I am in the same position as a veteran minnow. Is this how we can call ourselves. Just appreciating the fact that you are resteeming the post. A lot of veteran minnows are in the same position.
12,000+? Oh my gosh, that are so many followers! I don't think I've seen anyone with that many followers yet... Thanks a lot for the resteem :-)
I see you made resteeming your core business! It is a very noble cause and much appreciated, I'm sure, by those you resteem.
You're right that an upvote from one individual can make all the difference, due to the voting trail they have :-)