success doesn't come to those who don't work their butts off.
So true, it hurts. If that were the case, the true trail blazers would be successful.
I've found that success comes from making countless mistakes that leads to something profitable. If one doesn't make any mistakes, they won't be successful. This has taken me TEN years to understand.
As for "snag[ging] the attention of the sponsors], I found they usually come to me instead of me going to them. Last year, I got the attention of TWO sponsors for putting out good work. Sponsors are like cats: if you go to them, they won't stick around. Instead, they'll come to you if you have something attractive enough.