Thank you!

@arekwolf, not to make light of things, but that sounds like a veiled sales pitch from someone who's skilled at "personal branding." 

Without doubt, we do have to "make ourselves visible" with some kind of personal marketing, but I would say whoever said that to you made a rather harsh indictment.

Timing sometimes can be extremely important... my wife and I both wear "multiple hats" as part of our own quest for as much independence as possible.

In a sense, Steemit is an interesting microcosm when it comes to timing: I could feel sad about getting here "too late" and not being part of the early adoption group who made $100's and $1000's per post... on the other hand, I'm grateful for my perseverance and constant publishing this spring when Steem went down all the way to 7c...

What was often appealing to me is that if you have those two, you can take a merely "good" idea (it doesn't have to be "superb") and get it to work well, in time.

Interesting and important point @dali.soh... people value things about as much as they had to pay or work for them... which is why we often see lottery winners being penniless a few years after they won. Had they had to *work* for those millions, they'd probably still *have* most of the money.

It does take courage to keep going when things get extremely "thin." And maybe "grit," as well as courage.

@enjar, not that many people I have met have been that well suited to self-employment... I'd almost say they were better "contractors" than self-employed people because they couldn't handle the long term grind. 

You have to be ready to be "on" pretty much all the time. I sit here and type these words while at work at the small art gallery my wife and I have... and use the spaces in between customers to post on Steemit, which might also throw a few dollars our way. 

Reminds me a bit of the old self-employment joke:

*"Wow it must be great to work for yourself and not have a boss! You get to set your own hours and have freedom"*

"Absolutely! I can work ANY 80 hours a week I choose to!"

::: crickets chirp :::

Yes, self-employment requires a lot of self-discipline.  It's working 120% without knowing for sure that the effort will pan out financially.  It also means always putting other people first, whether it's employees or customers.  This might be where many people shoot themselves in the foot by optimizing short-term gain and ultimately losing credibility and trust with their team and clients, both of which are necessary but not sufficient for long-term success.

Thanks!

Thank you!

@jlufer, that's an impressive accomplishment! And the fact that I see your name "everywhere" on the platform is a good illustration of how your dedication to working here is paying off. 

What's even more impressive is that you are accomplishing this in two languages... as I recall, English is not your first language, and you're also very busy with the Spanish language community on Steemit.

So cool that you've been able to make a living from Steeming!

@jouster, "determination" is definitely a good word to apply here...  it could easily be a "third part" to what I was getting at, here. 

Creativity is absolutely important... I think I tend to apply mine within a fairly narrow range, and more problem solving than to trying to strike out in new directions.

Interesting to hear you say that @kus-knee. I'm not particularly "talented" nor "lucky" when it comes to anything I have undertaken, but I have built a measure of success simply on learning to do things really well-- often through sheer determination-- and then "still being there" when other people decided to pack it in. 

Sometimes I feel like I am able to make up for what I lack in inspiration and genius simply by being patient.

Yes, I have seen that one before... and it's always a good reminder!

Oh, this one is one of my favorite pictures. I've sent it to at least few people for various occasions.

Thanks for the comment @onceuponatime; I agree it's not "all one thing," and it's certainly important to not be so locked down in one paradigm that you can't change directions when you need to.

I suppose my perception is also somewhat colored by the fact that I have never been involved with any "runaway successes" but I have done quite well with a number of projects of lesser potential by "simply grinding it out." And heck yes, I can be stubborn!

Persistence with wisdom and ability to pivot - it's no wonder entrepreneurship is not a piece of cake!  Excellent post (@denmarkguy) and comment (@onceuponatime)!

there's the rub.

@ronni, I happen to admire Elon Musk's business talents considerably. He seems to take things the world says "You can't DO that!" about and then he makes them happen... often through sheer tenacity; x.com, PayPal, Space-X, Tesla... each time he's breaking new ground, doing things others might say *"this might happen in 20 years"* to.

And he's very good at being a leading-edge inventor, but creating things people can actually use and need... *"transferring money witout a bank,"* what a great idea. *"It takes the resources behind a national government to have a space program."* WRONG.

@steemfluencer, you touch on something I was thinking about, as I was responding to comments on this post: I don't have a great deal of natural creative talent at anything; nor am I brilliantly inventive. In a sense, I guess we are able to "fill in" where we feel we are lacking with a "workmanlike" determination. I know I have what it takes to do "well" at many things, but harbor no illusions that I have the brilliance that will make "front page news." 

And I am really OK with that. And English is not my native language, either...

I'm not suggesting my way is always right @theblindsquirl, but they have served me well, as they have for others I have known. 

Risk taking and enthusiasm are important, too. But I tend to apply those to the confines of a carefully defined space. If it involves developing my specific expertise, I might take some risks there... but I'm not going to suddenly jump from writing to having taco stand, just because it sounded like "the hot deal of the day."

It's definitely not as exciting or glamorous as they show on TV!

There are pros and cons to both of those kinds of attributes. Enthusiastic spirit can definitely drive home your finer points to angle inverters and get employees on board in a startup.  It can also lead you to have tunnel vision and being blindsided.  There is a big difference between taking a risk and understanding the opportunity risk presents. Sure if you're a youtuber and you skydive out of an airplane with no parachute on you will get lots of views from your death-- you are also dead. 

Both of these attributes can result in great success, but can also cause you to overshoot and miss the target altogether. Often times people let greed get the better of them. It's more about creating, and taking advantage of the opportunity you find in life. Even something with very little risk can yield far better long term results than a high-risk opportunity.  These things are rather complex issues entrepreneurs face every day.

That's interesting @travelman... quite a few of the things I have gotten into over the years were projects others had given up because they were "harder than expected." That seems to be what I do best... things that have a slow growth curve but few "violent swings."

Steemit came along at a fortunate time for me... I was looking to resume more "general interest" blogging and there it was; after just six months I have become rather "protective" of this community... *and* I have managed to get back to blogging almost daily, for the first time in almost 10 years.

Your trip sounds intriguing... so you just got yourself another follower!