![alt text](https://s32.postimg.org/yssu2h6zp/howtosteem.jpg)

# There's always mystery surrounding how and why people become successful in something. 

## As a newbie in Steemit, you're probably asking yourself right now: _How did the authors of the book, [STEEMIT 101](https://www.amazon.com/Steemit-101-Discover-Social-Content-ebook/dp/B01HC47NLU#navbar) get to write and publish that book? What makes them special?_ You also might be asking yourself, _How do I get to do something like that in Steemit?_

In this post, you will see the real conversations that took place behind the scenese and find out how I responded to others. I entered Steemit.com alone, with zero connections. I found it by accident while doing online research. I have no mining experience and I was mostly unaware of the digital currency sub-culture. You will soon understand how I went from $0 in Steemit 4 weeks ago, to having a wallet that contains $27,000. 

I want to dissect the steps that led up to me becoming a co-author of [STEEMIT 101](https://www.amazon.com/Steemit-101-Discover-Social-Content-ebook/dp/B01HC47NLU#navbar). The ingredients that I mixed together are as follows, in a descending order of importance:

# 1. PASSION

http://i.giphy.com/5ZYlp0bF7qMBa.gif

_Willy Wonka is my original inspiration_

## I am a passionate writer-artist. 
I am literally seized in the middle of the night with ideas. I had started writing full-time about 3 months ago for the [Interesting Engineering](http://interestingengineering.com/author/leah-stella/) website and for a software company. I write between 1 and 3 articles per day, _every day_. Becoming a freelance writer was my ticket to leaving the 9-5 coma-inducing corporate treadmill and I am fiercely protective of this new path. I've been trying to break free from the 9-5 since 2013. It was very difficult. But I was determined. I have a ton of ideas, and instead of doing what I used to do: dreaming of taking action, now I just take action on my ideas. Being a writer forces me to think creatively every single day. I believe that if I had still been at a 9-5 job, I would not be sitting on $27,000 in Steemit (half of this is liquid cash, half is Steem Power). I felt so much passion for the Steemit project that I got into the [Steemit slack channel](http://steem.herokuapp.com/) early on and publicly wrote my intentions: "@ned I'd really like to write a how-to book about Steemit and I'd be interested in doing this as some kind of volunteer gig". I believe @donkeypong (the guy who asked me to co-write the STEEMIT 101 book) had seen my message in the slack channel, thereby planting the seed.

# 2. TIMING

http://i.giphy.com/Ps0doXTvdVH7W.gif

## I got into Steemit early. 
I don't think there was anyone like me in Steemit 4 weeks ago. There were hardly any women. I don't know the percentages, but it was scant at best. Instead of turning up my nose and assuming that a bunch of 4chan-type brogrammers had just made a new home on the internet, I decided to dive in. DEEP IN! When I saw the potential of this site, I literally just WENT FOR IT. I didn't hold back anything. I knew that getting into something early was a game I wanted to play. And I have a lifetime of missed opportunities, so a few years ago, I committed myself to doing this one thing: _fearlessly dive into a new pool of potential without thoughts of failure destroying my drive._

# 3. PREPARATION AND SEIZING OPPORTUNITY

http://i.giphy.com/AXLqQsgwT6oyA.gif

## I was 100% prepared to become a content and story machine in Steemit because that was what I already was. 
I just switched homes, that's all. The reason I switched homes, to be completely blunt is that I was not pulling in enough money with my other freelance gigs. I was outputting a shit ton of work, and not seeing the monetary results. Writing is sort of a bad-paying gig. Everyone wants to see their name plastered in the media, so the pool of writers is large, but the available gigs are scarce. I had been producing many written articles (and accompanying image collages) so I was **totally prepared** and in fact, I would say I was overripe! I seized the opportunities in Stemit like a starving lioness seizes her much needed gazelle. But I did this in an ego-less manner. This can be broken down into the following sentence: _I wanted to help so bad, that I literally felt like I would do anything to become a helping part of the Steemit community. _I literally smashed my ego, stomped on it, then threw it out the window and watched how it dispersed like a thousand tiny pieces of glass into the forest below._
Here's one of the conversations between @donkeypong and me in the slack channel:
![alt text](https://s32.postimg.org/nwo4lgtr9/Enlight1_14.jpg)
You can see that in my last message, I convey the fact that I am trustworthy and productive. I was just telling him the truth: I am both those things.

# 4. WILLINGNESS TO HELP WITHOUT SEEKING PERSONAL GAIN

http://i.giphy.com/OElLtWmfaiKn6.gif

## After @donkeypong had asked me to co-write a few chapters, I never asked anything about compensation. 
I actually didn't care much at all. I'm a believer in the commons. I knew it was an amazing opportunity, and I wanted to be a part of it, no matter what type of compensation existed. I could see how big a deal it was to co-write a book. @donkeypong was respectful and told me upfront the terms: all proceeds from the book would be reinvested in advertising for Steemit. I was fine with that. All I cared about was the experience and getting another book out. I realized that this would be an ideal situation as I am more of an idea person, and less of an executer, a finisher. I could get another book out without having to go through the grueling editing and finishing!!!!! It was like a dream.

# 5. EXTREMELY FOCUSED, FAST AND INTENSE WORK ETHIC

http://i.giphy.com/lRnUWhmllPI9a.gif

## Right after @donkeypong told me the chapters he needed written, I got to work like 1 minute after texting him. 
I whipped out 2 articles, in a few hours. I just followed my gut instinct. He told me he needed them right away, so I just got them out the same day he asked (I think....it's kind of a blur actually). I had already developed an extremely intense and fast writing habit, so it was really easy for me to crank out 2-3 articles. Developing a work ethic like mine takes time. It could even take years. I haven't always been so productive, so don't get discouraged if you're not like this yet. You first have to find some type of work that makes your blood boil, your brain explode or your heart enlarge. Writing and creative work do this to me. It's like I feel like I'm floating, dancing, loving and singing inside every day now. It's perhaps like finding true love, except that it's inside, not outside.

# 6. ADAPTABILITY & CURIOSITY

http://i.giphy.com/SetrOTyBBVK5G.gif

## Remember this: the more you're like water, the more opportunities you will find.
Water seeps into everything. It has no shape. Be like water and you will find joy and new experiences everywhere.
Being flexible and curious accelerated my learning and made me see Steemit's beautiful new world of decentralization, freedom and collaboratively working with others.

My curiosity led me to the Slack channel and I was absolutely amazed that I could see and take part in real-time conversations with the miners, the whales, the co-founders: @Ned and @dantheman and users. The transparency was like crack cocaine to my senses. I'd never seen such a thing. It was like the whole Steemit ecosystem just appeared from behind a curtain, and there in the Slack channel, the mysteries were unfolding, transparently, beautifully. I knew I had entered a secret world of information. I loved those first few weeks of discovery. I lost losts of sleep and even in my dreams, Steemit appeared to me. I was getting ripped out of the Matrix for real this time and every time I went back on Facebook, the plugs were re-inserted into my skullcap:

http://exotel.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/trinity.gif

So, that is the story of how I ended up becoming a co-author of [STEEMIT 101: Discover How to Make Money and Have Fun on the Social Media Site that Pays YOU to Post and Vote on Content ](https://www.amazon.com/Steemit-101-Discover-Social-Content-ebook/dp/B01HC47NLU#navbar). It's only 99 cents on Amazon right now.

## ABOUT FINDING YOUR STRENGTHS:
Explore yourself to find out what you're good at. Some people are good at mining Steem (@smooth) some are great at finishing writing projects (@infovore), some are good at starting them (me), some are full of crazy-wonderful ideas (@alexc), some are detailed, uber smart geniuses (@dantheman), some are smart, well-connected executors (@ned), some are brilliant and exotic writers (@camilla, @guillaume), some are perfect mixes of marketing and great writing (@cryptoctopus and @donkeypong), some are uber kind reciprocators (@kenny-crane), some are cheeful miners (@pfunk), some are crazy-fun (@tuck-fheman), some are straddling the edges of rainbows (@rok-sivante) and some are futuristic bots (@wang) and many others I missed. The point is, we are all different. I'll never be a miner (I think, who knows, though) and I'm happy to be in a sea of mad ideas. I like to work with finishers, people who can focus my energy and help me execute. I love to work with people in Steemit. It truly makes me happy as I've been working in total isolation for many years now......

ps- I do have an email newsletter that you can sign up for. I send emails like once or twice per month: http://www.stellabelle.net/sign-up/

I really hope this post cleared up some of the mysteries. 

Your Steemit dolphin guide,
stellabelle

![alt text](https://s31.postimg.org/804099bh7/dolphinme.jpg)