Great post @jaredhowe - and I am doing exactly as you said - BUILD AN AUDIENCE. I've been here on Steemit for nearly a month and while I haven't made nearly the amount you have on this single post, I don't have any plans of giving up.

Building a tribe takes time and as a writer, I prefer followers who actually like my content and not just the serial upvoter/visitor. I crave the interaction because it means they're paying attention. So, nearly a month here and I hope to celebrate 60 followers by the end of the weekend! It's not great, but it's growing, right?

As much as I'd like to make Steemit my full time job, it's not happening fast enough to quit my other avenues of income. As a freelancer, I take jobs wherever I can get them. Thank you for the tips and the motivation. :)