Today's "20 questions" guest is a perfect example of what can be accomplished on Steemit in less than a year.

Over the past 12 months, @coruscate has gone from being a virtually unknown amateur blogger to an influential powerhouse vlogger who consistently produces some of the highest quality content on Steemit, Dtube and DLive.

While developing her blog, she's commented on posts more than 5,000 times, amassed a following of over 4,500, built a reputation score of 70, and become a sought-after speaker for various Steem-related events.

In this exclusive-to-Steemit interview, Lea shares her recipe for success, gives us a glimpse of her unorthodox fears, and explains why passive aggressiveness is just a massive waste of energy.

20 questions with @coruscate

1 - How would you describe yourself in one sentence?

@coruscate - I am on a journey - I like to follow my joy and curiosity to see where life takes me.

2 - You just passed your one-year anniversary as a Steemit user. What has been your biggest takeaway over the past year?

@coruscate - That I matter. The contrast of working my corporate cubicle job - to coming on Steemit and feeling like my work is deeply valued by many is such a contrast.

I guess you could say that this place has really opened my eyes to what is possible in terms of how I want to work, live, be, and move through the world. A lot of personal development has happened for me in the last year - and I feel that the embrace of this community has been such a supportive place for that work to happen.

3 - How much time do you dedicate to Steemit & Dtube in an average week?

@coruscate - I get this question a lot and I have no idea. Making content feels like fun, leaving comments feels like fun – it's all great and doesn't feel like work – so I don't really count the time as it passes. I've really learned to flow with the excitement and energy, which means some weeks I feel like leaving tons of comments, and others I don't. Some weeks I have content pouring out of me, and other's I don't. I just try not to force things to happen anymore and that really helps fuel my energy.

4 - Your first Dtube video earned approximately 20 times the average value of your earlier posts. What was your reaction the first time you received a $50 payout?

@coruscate - To be honest - I need to give a proper shout-out to the amazing curation team at Project @curie before I jump into Dtube because they noticed me early on and really helped give me the confidence to keep going.

As for video content, I had done a little in my early Steem days - but only music entries for the Open Mic contest. Those were always my favorite posts every week and it occurred to me one day - that maybe if I loved recording music so much, I should start making more posts like that. The open mic contest only runs once a week though - and so I started poking around Steemit to see how other musicians were sharing music on the platform. Most were just making a post with a YouTube link, but I noticed one of my music friends @melbookermusic post a music video on Dtube that earned like $100. It was then that I realized the potential of posting on an application with voting power such as Dtube - compared to just posting straight to Steemit.

I did my first ukulele cover on Dtube to see what would happen and they decided to support that post with a vote. It was an incredibly exciting moment!! I then started playing around with doing 1-2 videos a week on Dtube and eventually grew that to posting a video almost daily.

As much as I loved music - I was starting to feel like I wanted to contribute more to the platform than just pure entertainment value - so I decided to try my hand at vlogging. I was super terrible at first - but got more comfortable on camera as I went and now I love it.

5 - A case could be made that you create some of the most consistently-branded and highest-quality content on Steemit. Why is this important to you?

@coruscate - Well first of all, thank you for that! I think I have always had an interest in marketing/branding - but what really mattered to me was being intentional about the feeling someone got when they stopped by my page or consumed my content. This is a question I ask myself all the time: "How do I want the audience to feel?" Then I craft my content and cover image to reflect that.

Speaking of the cover image... I don't know if people get sick of seeing my face all the time on my cover photos - but that was something I decided to keep pretty consistent from the get-go. I feel like by taking a new photo for each post - I could have more influence over making sure I conveyed the emotion/feeling I wanted to for that post. I do think it helps people connect with you on a little deeper level too when they see you - and not just a stock image from Pixabay. Nothing against this of course...but I've just found that taking original photos for my posts has worked really well for me.

6 - In less than one year on Steemit, you've posted 5,194 times. If you subtract several hundred blog posts from that number, it still means that, on average, you comment more than 13 times every single day. How much of your Steemit success do you attribute to your activity in the comments section?

@coruscate - Oh it is HUGE! I think there are two main facets to this question. First - there is commenting on other people's posts, and second there is replying to those who have left a comment on your post.

First - I think that leaving meaningful comments on other people's posts is huge. Think of how excited YOU feel when someone leaves a cool comment on your post... then think of how easily you can make someone else's day by doing that for them. This is actually the one thing I wish I had more time to do. If I had unlimited time.. I'd be stopping by every post I could, leaving a note of encouragement for that person!

Second is replying to people who comment on your page. I think this is huge. People always talk about growing their audience - but what are you doing to take care of the audience you already have? If someone has taken the time to leave a comment on your post - then they already like your content! Take care of them first and foremost - and growth will come.

I also want to note the true and deep connections that happen here on Steemit in the comment section. It's so unique compared to most other social media platforms where comments seem to be pretty surface level. This is one of my favorite parts of the platform.

7 - A scroll through your library of blog posts shows an evolution in the quality of your videos. How do you plan to continue to improve your videos in the future?

@coruscate - Oh great question! I am always experimenting with different editing techniques and finding fun places to film. I tend to be slow to upgrade equipment and really make sure each purchase has a defined purpose and that I'm ready to take on a new learning challenge.

I'd love to eventually upgrade my camera, get a drone, upgrade my editing software... etc.

You want to know something though? That stuff is all awesome ... but none of it really matters if you aren't connecting with your audience. Yes, keeping video content attractive, entertaining and high quality is important - but the biggest thing is focusing on being authentic and staying in tune with what is working for you, and what your audience is reacting well to.

So I guess to answer your question - I have plans to upgrade equipment as I'm able to - but my bigger focus is sinking even deeper into inspiration and making sure my content is aligned with both my excitement, and the excitement of my audience.

8 - If someone had told you last August how much you would accomplish on Steemit and Dtube in a year, would you have believed them?

@coruscate - This might surprise you - but YES. Even though I had never written a blog post in my life, or filmed a video EVER... I felt a sense of possibility when I came here. I sought out content creators who really inspired me and who were doing well and asked myself, "What is the difference between them and me?"

I realized that it wasn't that these top earners had some kind of super powers, or that they had teams of people helping them create their content. I noticed two main things about almost every top performer on Steemit. First, they obviously loved being here and loved making their content ... and two - they had clearly spent a lot of time getting to know people and building a community of friends around them.

I realized that this all felt really "doable" and I set out to try making the best content I could, and to start commenting on other people's posts and getting to know people on the platform. That's still my approach today!

9 - What is the weakest or worst thing about Steemit? How about Dtube?

@coruscate - From an external perspective, I think one of the hardest things about Steemit is that most people have no comprehension of how blockchain technology works and where "the money comes from." It takes so much work to explain to friends and most still don't really grasp it. It's probably one of those things that people have to hear ten different times in ten different ways to get it. As blockchain tech becomes more mainstream - this will become easier.

From an internal perspective - I feel like the community gets really easily divided and people have very strong opinions about how others should act. For something that is so decentralized - there seems to be a lot of unwritten social rules. (For example: bots, self voting, the quality of content, etc.) I tend to be more of a free-thinker/libertarian and so my approach is that people can do whatever they want as long as they are not harming another person. I hope I didn't just open a can of worms there - but I actually think the reason people get so passionate about these topics is that ultimately - they are passionate about protecting this awesome place. Fighting for their idea of how things should look is the best way they know how. I just think we could do with a little more empathy as a community. Understanding that maybe people on the other side of the discussion have valid reasons for their position too.

For Dtube specifically - I honestly think the 25% "fee" is hurting them. The switch they made 3 months ago to give that percentage right back to curators was awesome - but I still think it is causing creators to look to competitors like DLive who don't charge anything to use the platform. Who will the next competitor be that comes on the scene? I think to stay competitive, it would be helpful for Dtube to look at getting that lower - to maybe 20%, and then 15%.

I do think that everyone understands that building a world-class video streaming platform takes money and I know how tirelessly the Dtube team works to make that happen. I'm just saying that is a big consideration for creators coming onto the platform when deciding which Steem applications to use for sharing video.

10 - In your opinion, how far away are we from mass adoption of Steemit and/or Dtube?

@coruscate - With the recent announcement of Hardfork 20, I'm feeling more confident that we are getting closer. That will lay the groundwork for SMTs and the many other projects that will help catapult Steem forward.

Even then, I don't think we can really reach mass adoption until more people understand how blockchain technology works. I think that as more people become familiar with the technology, platforms like Steemit will intuitively make more sense and will be more approachable to people.

11 - If the financial rewards disappeared tomorrow, would you still post content on Steemit / Dtube?

@coruscate - I've made so many friends here that I'm genuinely excited to see everyday - and so if the community was still strong and all my friends were still here - hell ya I'd be posting!

In terms of the rewards themselves - I've always been good at pivoting and adapting to change. Either I would shift my perspective to Steemit simply being a fun social media platform that I engage with my friends on (like FB or Instagram) or maybe I get more creative with monetization, such as finding sponsors for my content... things like that.

12 - What's your most embarrassing moment?

@coruscate - Ugh ok. When I was in 6th grade I had to give a speech in front of the class. When I got up there - I was so nervous that when someone cracked a joke to fill the silence - I started laughing so hard from the nerves that I literally peed my pants in front of the entire class and ran out.

SIXTH GRADE PEOPLE. Not Kindergarten. Ugh.

13 - What's your greatest fear?

@coruscate - Where to start? One thing people might not know about me is that I do struggle with anxiety and have a lot of fears...but I am always working through them.

I would say that either waking up to a huge spider on me, or tripping while walking down the street and meeting my death from a moving car are at the top of my list.

14 - You appear to consistently have a glass-half-full attitude. Where does your positivity (or, perhaps, inspiration) come from?

@coruscate - Honestly, I think I've always been a pretty positive and naturally happy person. One thing that helps though is that I've really worked on not getting stressed or worked up about stuff If I don't need to. This really helps me move through the day with a bit more peace. Gratitude is key too. If I start feeling really down about something - that usually helps me put things into perspective.

15 - If you could share the stage with any musician or band, who would it be?

@coruscate - Hmm it would have to be someone who isn't egotistical and would be excited to just create together and see what magic comes from it!

I think that person is Alicia Keys. She is such a beautiful soul and you can tell that she genuinely gets excited at others' success. She would be one of those people who could really tap into that creative flow with someone and give that person so much grace to find their own creative superpower in the dynamic.

16 - You said you wanted to read more books in 2018. What's the best book you've read this year?

@coruscate - You caught me. I haven't read nearly as many books as I wanted to this year. I'm not very good at carving out time to sit and read - which is why listening to audio books is really my jam. Lately I've been in more of a podcast mood - but I have listened to a few Harry Potter books on audio, Eat Pray Love by Liz Gilbert, The Power of Now by Ekart Tolle... and more.

I should really just get an audible account so I can easily access audiobooks whenever I want!

17 - What's your biggest pet peeve?

@coruscate - Passive aggressiveness. I'm not afraid to get into messy, complicated, hard conversations - but only if both people are being totally real about what is going on for them. If someone is visibly upset, but is either unwilling or unable to voice what is bothering them, I find it frustrating. I do try to find empathy for that person because I know that I used to struggle with being passive aggressive too - but now that I've (mostly) moved past that - I just find it to be a massive waste of energy.

18 - I understand you're a fan of hiking. What's the best hike you've ever done?

@coruscate - Oooh probably the most epic trip I've ever done was a 9-day packrafting trip in Montana. For those who don't know what packrafting is - you basically have a whitewater grade inflatable boat that you can put in your pack. (Mine weighs a little under 10 pounds.) This allows you to hike into beautiful, remote areas - and then raft or float down a river back to your car. It's amazing because it allows you to see totally untouched stretches of river that people can't usually access.

A few years ago, my boyfriend @raised2b and I hiked about 40 miles into the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana, and then rafted another 50-60 miles out on the South Fork of the Flathead River. I have some pretty wild stories from that trip if anyone ever wants to hear about it.

19 - You get to have dinner with three people, living or dead. Who are you eating with?

@coruscate -

Really anyone who was alive in Egypt while the great pyramids were being built. I have sooo many questions.
Kurt Cobain. I'm a huge Nirvana fan and I want to know the truth of what happened surrounding his death. Besides... maybe we could jam after dinner?
Liz Gilbert. Her book Eat, Pray, Love was so inspiring to me and I just want to soak up all the good vibes and wisdom that she has.

20 - What is one thing very few people know about you?

@coruscate - I'm such an open book that this was actually one of the hardest questions for me! My closest friends are (very) aware of this...but I get obsessive over an idea and will spend hours researching it, thinking about it etc.... and then will often times lose all interest within a week or two. I don't think this is a bad thing because I quickly jump into something and flesh out whether it's something I actually want to put more energy into or not - but I'm sure it's a little exhausting for my friends sometimes to always hear about my "latest idea."

For the things that DO stick, though - I tend to really enjoy them. For example, I've been dancing west coast swing at least one night a week for the last 8 years straight. As an alternative example, I really thought I was going to enjoy jewelry making and bought a bunch of equipment after spending a month researching it. Once I finally got all the equipment and materials - I quickly realized that I didn't like it at all.

I think this is everything in life, though - follow the flow of energy and spend time on the activities that really inspire you. Sometimes you never know what you will enjoy without jumping in and giving it a try.

Thank you to @coruscate for taking on these 20 questions!

As always, thanks to all of you for taking the time to read.

Who would you like to see me throw 20 questions at? Drop me a comment below and I'll work on setting up the interview.

If you like what you read, be sure to follow my blog!

Previous "20 questions" interviews:

20 questions with @coruscate (The Steemian Series)