Welcome aboard @bentoncbainbridg
Steemit is a wonderful community. The best piece of advice I can give you is to find some people whom you jive with. Comment often to build your following. Upvote articles of interest. I've been here about 2 months and I love it, but I work hard and try to stay consistent in creating quality material. I've learned so much here and my work has been enhanced because of it. Stick with it and I'm sure you'll do great!