Thank you for this. I think you really understood what I was trying to get at with my question.
"The work usually starts compounding before it becomes obvious" really hit home. When you're in the middle of doing all of those things, it's difficult to know whether you're building momentum that you just can't see yet or whether you need to change direction.
I also really appreciate your perspective on the book. I wrote it primarily to help people feel more informed and confident before they begin the process, but I hadn't really thought about the difference between handing someone a business card and being able to hand them a book I wrote about the very process I'm helping them navigate.
Your advice to keep doing the "boring visibility work longer than feels reasonable" may be exactly what I needed to hear right now. Thank you for sharing your experience.