Where's the Love?

I've never had an opportunity to meet, let alone converse with, some of the big names in beads out there, like Marcia, and Kate, and Diane, and Beverly - but I really wonder, how long did it take them to become the successes in the bead world that they are today?  How long did it take people to take notice?  Is that what they set out to do, or did it just happen?  Cuz - I'm beginning to wonder if I'm either trying too hard - or not hard enough.  EVERYONE told me I needed a website, so I started one, and started out trying to keep it updated, kept up the Etsy listings, kept linking everything to Facebook, and sat back and watched.....nothing happened.  There must be a secret.  I know part of it is where I'm located.  Mid Michigan was hard hit by the failing auto industry, and the crash of the housing market.  Our own household took a hit when my husband could no longer do real estate appraisals due to the idiocy of the mortgage lenders. But because I put myself out there on the web - the WORLD WIDE web - I guess I was hoping for a little more love. And I'm sure that very few, if any, of the big names in beading were overnight successes - but it does beg the question - "how do you get noticed?"  The bead world is huge, despite the fact that I've had many people tell me that it's a dying fad, hence the reason there were so few jewels at the Oscars this year.  It sure doesn't seem like a dying fad when you see all the books and magazines and online sites that there are out there in cyber space.  I DO know that most of the brick and mortar bead stores in my area are gone, including my own.  And it's really sad.  I would love nothing more than to still be able to offer customers face to face beads - but they didn't seem interested.  At least not around here. 
So where IS the love?  How do I gain respect, and customers, and recognition, and FAME by creating with beads, offering classes, coming up with my own unique designs and patterns, and the list goes on and on.  I guess you can just call me a wannabe....and you'll find me where ever there are beads - no matter what the fad may be.  My trays of finished pieces without homes are getting taller and taller....but it's who I am, and what I love - I just need to find the counterparts that recognize, appreciate, and BUY it, so that I can AFFORD to continue to do what I LOVE - everyday.
I appreciate and bow to the masters out there, you seem to have found the key to success....and I hope I am awarded it too, someday....
TTFN