Gifts are not favors. If you expect something in return, it's not a gift.
What if getting bigger isn't the point? What if you merely got better?
Flexible in the face of change, resilient in the face of confusion. All of these attributes are choices, not talents, and all of them are available to you.
When you are trusted because you care, it's quite likely the revenue will take care of itself
Things that look like shortcuts are actually detours (disguised as less work).
When you put your ideas in the world, then, and only then, do you know if they're real.