How much did each of those steps actually help you earn income as a freelancer?

When I tried, most of them didn't help much at all. I am convinced, more often than not, that making a good wage as a freelancer/consultant is to have expertise in an area of interest - like using Ruby on Rails to increase sales of early stage startups through their online store; or using Visual Web Optimizer to increase conversions in enterprise businesses. The more specific the better.

Granted, I am still learning my place and getting my bearings, but my experience and the experience of others seems to point me in that direction.