I think your remark sums it up well, Kathleen:
"I haven't earned a dollar, haven't made it to the top of google. But I am steadily moving up in the rankings, and I have learned a ton."

THAT is what the 30 Day Challenge is all about in my opinion - getting started and learning what's out there. I think it's one of the best places to get started in affiliate marketing and in learning traffic generation techniques.