Couldn't agree more
I'd say I've got a pretty good record for SEO terms for a number of clients, but that was a support of 3-4 people. If I was to go it alone....meh, not sure.
SEO though is a great industry to be in, as largely a lot of people who are in it are rubbish, and affiliate marketers are peddling their wares. Get a half decent non-affiliate to promote and you can get it to the top with relevant keywords relatively easily