Waiting for the right opportunity is like waiting for the sun to shine at night. It's much harder to wait then to put in the work while the sun is down. Cause the moon has its own opportunities.
What others think and say about you isn't your business, your only problem is to let them get to your head. Push until they say I used to know that guy.
No results, work. No pay off, work. The important thing is the work although it may seem like it's not working. Sometimes the work is working inside you.