I did get to meet a lot of great players during the time I competed in flatpicking contests.
That doesn't make you a better player or a better person. It just means you met some people. I used to drink beer with Joe Walsh when he was at Kent State. That doesn't make me a better person or a better player.
PS He rarely bought.
I earned some "cred" among those guys by winning or placing in several contests. But I never had any delusions about being "great".
Then there should be recordings you can post, right? Nobody here knows if you can play at all because you have never posted any work. Play us something from your professional charts written in 2/4 time. Post some of your work. Shut me up!