Realistic expectations: what can a small account actually achieve?

The maths is brutal and liberating at once. A $500 account earning 2% a month makes $10 a month — trading is not a fast way to grow small money, and anyone promising 20% a week is lying.

Experienced members: what would you say to a beginner who wants to turn $500 into a full-time income? Beginners: what expectations did you arrive with, and have they changed?

Honest numbers, please. This thread should be the antidote to hype.