We asked some of the hardest working artists, creatives and entrepreneurs we know to open up to us about where they think they got their work ethic from. Below, you’ll find some of those responses, stories, and advice.

Ally Hoyt

I grew up with a family who ingrained work ethic into me, from a very young age. But, I’d say my passion for what I do and where I strive to be 40 years from now, has really fueled me to work hard to achieve those dreams. Every time I sit at my desk, what I want my life to look like years from now, crosses my mind. And I’m reminded in that second. of how hard I’ve worked thus far, and the desire to keep going is heavy. I often think about the immense work ethic my father has, and even if I work half as hard as he has, I know I will be satisfied in the end. Read More>>

Ingemar Anderson

My work ethic developed gradually through several experiences during my life.
The first was when I was a teenager starting to discover my talents in repairing things. I would take broken electronics like TVs, tube radios, and old bikes, fix them, and sell them to neighbors, which earned me much respect.
Then, in college, I had the opportunity to work for a small company to develop software and tutor middle schoolers to pay for my college. Unlike my earlier experience, this time, my work ethic not only earned me respect in the neighborhood, but I got well paid for my work. My work ethic mattered, and people recognized my efforts. Read More>>

Kristin Erhartic

Growing up, I always had my own thoughts and aspirations. While my parents emphasized the importance of a strong work ethic, I believe my own drive and determination are what truly shaped my dedication. My biological mother was extremely controlling—dictating what I wore, where I lived after moving out, and only offering support if I followed the path she had chosen for me. Read More>>

The Lucky Effect

We get our work ethic from great artists before us such as The Beatles, Skrillex, and Chappel Roan. We record and rehearse multiple times a week as we continually strive to be the best artists we can be. Read More>>

Aaron Keitt

I grew up in a rural part of Irmo, South Carolina where my grandparents had goats, chickens, rabbits, a love for gardening, and a construction company. The grit of my work ethic birthed from cutting firewood throughout the year, tending to animals, doing yard work, and learning the fundamentals of trade work. Read More>>

Rudy Miles

It’s interesting to me that I got my work ethic long before I ever started working. Watching my parents go to work on a daily basis seemed exciting to me for some reason. I remember at a young age telling my parents i’d rather work than go to school and I remember them telling me soon enough I would be doing both. What stuck with me was their consistency and I liked the idea of making money in exchange for doing something whereas with school I perceived it as all work; again I was young. Read More>>

Lakeisha Grimes Fletcher

My work ethic comes from my ability to believe in me which started at home. I have high self-efficacy, which means my self-belief and self-awareness to reach my goals are at a high level. This allows me to value myself and the work that I do for myself. This also allows me to reach my short- and long-term goals. Read More>>

Zé Cavaco

When I started taking music seriously, around high school, I had the realisation that if I wanted to become great and fulfil all of my huge dreams, my work ethic would have to match that. The problem was, I had no motivation whatsoever to work for more than 30 minutes at a time. I would always lie to myself and give weak excuses to justify my lack of drive. That’s when I had an idea, andI turned to my dad – throughout my whole life, I always admired my dad for how hard he worked, he seemed to always be on top of everything, never run out of motivation, and all without even looking like he was breaking a sweat. Read More>>

Brandon Collins

Definitely from my grandfather aka Papa. He worked for decades in a Detroit factory for General Motors and was incredibly disciplined and dedicated to his job in the factory. He always made it a priority to show up a few minutes early to allow for any potential hiccups in his commute to work. He also never turned down an opportunity to learn a new skill. My papa would always smile when he told me the story of how he learned to work the forklift at work. He recalled how hesitant his co-workers were to take on a new task but he quickly jumped at the chance because his point of view was, “What’s the worst thing that can happen? I learn to do this new thing and never do it again?” Read More>>

Becky Baker

Growing up, I was one of four children. My father was an alcoholic and addict, and we were pretty poor. I knew that there was more out there, and that I didn’t have to live the way I grew up forever. I knew I wanted to live a different lifestyle as an adult and one day as a mom. I didn’t know exactly how to get there, but I thought if I worked really hard I could change the trajectory of my future. During high school, I thought the key was to graduate, figure out how to pay my way through college, and get a corporate 8-5, which is what I did. A few years later I launched Becky’s Brides and worked on that simultaneously for a few years until I was exceeding my corporate income with my business. I’ve always had a strong work ethic, because I wanted more. I wanted more for myself and for my children. These days my work ethic is driven by being able to create a legacy for my children. They are able to experience the world in a way that I never did, and that inspires and encourages me to work hard every day. Read More>>

Shu Wen Tay

Growing up with the Singaporean culture and society, I was taught that hard work and consistent effort was something that would eventually pay off. Observing that work ethic in process and in real time through my parents, seniors and peers influenced me in understanding how it worked.
One of my many brilliant mentors who I’ve been honoured to meet and learn from made me realise the importance of working smart with this consistent effort.
Of course, with music, it is ultimately difficult to know when such hard work pays off, but patience is key. Read More>>

Emilee Frost

I’ve always had this drive to stay busy—I just can’t stand being idle. There’s this underlying need to fill any downtime, which I think started early on. In high school, I was involved in every club I could join, and in college, I took on extra credits. When I went back to school in 2020, I was balancing a full-time job, full-time studies, and even started my YouTube channel. While it may not always be the healthiest pace, it’s taught me how to prioritize and manage time effectively. Over the past decade or so, I’ve gotten really good at juggling multiple responsibilities. I even make games out of mundane tasks, like cleaning, to keep myself motivated and on track. Read More>>

TIFFANY HARMS

My work ethic comes from my parents. My father started working at 14, and my mother always worked while we were growing up. I watched them go from renting a single room to owning a five-bedroom home—all because of their dedication and hard work. Seeing their journey firsthand taught me that success isn’t given; it’s earned. If you truly want something, you have to put in the effort, stay committed, and never give up. That mindset has shaped how I approach my work every day. Read More>>

Billy Wilson

Probably from knowing I’m not good enough. It’s definitely the opposite of the “you are enough” ideology that people like to toss around. I think as a baseline, there are some strands of veracity in there, but it’s gotten hijacked and rebranded as an excuse for complacency and inaction. I think it’s much more efficient to look the truth in the face, no matter how uncomfortable it is, and use it to your advantage. I might actually be good but I’m not as good as I want to be. Perfection doesn’t exist but those who strive for it will surely get closer to its nearest approximation than those who don’t. Read More>>

Betty Smith

For 40 years my mother worked as a domestic (cleaning houses and taking care of the families children). She always taught me and my 6 sibilings the importance of being on time and putting in a good, hard day’s work.

Many times, when I was between the age of 11 and 14, my mother took me to work with her. I remember scrubbing floors on my hands and knees. If i missed one small spot, she would tell me I had to do it over and not miss a spot. She always said any job worth doing is worth doing it well. If it is not done right the first time, I had to repeat until it was correct. Read More>>

Caesar Lima

Working in the fashion and beauty field for a long time, I realized that I was creating a false narrative about beauty.
Perfect bodies, amazing wardrobes and well retouched images didn’t tell a real story.

I decided to create a fine-art project called The Unusual Beauty on which I wanted to portray a different kind of models, real people with real issues, people with skin conditions such as nevus, vitiligo, albinism and unusual birthmarks. Read More>>

Mary Kastman

I believe my work ethic comes from a long line of very strong women in my family. My great grandmother Antonia immigrated to the United States from Poland in the early 1900’s. Making her home in Springfield, MA she raised two daughters and ran her own restaurant during a time where that was not very common! She was tenacious in every area of her life and she taught my grandmother the importance of hard work and the sense of accomplishment it brought to one’s life. My grandmother also worked for a newspaper before she married and started a family but her daughters and granddaughters have definitely inherited the work ethic. Read More>>

FR KARMA

Working honestly keeps me sane. I often find that in my free time, I am stuck in my head thinking about the past or the future. This is partly due to my adhd. I honestly love my work as well, and it makes me feel closer to God. Read More>>

Alexandra Beck

My family.

I strongly attribute my unwavering work ethic to my mom- Maxine, my dad- Kelly, and my older brother- Michael.

The 3 of them were my older role models and are my mentors for life. Read More>>

Shannon Porter

Anybody who truly knows me, knows how much I value both of my parents. I am grateful to have both of them instill such hard working and resilient values and skills for my sister and I. Of course we received talks about life, values, morals, etc. but they also walked the talk and modeled the value of a strong work ethic through their consistent efforts in how hard and diligently they worked to add value through their careers as well to provide an amazing foundation for my sister and I to launch from. Read More>>

Jeff Zeigler

I get my work ethic from a number of sources. For starters,my grandmother, mother, father and grandfathers were very diligent folks and there legacies have inspired me. Also, my friend Will Lyons encouraged me to have a good work ethic. Nowadays, my friend Daryl motivates me to not procrastinate, stay focused and have a sense of spirituality. Read More>>

Kristie Nunez

Growing up, my parents always emphasized the importance of hard work. This instilled in me, the value of putting in effort, whether it was in school or at home, which has shaped my approach to work. I believe that dedication and perseverance are crucial for success. Read More>>

Michael Solomon

My mom say’s my brother, cousin, and I all got our work ethic from her side of the family. My grandfather “Little Andy” and his brothers were all savages. My grandfather dropped out of school as a kid (during the depression) to work and help his family pay bills. He was the oldest boy of 9 kids. As time went on, my grandfather and his brothers eventually had bagel stores, and a bed and breakfast in the Catskills. On top of that, my grandfather was also a delivery man for Alpine liquors (Now Peerless Importers). All of the siblings worked hard to provide for their families and give their kids the opportunities that they didn’t have growing up. Read More>>

Marina Raydun

Work ethic was never a choice for me—it was expected. As an immigrant and refugee, I came to this country as a middle schooler and had to take on responsibilities beyond my age, like translating for my family as soon as I learned English. My father set a powerful example—he worked tirelessly his entire life and was also my biggest support during that first, overwhelming year, something I reflect on in my book Year One. Read More>>

KACEY SMITH

My work ethic as a phlebotomist comes from a deep sense of responsibility and dedication to patient care. With 20 years of experience in the field, I have learned that precision, compassion, and professionalism are essential in every interaction. Managing phlebotomists and leading a lab department have reinforced the importance of teamwork, efficiency, and maintaining high standards. Additionally, my commitment to service through Feather Touch Mobile Phlebotomy has further shaped my drive to provide accessible, high-quality care to every patient I encounter. Read More>>