While the media might often make it seem like hard work is dead and that everyone is just ghosting their lives away, we’ve seen countless examples of how strong the work ethic is on every street and in every neighborhood in America. Hard work is alive and well and we asked some of the hardest working folks we know how they developed their work ethic.
Terri Litzkow
Combination of the influence from my parents and the cultural context of Montana. My work ethic was shaped by the positive influence of your parents, who instilled important values, as well as the cultural environment of Montana, which has fostered a strong work ethic. Read More>>
DJ Banga
Seeing how my grandmother use to work to feed me as a child. She never turned down no jobs as a famous pianist. One of the top jazz players around. She was on several magazines and she use to take me to all the festivals. I appreciate her for going so hard for me and doing the best she could. With me having 5 children myself I go ALL IN every chance I get. Read More>>
Darian Stitt
My work ethic came from my parents. I’ve seen them both go above and beyond for me and my siblings always providing and made sure we were good growing up and even now as adults.
We grew up on love rather than survival and I feel like that’s why I have the spirit and drive that I do when it comes to helping people. Read More>>
Lianna Fertig
I’ve lived on my own since I was 17, so I learned at a young age the expense of living life on your own. This put a heightened emphasis on the value of a dollar and a fire under me to do whatever I could to earn a buck. I worked multiple jobs, odds and ends work, and had to strategically puzzle them together to fit into one schedule. I was fortunate to have employers that rewarded good ethic instead of seniority and I took full advantage of that opportunity. I think it’s human nature to do the bare minimum especially with “stepping stone” type jobs, but this conditioned me to show up for a job, not cut corners, and eventually doing the best I could do became my default work ethic. Read More>>
Francisnelli Santos
My mum. She was always one true to her word. If she said she would do something, she would definitely do. Always organised and on time. Everyone that had met her, loved her because she was a generous and truly kind person. Read More>>
Pro4ecy
Several different places. First, the environment I’m from. I’m a city guy first. You gotta play or sit back. Can’t be one foot in one foot out. Second, my uncle. He has me slaving when we did shows together, but I saw how his dream was literally his job and that couldn’t have driven me more. Read More>>
Michael Bloom & Kurt Rogers Luau Lads
I think it’s a combination of many things. Former employers, parents & peers all factor into the work ethic we have developed over the past 25 years in the industry. Seeing what works, what doesn’t, and how to properly factor those things into a functional system. We both started young, and had to work for things we wanted. Starting the Luau Lads was no different . We both understood what we wanted to achieve, and accepted how much time, effort & positive thinking it would take to get it off the ground. We made plenty of mistakes along the way, but learning from those mistakes, and implementing that learning into our project has been vital. Read More>>
KingFx Graphics
My Grandma , My Granddad and my mom. They always been hustling, hustling they whole lives, i watched them as a kid they were always on the go they never waited on a handout from no one, They did whatever they had to do to make ends meet and they always helped each other it being the reason i try to help people the best i can, no matter what i got my hands in I’m always working and perfecting my craft i love to work hard for the things i love and want out of life. Read More>>
Angelicka Crawford
Being of Jamaican descent people always joke Jamaicans always have more than one job. In a sense being a business owner / nonprofit leader often times you do have multiple roles or hats if you call it so it stands true. Read More>>
Jim Madsen
I grew up in Iowa where the work ethic was ingrained in you at an early age. If you’re not early, you’re late.
It was also there that I learned that the line in your job description that says “other duties as assigned” is a broad umbrella and at no time should you ever utter the line “that’s not my job”.
The other thing I learned is that we are all in sales. We can be in accounting, production, engineering, whatever, but we are all in sales. When we have an interaction with the public, we are the representative of our company, whether we like it or not. And the public just us AND the company we work for based on those interactions. We always have an opportunity to promote our brand. Read More>>
Kimberly Powers
I grew up in a family where a diligent work ethic was modeled. Every morning before I would leave for school, my dad Scott Muka, would tell me “Bye Kimberly, I love you, excel today.” This instruction helped me realize how much I could accomplish if I set my mind to it. I learned to see results that when I put in the hard work towards my goals, I will reach my accomplishments. In large part, I owe this work ethic to my parents, especially my dad. Thanks dad, for teaching me what it means to work hard and push through difficult experiences to earn the rewards of discipline and persistence. Read More>>
Yvette Amakor
I got my work ethic from my mom! I don’t come from wealth, I had to watch my mom work 24/7 round the clock no matter the circumstances. Come rain come sun. She always found a way! I work like a beast, I am literally unstoppable when I get in my zone.. and that came part from watching her. When you are not privileged enough to have things handed to you, you do everything possible to create your own opportunities. Especially if you don’t want to end up having nothing. I want to be successful so I stay hungry and consistent with work. Read More>>
Brooke Palmer Kuhl
I developed my strong work ethic from my father, Jerry Palmer, who an entrepreneur. Growing up, I had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the dedication and sheer determination my father poured into his own ventures, retiring at 40, and then building a new company even bigger!!
From a young age, my father instilled in me the value of hard work and the importance of taking ownership of my goals and aspirations. He would often share stories about his own journey, losing both his parents by the time he was 15, highlighting the countless hours he invested, the sacrifices he made, and the challenges he overcame to build his successful business.
Observing my father’s relentless work ethic, I learned that success is not handed to you on a silver platter but is earned through perseverance and unwavering commitment. He taught me that to build something of your own, you must be willing to go the extra mile, put in the long hours, and consistently push yourself beyond your limits. “Be the cream that rises to the top of the cup” he would say
My father’s entrepreneurial spirit also taught me the value of taking risks and embracing failure as a stepping stone to success. He would encourage me to think outside the box, to dream big, and to not be afraid of making mistakes. He believed that failure was an opportunity for growth and that it was better to try and fail than to never try at all. My plan was to be a veterinarian, not a PR and event guru. But here we are! Read More>>
Laketa Shaw
My work ethics come from the business courses that I completed to obtain my bachelor degree in Accounting. The courses prepared me for on the job and life itself. My work ethic is very strong and important to me. My honest and trustworthy work is always appreciated by everyone. Read More>>
Clifford Jones
I got my work ethic from sports. Being athletic, you always compete, and I always wanted to be the best. My upbringing also plays a big part in my work ethic because I grew up in poverty, and as an adult, I didn’t want to starve. So I became a wolf. Read More>>
Emily Larrabee
With the experience I have in freelance work I’ve quickly learned the value in making sure to impress in whatever timeframe a project allows me and having a good work ethic is the best way to accomplish this. Style and process can be so subjective when working with art directors and authors but being able to communicate ideas, take critique, edit and stay ahead of deadlines is universally appreciated. Being a strong worker is the easiest way to find new work. Read More>>
Jordan Levine
Growing up with a single parent on a horse farm, my dad never got a day off. Bad weather? still outside working. Sick? Someone still has to tend to the land and feed the animals. I knew that I wanted to be my own boss one day. Read More>>
E. Bradley Heyden
Really it started at a very young age. I truly believe it had everything to do with sports, especially baseball. If you are learning anything and want to be good it take time, a of work, and patience. I am unsure if it was just the time I grew up in but, there was always people to work with or play some kind of pickup game. If no one was available you were throwing the tennis ball against the garage, Throwing a football at targets or even kicking a soccer ball into a trash can. Read More>>
Jana Rife
I would say I get my work ethic from my late grandmother. We spent a lot of time together and I lived with her as a teen. We enjoyed having long conversations at the kitchen table. A lot of those conversations were about her working on the farm as a child and her work ethic at the company she retired from. She said she never called in sick and alway did the work that had to be done. Even when she was in her 70s she was doing the neighbor’s yard work. I think she just loved to work and found a lot of pride in all that she did. I enjoy my work too and I am proud of it all. Read More>>
Nyla Graham
My work ethic can often be described as hardworking, persistent, adaptable, and confident. I am also very goal-driven. My work ethic derived from my hunger for success and my ambition to break generational curses. Everyday I envision my dream life and what I expect out of it, which motivates me to give my best self no matter what I am doing. I am a strong believer that every generation should be better than the last and I want to not only pave the way for future generations, but I also aspire to lead by example. I find. myself entering many ventures and juggling many responsibilities, because I am always eager to elevate. This forced me to sacrifice a lot along my journey, but I would rather work hard now, so I can enjoy life and play later. Stop dreaming of success, work for it! Read More>>
Harrison Conyers
My mom taught me my work ethic. Myself an my business partners focus on artists an their development an approach into the music industry. I myself also work on brand building an industry awareness. What to look for what to expect an goal searching. I started my journey in the tattoo business in 2009. In 2017 I opened my first brick an mortar in the Brooklyn community of South Baltimore. This was big for me I did a joint venture with a guy we had a recording studio an tattoo shop. This allowed me to get into a creative space an provided me time to focus on my clothing brand (Logix Life’s Clothing) a common sense brand focused on uplifting ppl an community’s buy feeling great in the garments you wear. Bright warm feel good colors adorn my logo an the style of the clothing. Our slogan is as read – Logixlifes clothing it just makes sense….. Read More>>
Jami Jenkins
Growing up I witnessed my parents always doing their best. Not to be better than others, but because doing your best is the right thing to do. And doing your best doesn’t necessarily mean doing it perfectly – it means doing the best with the knowledge and skill that you have in that moment. Read More>>
Autumn Ellison
My work ethic comes from my Grandmother, my entire life I watched her work a job with long hours and still be the matriarch of my family. She showed me discipline, balance, and true strength. Now as an adult and business owner I try to embody those characteristics. Especially when running my business, I pride myself on my work ethic being a person of my word, following through, and on time. That’s how I always thought of my grandmother as a woman of her word, if she said she would do something you could be sure that she would do it. Read More>>
Gerri Pizzini
I’ve always said it’s that “Midwest-work-ethic” and growing up in a small town that gave me my drive and need to be productive, but I think pressures of being self-employed really adds to it and as an artist/entrepreneur I can see the rewards of my work 😃 Read More>>
Elizabeth Ann Powers
Growing up, I watched my parents work extremely hard to become successful business owners. They taught me how to make a plan and how to put that plan into action. At eighteen years old, my very first job was in the hospitality industry. From there, I learned to be a promising employee by being on time, having a positive attitude, and being a team player. The harder I worked the more opportunity I was able to gain which lead me to seek out management and leadership roles. With a great work ethic, I was able to work smart and maintain reachable goals which ultimately lead up to my successes today. Read More>>
Kareece St George
Well, I get my work ethic from my parents. They have always worked hard and taught me and my sister, that if you want something in this world you must work for it. You get a greater sense of pride when you work hard and accomplish your goals. Read More>>
Amira Gadd
I got my work ethics from my mom, my teachers and observing successful people who are working hard and are getting great results. After getting hired as as Creative Manager at Truly Music Sync Agency. What I love about this job is that I get to handle songs that I used to listen to on the radio or in my room by my favorite artists to be placed in ads, promos, T.V., film, trailers or Video Games. I am also discovering new emerging artists who are incredibly talented. As a lyricist and a songwriter, the fact that I review the lyrics of the songs to see if it matches a brief is a literal dream. This is truly a manifestation of a fun job. In very little time, I was able to grow in the music industry, especially the Sync world, due to showing up, learning, asking questions and making sure that all of my ducks are in row. I realized that I got this job because of my work ethics. My boss, Wendy Griffiths, is the best! I am very grateful. Read More>>
Ania Wilson
My work ethic stems from my personal values, diverse experiences, and passion for what I do. Growing up, I witnessed the hard-working attitude both my parents had, and they instilled the same resilience in myself and my siblings. Creating that foundation has been essential in striving for excellence. Read More>>
SBee Thelasttrapgod
I get my work ethic from my self iam a hard working musician I just love with what I do I love music .
And music is my evrything this my life I put evrything into music
And my work ethic come from me doing a lot of things by my self
Dealing with trust issues it’s hard for me to trust someone to do my job for me
Also what’s keep me going is my passion for it
the time I spent in jail trying to find my self also the real truth is I keep my self going even when iam not motivated by anyone I just keep going because that’s what I’m going to do for the rest of my life also I love the support of my fans my fans also keep me working. Read More>>
Steve Wolff
My parents were independent business owners (antique restorers and dealers) back in the UK and both had a strong work ethic, which they passed on to me by example and with comments like “Always do your best, even if you fail you can always look back on that with pride” and “if a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well”. They also impressed on me that failing is a good thing; which I transitioned into my general life motto of; you succeed when you run out of ways to fail!” I’ve found that to be true in business, engineering and music, not to mention relationships. Growing up, I saw them go through hard times (including losing my brother in a motorbike accident in London) and pick themselves back up and succeed and excel, to the point where my father was selected by Buckingham Palace to build a mirror designed by the Queen of England for her study on the Royal Yacht and also to gild her coronation thrones, which were even reused at Westminster for King Charles’ coronation this past year. Read More>>
Vivianna D’Ambrosio
I believe my work ethic really started with my parents. Both of them worked, my father was an executive corporate chef and my mom was a meeting planner. They really enjoyed their work, they cared about it, they sacrificed a lot for it. Seeing them put dedication into something like that was really impactful and it made me realize the high that you can get from it. Having a good work ethic is super hard to find these days. People want all the glory but do not want to put the work in. Being shown hard work at a young age made a huge impression that still resonates within me today. Read More>>
Julia Jewlz” Noriega”
I entered the work field at the young age at 14. I attended a high school with a work study program. I began my internship my freshman year of high school and continued throughout my senior year at a commercial building real estate firm. Along with my internship, I was a hostess for a restaurant on the weekends right when I was able to work at age 16. The foundation of my work ethic began at these two jobs. They instilled principles and standards that I utilize in my business today. I learned at a young age the responsibility that comes with having a job; such as arriving on time, wearing the correct uniform and how to treat customers. These are all practices I implement in my business today and what has gotten me the success I have. Without this foundation I truly don’t believe I would be able to run my business at the level at which I currently run it. Read More>>
Maria Orozova
Growing up in Eastern Europe, I saw not only my parents, by my grandparents create multiple streams of revenue. This meant anything from small freelance gigs to exceling in their careers, etc. I’ve always had tremendous pride in my work and want to make sure that every job, no matter now big or small, is done right. I also just really enjoy working – it gives me purpose to know I am contributing positively to my clines’ businesses and endeavors so I have never shied away from taking on hard problems. And I hope to teach my son the same values. Read More>>
Derrick and Brittney Williams
We didn’t get our work ethic from anyone or anything. We where simply born with the drive to be successful. Both my husband and myself have been driven from a young age. We don’t come from any success story or family we are the success and we still haven’t quite meet our vision of it. Read More>>
Timmy F
I feel like my work ethic comes from going with out a lot of things as a kid and young adult. What drives me is fear. I’m afraid of going back to where I was at that point in my life. So it keeps me working hard. There are times that I get to comfortable and began to slow up a little bit but I feel like everyone has those days. I don’t stay in that space for to long. I snap out of it pretty quickly and remember how I’m not as far as id like to be quite yet. Read More>>
Raelyn Docampo
Since I was younger, I was always taught to put in the work and effort for myself and for others in order to succeed. Not just for me, but to succeed as a society in general. Understanding the value of work ethic has always been a big part of my personal and professional life. Read More>>
Carlos Betran
I owe my good work ethic to my parents. My parents have both worked non stop in a career they both found passion in. Growing up this is all my siblings and I saw. 10 to 12 hour days to provide for our family and give us the best education we could possibly receive. At a young age I decided to pursue a non conventional career and despite the ups and downs and obstacles that came up I maintained persistence and dedication, something I learned from both my mom and dad. a contributing factor wasI always feeling like I had to prove myself to everyone around me because of the career I’m in. Read More>>
Elle De Freitas
My dad!
I am an extremely competitive person and I think that trait alone is one of my best qualities and a reason why Wonderkind Co has grown as quickly as it has. I owe that one to my dad.
Growing up I played soccer and ran track. My dad was my unofficial coach for every sport. He would give me motivational speeches before races, tape my ankles, put Mineral Ice on my knees. He would always be in the stands cheering me on. One of my very favorite moments was a state track meet, biggest race I competed in. I ran the 800 meter and the game plan was first lap, pace, and second lap, sprint. Read More>>
Alexia Lexy” Ford”
My work ethic is deeply rooted in the challenging circumstances I faced while growing up. When my father passed away at a young age, I was thrust into a world that required me to mature quickly. My mother, who faced her own battles, instilled in me a sense of resilience and determination.
Being a young parent, having chosen to have a child at a young age out of wedlock, added another layer of responsibility and motivation for me. I realized that I had to work hard not only for myself but also to create a better life for my child. I wanted to ensure that my child would never experience the hardships and uncertainties that I had faced. Read More>>
Rick Caballo
Growing up I was always taught “your word is your bond” meaning be honest, do things right and do right by others, and there will be no problems. That includes any work I produce whether if it’s writting a song, painting a portrait, building a. website or designing logo. My best work must be produced at the best of my ability, not only for our clients but also for my selfworth. I can’t let things slide and put out. things I myself wouldn’t be happy with. I set my bar high, which is why we don’t have any problems. Read More>>
Heather Stepney
Hello. I have always had a self motivator mentality. My work ethic developed during childhood. I started working my first job at age 12, turning 13 years old. During that time, my family struggled a lot. We moved a lot. At the time, my mom was a single parent, raising four children. I wanted to do anything to help her. To be honest, she was my example. Her work ethic, paved the way for her children. I can honestly say that all of her children, has good work ethics. It does not not matter how you start, just start. It matter’s how we finish. Finish strong! Read More>>
Joyce Curvin
My parents were hard workers. My dad worked long hours building a successful business in St. Petersburg and my mom was equally occupied raising us, helping with the business and volunteering in the community. They instilled that work ethic in both me and my sister. I do consider myself to be somewhat of a workaholic in that I don’t sit still for very long! I like to be out in my studio creating new pieces, working out designs and ideas. I enjoy what i do! Read More>>
Angelia Bills
I initially received my work ethic from my parents who worked in service industries at local universities for 50 years collectively. My dad worked simultaneously at a university and for himself as an entrepreneur for 20 years before working full-time in his business. He always told me to keep a side hustle and work for myself in addition to working for others. I ended up following his model in my business. Read More>>
Jay Scott
From a young age my father instilled in. me that hard work and dedication to whatever you put your mind to, will lead to success eventually. He taught me and showed me by his actions, to work hard even when no one was looking. To work with pride in yourself and the job you do. He is really the reason I have the work ethic I do. I can’t stress it enough, instill these values in your kids when they are young. Read More>>
Carmen Salvá del Corral
From the heartI began my literary career in Mexico City in 2008. From then on I wrote my first historical novel La mirada, followed by the musical The Magic of Christmas: You, the play La nave del miedo, the short stories Monstritos, Nicolás y la Magic stone; A stork story; Story of quails; Theresa’s miracle; black stones; Pluto is sad; the short story Alfie, elf of the light; a youth novel Adventure in Ushuaia; a book of stories Secrets of a secretary. My last written story is currently being edited, it is Spanish-English Serafin and an alligator in the pantry. Regarding my artistic facet, I started in Madrid in 2018 due to the need to illustrate my books. I am currently continuing my apprenticeship in Bahrain, which is where I live for work, at the Palitra Studio. When I travel to Spain I study with the painter Álvaro Ruiz Pérez. Read More>>
