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.
Morgan Wise
I credit my strong work ethic to my father, who owned his own business and was an entrepreneur in his younger years. Watching him build something from the ground up taught me the value of discipline, persistence, and taking pride in the work you do, even when no one is watching. Read More>>
Maribel Martinez
My work ethic comes from the generations of powerful women who raised me. I grew up watching my mom do the impossible on a daily basis. She had seven kids and raised us on her own, while working full-time and providing everything she could with so much love. Read More>>
Daylon Burks
Honestly my work ethic just pretty much came on from being thrown into the entertainment industry, especially the more I got overly involved on each film sets I’ve been on, I told myself just zone out everything and lock in and that unlocked a more work hard ability in me. Read More>>
Devin Franklin
My mom! She’s not just the hardest working person I know, but also the most intentional. Her work ethic is balanced by her compassion in how she deals with people. Read More>>
Adam Fehrenbacher
Growing up on a small family farm in the midwest I saw my dad work tirelessly from before the sun came up until well after dark. Managing livestock affords no days off, no holidays, no sick days, no breaks for the heat or the cold. I never once heard a him complain, I saw him as relentlessly driven. Read More>>
Saba Lurie
I’m the daughter of immigrants, and I think that could be enough to describe where I get my work ethic. My parents worked tirelessly to support our family, making many sacrifices. My work ethic isn’t something I have had to cultivate, which is a gift. It’s learning to balance work with everything else that has taken great intention and care. Read More>>
Landa Ruen
My work ethic came from my parents and grandparents. At a young age I learned very quickly that hard work was both necessary to survive but also felt really good when intrinsically motivated. Read More>>
Liva RJ
I get my work ethic from watching hustle culture nearly kill me. From realizing that being a chameleon who fits everywhere means you disappear, from learning the hard way that sustainable beats spectacular. Every. Single. Time. My work ethic isn’t about how many hours I log. Read More>>
Wayne Harris
I would say my work-ethic definitely came from my father. He was a carpenter and framer for 20+ years and after growing up working with him in the summers and watching how hard he worked and how he was able to get things accomplished, it inspired me and helped develop my work-ethic as well. He helped build everything from homes, supermarkets, apartments, and the like. Read More>>
Jake & Zach Scally
We grew up in a family where hard work wasn’t something you talked about — it was something you just did. Our parents never made a big deal about it, but we watched their lives. We saw them sacrifice, show up early, stay late, and pour themselves into everything they did. That example shaped us. Read More>>
Jordan Young
I would give credit to my parents and how I was raised, they helped me build a strong work ethic through example. They always modeled what it meant to be engaged mentally and physically, be committed from start to finish, and take pride in anything you do no matter how small the task. Read More>>
Kayla Bennett
I trace my work ethic back to two places: my parents and my own competitive nature. Growing up, my parents set the tone long before I understood what “work ethic” even meant. In our house, being early wasn’t just encouraged—it was expected. “Early is on time” was the rule, and after years of living by it, it became second nature. Read More>>
Thomas Gillman
My determination to have a better life for myself than the way I grew up. My parents were great in many ways, however circumstances dictated that I was homeless many times as a child. Sleeping in a station wagon in the cold, in Philadelphia, was not something I ever enjoyed. Read More>>
Leanne Walton
I grew up on a farm in Central Illinois and working hard was instilled in us from a young age. Farming is not a 9-5, clock in and out job. It is a lifestyle grounded in discipline, teamwork and in our family’s case, faith. Read More>>
Ed Cotton
I get my work ethic from my family—my father, my grandfather, and honestly the whole line of people who came before me. In my family, hard work wasn’t something you talked about, it was just what you did. Everyone showed up, everyone pulled their weight, and everyone took pride in doing things the right way. I grew up watching that every day. Read More>>
Katherine McCord
I always wanted not only to work, but to be the best! As a small child, I had the privilege of spending time with each of my parents at their jobs and each evening they would talk through their days with me. So, since my mother was in Recruiting and HR, I started playing HR at about four to five years old. Read More>>
Ivette Dumeng
My work ethic comes from discovering my purpose early in life. I started working at 14 in a small coffee shop in Washington Heights, where I quickly earned the trust to manage the shop and handle the books. From there—whether as an actor, producer, or director—I learned to tune into possibility and block out the noise around me. Read More>>
Joevince Canizares
As a double licensed professional Real Estate broker in California & The Philippines, hence licensed both sides of the Pacific. The formality of having a state & country license across both continents across the Pacific ocean. My work ethics come from knowing that nothing is given but everything can be earned. Read More>>
