Building Blocks of Success: Work Ethic

The ability to work hard has always been underappreciated and devalued by various elements in society. In our experience, it’s crystal clear that having a strong work ethic and positive attitude towards working hard is highly predictive of success. Below, you’ll find highlights of our conversations around how one might go about developing or leveling up their work ethic.

Darcy Lynn

I grew up in two wonderful worlds because my parents chose to separate when I was an infant. My father was not only a full-time engineer but also a farmer, as was his father & grandfather, in a rural area in Iowa. We learned that hard work was an absolute requirement, and while we had very little, everything we had was because we worked for it!  Read more>>

Myrhiah Templeton

From a young age, I grasped a vital truth: our potential transcends the hand life deals us, and our surroundings don’t determine our destiny if we ignite our inner drive. Growing up in foster care, I shuffled through countless homes, leaving behind a blur of memories. Read more>>

Lien Do

Coming from an immigrant family, and seeing how my parents left their home to rebuild in a foreign country has definitely shaped my work ethic. It took a lot of hard work and grit for my parents to have absolutely no idea what’s in store for them in the states, but to take the risk anyways in order to chase the “possibility” of a better future for 7 of their children.  Read more>>

Corey Reese

My work ethic is deeply rooted in my personal values and early experiences. Growing up, I observed my parents, who were dedicated to providing for our family. This instilled in me a strong sense of responsibility and the drive to achieve excellence in everything I do. Read more>> 

William Murphy

My Work Ethic has always come from My Passion and Dedication to anything I’m Committed too. I have the driven Tenacity to give my best to anything I am devoted in. My Grandfather taught me at a young age, the value of hard work and how hard work pays off. Read more>>

Takia Lewis

My Work ethic is within me so it’s so natural & comes easy I dont have to remind myself to get up and work hard I do this on the regular . Anything I lay my hands on my work speaks for itself . My parents always told me whatever you do always give it your best ever since I was little and it always stuck to me. Read more>>

Taylor Johnson

Life’s tests often reveal our true commitment to what we hold dear. Transitioning from a Division 1 collegiate swimmer to a self-taught filmmaker and video editor has been a journey marked by many challenges that shaped my work ethic and drive. Read more>>

Erika Packett

My mom! She has always had an incredible work ethic and drive in her own career but also in her passion projects. She never complains and is incredibly patient with anything she works on. Read more>>

Nathan Kinsman

Coming from a low income household and 4 brothers, we shared everything and had to really fend for ourselves. If you wanted something you needed to work for it. I’ve had a job since I was 14 years old and I’ve continued to develop and learn. All of that applies to Music and creating something as well.  Read more>>

Atila Carmona

I come from a family of artists. Thanks to my father, who’s a pianist (and has worked with artists such as Chick Corea), I specialized in piano at Barcelona’s Music Conservatory where I also took singing classes and learned guitar as a second instrument.  Read more>>

Cole Ashlynn Wells

My work ethic was carved out at a very young age. I was always a busy child and truly, I did it to myself. I started acting when I was two and when I was around three or four years old I joined the world of figure skating. Two of the most time consuming activities and I was at the beginning of my academic journey and participating in school related activities. Read more>>

Chad Cooley

My work ethic comes directly from my Family. Both of my parents were children of Farmers, and quite frankly, the older generations tend to have MUCH better ideas of what constitutes hard work or even a good pace of work. My work ethic pales in comparison to theirs and it seems as though it gets less and less as generations go by.  Read more>>

Sanghamitra Dasgupta

I believe in hard work and honesty. that comes from my parents. Read more>>

Taylor Halstead

I believe my work ethic came from my mother. Being a young girl. my mother was my own personal Superhero. I always knew that i wanted to be like her.. Being a single parent, I saw my mother juggle it all and never miss a beat. She worked hard and sacrificed a lot to provide me and my sibling with the life we had.  Read more>>

Jay Marcano

Initially from my father. He worked a lot, multiple jobs a day. As a child I didn’t understand and felt a way when he wasn’t but cherished the moments when he was. Yet still it was also less days with him then days with. My first job was at my childhood bodega here in Reading, PA I was 11-12 years old helping out with trash and stock. Read more>>

Micchi Berry

i’ve always received my work ethic from my family. My parents led very successful careers and lives and always taught me how to gain success in whatever you do. They always taught me to never be lazy because laziness will never accomplish your goals and won’t get you far in life. Plus I’m a very goal oriented person so I always felt the need to have a great work ethic in order to achieve those goals. Read more>>

Ariana Rodriguez

Since the age of 16, I’ve been actively working, finding genuine enjoyment in staying busy. Throughout my various job experiences, I’ve consistently strived to give 100%. My work ethic seems to derive from a blend of familial influence and personal drive. Both my grandmother and mother played pivotal roles in shaping this ethic, instilling in me the values of wholehearted dedication to any task or job, and stressing the importance of responsibility and commitment.  Read more>>

Cesar Garcia

I developed my work ethic thanks to my parents. My parents are immigrants from Oaxaca, Mexico and know what hard work is. Through their example I was able to adapt a work ethic that has benefit me today academically, financially and professionally.  Read more>>

Arisbeth Gutierrez

Growing up in a Hispanic household, my father instilled in me the importance of hard work and determination. He demonstrated this through his own actions, constantly learning and tackling various projects. We affectionately refer to him as “Geppetto” due to his knack for fixing and building things. Read more>>

Thomas Hollow

I am inspired by the dedication and hard work of the people in my life. When I look around at all the talent around me, all of the brilliant artists and creatives, I am constantly humbled in my own abilities. I admire people who work hard for their talent and I want to be one of them. Read more>>

Dr. Ezra Lockhart

As someone deeply committed to their work in mental health and addiction counseling, my work ethic is deeply rooted in a combination of personal values, professional experiences, and cultural influences. Throughout my career, I’ve strived to uphold principles of excellence, compassion, and continuous learning. Read more>>

Mallory Guirgio

I would say that I get my work ethic from my mom. She was a single mom who showed me what persistence, endurance, and drive looked like. Growing up, I always wondered why my mom was working all the time. In my young mind, I didn’t understand why someone would do that. I asked her one day and her response was “Because I love you.” Read more>>

Denzel Allen

My work ethic is deeply rooted in the values instilled by my hardworking parents. They were raised in the Deep South (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) and as first-generation college grads, they achieved success in both corporate America and entrepreneurship. Their dedication to being disciplined in the areas that were of importance to them taught me the importance of hard work and to appreciate every moment of life. Read more>>

Melissa Wonder

My work ethic stems from several factors. Firstly, it originates from my inner drive and desire to achieve goals. I’ve always believed in the importance of self-discipline and persistence in attaining success, so I devote maximum effort to completing tasks. Secondly, my work ethic is reinforced through continual self-improvement and the pursuit of excellence.  Read more>>

Jonathan Akkawi

I get my work ethic from my immigrant parents. They sacrificed everything to move from the Middle East to the United States (my father in the 80s and my mother in the 90s after they married) to give their future children a better life and more opportunities than they both had in the Middle East. Read more>>

Nadia Vassell

I would say that my work ethic came from my surroundings growing up in rural Montego Bay Jamaica. I saw this work ethics played out in my family, from my grandmother, who use to sell fresh fruits and vegetables from our own farm that my grandfather had. To, seeing my father owning his small grocery store, to my mother who work very hard here in America, making it possible for me to be where I am today. Read more>>

Shila Griffith

I’m a child of immigrants, so I’ve seen my parents struggle in ways that I never needed to because of how hard they’ve worked. My mother came to the United States from El Salvador in the 80s during their civil war. She was 20 and didn’t know any English. In contrast, my father came to the United States from Barbados with his family when he was 16. Read more>>

Melissa Jean

My unwavering work ethic is a legacy passed down from my extraordinary parents, who exemplified dedication and perseverance throughout their lives. Their tireless commitment to excellence, even in the face of challenges, continues to inspire me every day. Their resilience and determination serve as the cornerstone of my approach to work, reminding me to always strive for greatness and never give up, no matter the obstacles.  Read more>>

Christian Jones

I get my work ethic from my past jobs and experiences in life. I like to also take the knowledge I learned from past jobs to apply it to my own way of living to stay on point and structured within any field of work I’m in. Read more>>

Jonathan Sigler

I firmly believe that my work ethic is one of my greatest attributes and is what keeps my clients coming back to me. GK Nielson has a popular quote, “Successful people are not gifted; they just work hard, then succeed on purpose.” Work ethic is something that no one can take away and the one way you can get ahead of your competition.  Read more>>

Adriane Levine

I get my work ethic from my mom and dad. Both of my parents owned their own businesses when I was growing up and while they always made plenty of time for family, they worked very hard. My dad started in corporate and eventually decided it was not right for him, so he started his own company. Read more>>

Clearnce Ridgley

My work ethic comes from my upbringing, growing up in New Orleans, LA during a time where drugs and crime were at an all time high I knew that I had to work hard to make the best for me and my siblings. So I set out to become successful despite being told I wouldn’t make it to see the age of 21. Im not going to tell my age but I have more than doubled that age lol. Read more>>

Coach Payne

I believe work ethics is a combination of how your raised, environment, influencers in your life, learned behavior, values, beliefs and ultimately character. Now we all come from different backgrounds, cultures & experiences, but some things are consistently present, working behind the scences as we develop from child to adult. That is temperament, how God created you, personality, our mask or who we portray ourselves to be. Then there is character, who you are when no one is looking. Read more>>

Julie Longyear

I definitely get my work ethics from my family. My parents worked incredibly hard to create a good life for me and my brother and it was easy to absorb that. My dad came from a small town in Kentucky and put himself through college.  Read more>>

Kemonte Broadnax

I received my work ethic from my family which includes, my grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and cousins. Everyone in my family has a great work ethic. Read more>>

Michael Satterfield

I come from a family of entrepreneurs, growing up everyone in the family had their own business of some kind, My parents, grandparents, sisters, and cousins. Everyone had a full-time or part-time business, working was always just a way of life and my parents always taught me that there will always be other people with more advantages, more connections, and more education, but you have control over how hard you were willing to work. Read more>>

Melissa, Vanessa Staine

We definitely get our work ethic from our parents. We watched them push through some tough experiences with grace and determination. Our mother taught us that hard work will always pay off, and applying yourself will always take you further than waiting for someone to get it for you. Read more>>