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.
Ingrid Yeh
Thank you so much for the opportunity to share my story with your readers! It’s an honor. 🙂 I would say I get my work ethic from my mom. 100%. Read more>>
Hannah Joya
When people ask me where my work ethic comes from, I always think of the home God blessed me with. I grew up watching two parents who lived out faith, perseverance, and service in a way you can’t learn from any book. My mom is the quiet strength of our family. Read more>>
Tony Genius
My work ethic comes from a combination of fear of failing and the determination to complete the tasks that i set out to accomplish. I have seen too many times in my life, whether it be family, friends, coworkers, and peers, that have shaped my understanding of commitment. Read more>>
ben sarcadi
My work ethic is rooted entirely in the example set by my parents. As immigrants to the United States, they carried with them the values and discipline shaped by their experiences. Having grown up in a communist country where scarcity was the norm and the government was often corrupt and unreliable, they relied on one another for everything. Read more>>
Hanna Monservas
I credit my work ethic to my family. I’ve always been very family-oriented, and they’ve been my biggest support system from the very beginning. Their encouragement is a huge part of why I’m able to stay motivated and continue pushing forward, especially in moments when things feel overwhelming. Read more>>
Brittney Brown
Success has never been optional for me. Even when it wasn’t warranted, I pushed forward—driven, disciplined, and never leaving anything on the table. Raised by strong-willed Mother and a supportive Grandmother, I learned resilience early. But it was my Grandfather, a lifelong advocate for civil rights & equality, who taught me purpose. Even in retirement, he fights for others. Read more>>
Julisa Chavez
I learned it from my parents. The sacrifices they made to ensure my brother and I could succeed continue to inspire me every day. From a young age, they taught us through both example and action. Read more>>
Adrian Barbu
I’ve got my work ethic as a kid, from my stepfather (that doesn’t mean I started applying it that soon; I didn’t even remember it until much later). Read more>>
Sandra Bush
As a people-pleasing perfectionist, my work ethic is based on doing my best to make myself happy. If I can’t give a project my full attention, I won’t take it on. I learned this the hard way. As a shy child, I lacked the confidence and self-assuredness to believe in my own skills and talents and procrastinated whenever I ventured outside my comfort zone. Read more>>
Mortez
Our band ‘Mortez’ has given us both a reason to zone in and focus on our craft. We make it a point to put writing sessions on the schedule, team meetings, rehearsal etc. Getting a glimpse of how supportive our small fanbase is already shows us that we are doing something right. It seems the more passionate we are the easier the ‘work’ becomes. Read more>>
Lori Piotrowski
Short answer? My father. My dad always inspired me. He was a large-animal veterinarian in ranching and farming country, working long hours on cattle, swine, and horses. In a time when only landlines were available, we had two: one for the house and one that was tied to the clinic. Read more>>
Paul Matelski
I think my work ethic came from growing up in a small business family. My father owned an outdoor sporting goods store in New York State where I grew up. Read more>>
Kay Wells
My work ethic comes from how I was raised and the environments I’ve been in. Growing up, I watched people around me work hard — not because it was easy, but because it was necessary. That taught me early on that consistency and integrity matter just as much as talent. Then my years in aerospace engineering really solidified it. Read more>>
mikEuclide Jean-Baptiste
My work ethic is imposed by my role as an husband and father. As an artist, I think it could be easy to get carried away by only doing things only when we like to. But having a family to feed makes me diligent. I also see it as balance. We have to legs, and to walk straight we need both strong. Read more>>
Alyssa Romero
I would say my work ethic comes from my parents. Growing up, my dad was a truck driver and my mom was a nurse — they were always working. Their constant dedication showed my sisters and me the importance of showing up and giving it our all. Read more>>
Niko Loyatho
I was raised by a dad with an unbelievable work ethic. When I was young, I loved unconventional sports like skateboarding and snowboarding. He loved cycling and running. I hated those because they were monotonous work–infinite, unending cardio. I thought I had a bad work ethic because I was too capricious to put in time doing those things he loved. Read more>>
Olivia Lewandowski
My work ethic really comes from the way I was raised. My parents have been entrepreneurs throughout my entire life; first owning martial arts schools and now running a hair extension salon. Growing up in that environment taught me so much about discipline, resilience, and the rewards of hard work. Read more>>
Adriana Lopez
My work ethic comes from my mom. When we immigrated to the United States, we had to rebuild our entire life from scratch. As a single parent, she worked incredibly hard to give my sister and me every opportunity she could. Read more>>
Hopii Tee
I have a mixture of both of my parent’s work ethic. My mom is very driven and believes in action and logistics, so I have that in me when it comes to studying a new skill. And for my dad, he has a lot of ambition and multiple ideas, which I take after him in my music creating and entrepreneurial aspects. Read more>>
Simrin Speaks
My work ethic comes from my upbringing. My parents modeled consistency, responsibility, and dedication through their work in real estate and community service. Watching them manage their business and still prioritize helping others taught me the value of discipline and purpose. Their example shaped how I approach my own goals and commitments today. Read more>>
Vanessa Olatunji
My parents are great role models for me and I learned a lot about work ethic from them. My parents are hard workers, they are educated, and they are go getters. Read more>>
Diane Podogrnik
My parents were hard workers and I observed that from a very young age. My mother was a nurse and a day care provider. She was an awesome cook, gardener and seamstress. My father was a self taught marine electrician and broadcast engineer. He was brilliant and knew how to work on anything. Read more>>
Ashley Marrero
My work ethic started young. I worked after school in high school in Manhattan, and then on-campus jobs all through college. Those early experiences taught me responsibility, discipline, and how to navigate different environments from a young age. I didn’t grow up with things handed to me—if I wanted something, I had to work for it. Read more>>
Juliette Froment
Clay is seen as a natural material, especially on social medias where it kind has that image of something raw, that allows you to some kind of return to nature. And it actually isn’t completely natural most of the time. I started ceramics using regular clay, that you can find in specialized stores and comes in lumps of 10kgs in plastic bags. Read more>>
Natalia Nikolaeva
My work ethic, beyond education and upbringing, is rooted in continuous engagement with great minds and cultural figures — artists, writers, and thinkers who shaped entire eras. Reading, visiting museums, studying history and Art are not only forms of inner enrichment, but also ways to understand the human journey across centuries. Read more>>
Perry Foster
A major part of my work ethic comes from watching my parents. They ran a small mom-and-pop restaurant – seven days a week they would be hustling. It was very inspiring. Additionally, from a very early age I knew that if I was to become anywhere close to a master of my art form, I would need to dedicate significant daily time to that practice. Read more>>
Vittoria Giacomini
I developed my work ethic primarily from my family, and especially from my grandfather. He came from extremely humble beginnings — his family was considered the poorest in a small town in northern Italy — yet in the 1950s he managed to build a business completely from scratch. Read more>>
Tam Curl
I got my work ethic from my mom and dad. I lived with my mom but visited with my dad every other weekend, but I have known both of them to be hard working people. I watched my mom get up and go to work every morning which inspired me as I grew up. Read more>>
Miguel Duran
I get my work ethic from my Mexican parents. They always told me that if you want something in life, you have to work for it—nothing in this world is free. I remember times when money was tight or when we needed extra income for a big purchase; my father would sell food on the weekends to make ends meet. Read more>>
Jared Jennings
I grew up in a small town, at least small to me, in southwest Missouri called Neosho. Neosho has been home to my Father’s home for generations. My great grandfather was a farmer and a lumber man, My grandfather, Leroy, was a farmer as well as working various factory jobs all while raising eleven children with the help of my grandmother, Veta. Read more>>
Alexandro Vasquez
I come from an immigrant family, and as the youngest child, I grew up watching my parents and older siblings give absolutely everything to their commitments in front of them. We didn’t have a “golden spoon,” but honestly, that became the foundation of my work ethic. In my family, you show up. If you say you’re going to do something, that promise carries weight. Read more>>
Nadja Sayej
I have parents that come from the UK. The UK work ethic, especially for UK citizens who moved abroad and are immigrants, is diehard. ‘If you’re not working, what’s the matter?’ was the philosophy at home. During my school years, I always had 3 part-time jobs. Once I graduated from university, I kept working in all the ways I could. Read more>>
Steven Glass
My work ethic comes from my mom . I grew up in a single parent household and I watched my mom work hard to provide her family regardless what she was going through . I have that in me through her . Read more>>
Mary Zeigler
The foundation of my work ethic isn’t found in a textbook or a boardroom; it’s rooted in the life and constant motion of my grandfather. His story is a powerful testament to the value of lifelong learning, unwavering commitment, and the belief that you can reinvent yourself at any age. Read more>>
April Heffner
My work ethic comes from a desire to grow. I’ve always been driven by the idea of improving a little every day, so I’ve built habits around discipline, follow-through, and learning from challenges. Read more>>
Samuel Brock Flynn
I really get my work ethic from My Dad and Mom both they raised me in Small town called Crossville,Tennessee ; the ethics my Dad had is excellent work history and carried himself professionally and worked for himself for years and he did stop doing that for a small period of time but he sure is a smart Dude and I am proud to have that same attitude and same mindset he has passed down to me. Read more>>
Kiara Ayres
I grew up in a military family. Both my parents served in the Army and grandparents in the Air force. To specify, bering raised by grandparents, with my mimi being a retired lieutenant colonel and a flight nurse while serving, and my poppop being a retired full bird, structures in the household were very, very serious. Read more>>
Claire Lopez
My work ethic comes directly from my family. I come from a long line of entrepreneurs, and growing up, I watched each of them build something from the ground up through hustle, grit, and genuine passion. They taught me that success isn’t handed to you—you create it through consistency, integrity, and showing up even when it’s hard. Read more>>
Tracy Hammond
I get my work ethic from my parents. Growing up, I watched them work hard, stay committed, and show up—even on the days when it would’ve been easier not to. They taught me that responsibility isn’t something you talk about, it’s something you live. They led by example, not speeches, and I absorbed every bit of it. Read more>>
ry The Warmth
I grew up seeing both of my parents as entrepreneurs. They excelled at emulating what it means to work as a team, with each of them focusing on what they were best at, in order to bring out the best in each other. Read more>>
Hilda Mateiu
I developed my work ethic in basketball through a combination of personal experiences growing up in a low-income community and the transformative role the sport played in my life. I played competitively for eight years from my middle school through high school, crediting basketball with keeping me out of trouble and helping me feel integrated as a young person. Read more>>
Tanner Beard
My work ethic for sure came from my parents, They worked so hard when I was growing up but were also still always there as parents like for ball games and school and were so involved, so I really appreciate that and think that trickled down I hope. Read more>>
William Matlock
I spent majority of my childhood with my great grandparents during the school week. My great grandfather had a large garden. I spent afternoons tilling and working the yard.I would have to say thats where i got it from. Read more>>
