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.
Connor Cassidy
Honestly, I’m not 100% sure, I believe it is God Given and I have just always LOVED things being clean and in their place. Read More>>
Alyssa Zielke
My work ethic comes from a mix of curiosity, life experience, and a commitment to showing up fully in the things that matter. I have always been someone who wants to understand things, to learn, to explore, and to figure out the “why” behind a problem. Read More>>
Cynthia De Los Santos Maxwell
I got my work ethic from my dad he was a truck driver, and growing up I knew he worked hard, but it wasn’t until after he passed that I fully understood the depth of his sacrifice. There were times he was on the road with barely any money for himself. Read More>>
Jahwula Seapoe
I had the privilege of growing up in a two-parent household rooted in African traditions, hard work, resilience, and vision. My father, born in Liberia, was the first in his family to graduate from high school and college. My mother, from North Philadelphia, also broke barriers as the first in her family to earn a college degree, a master’s, and now she’s pursuing a PhD. Read More>>
Flavia Z Drago
Probably from growing up with my mother and dad. They set up the example by working hard and also by having fun whenever they weren’t working. Read More>>
Miller McCoy
My work ethic comes from growing up in Iowa. The Midwest teaches you very quickly that nothing gets handed to you and that the only thing you can really control is how hard you work. I grew up around people who woke up early, took pride in what they built, and didn’t complain — they just got the job done. Read More>>
Brian Steck
My dad ran a construction business and we homeschooled. When my brothers and I were complaining about school or weren’t behaving, mom would ‘send us to the principles office’ which meant we got the opportunity to hang drywall, mix concrete, and work with dad for the day. We learned what ‘hard work’ really looks like and became grateful for any work that wasn’t physical labor. Read More>>
Roya Nazari Najafabadi
I carry my work ethic from the women who raised me, women who lived through political uncertainty, migration, and cultural silencing, yet still created beauty out of the smallest things. I grew up watching my mother turn everyday struggle into quiet strength; she never called it “art,” but it taught me what resilience looks like. Read More>>
Josh Absher
I grew up in the 90’s with a middle class upbringing. It was established early on that my parents would help with a car, but I’d pay for insurance and gas. That set in motion to wanting a job as soon as I could get one. I was like 14 or 15 and started working 20-25 hours a week at a car wash. Read More>>
Kayla Lakia
Honestly, my work ethic comes from my life. Being a single mom, working multiple jobs, and still building my own business taught me how to show up even when I’m tired. I balance my corporate job, my content creation clients, and my own brand, The Kreative Current and I still make space for my family and my goals. Read More>>
Nicole Kelly
Growing up, nothing was handed to me. I was taught the value of a dollar at an early age and if you wanted something you needed to work hard for it. I started my first of many jobs at 16 and I’ve been hustling hard ever since. Read more>>
Christine Ly Olivya Soth
Our work ethic comes from our upbringing and the values we were raised with as first-generation, Gen Z, women of color. As first-born daughters of immigrant parents, both of us, Christine from Redondo Beach, CA and Olivya from Lowell, MA, grew up watching our families work incredibly hard with limited resources, limited English, and determination. Read more>>
Gabriella J. | Founder of Gabriella J. Artistry
A work ethic to me, is something you’re born with. It’s an internal fire you either have it or you don’t but having strong role models definitely shapes how bright that fire burns. My mom is the definition of that. Read more>>
Samantha Brown
I was lucky to be raised in a very entrepreneurial family that encouraged work and the understanding of how to earn a dollar. My first business was launched when I was only 8 years old and started dog walking. I always held jobs throughout high school and my parents were very supportive of me following my passions. Read more>>
Giuseppe Garcia-Salamone
I come from a family of entrepreneurs, so a strong work ethic was something I witnessed long before I understood it. My grandfather built his own path, and my father, an immigrant determined to make it in America, showed me what perseverance looks like day in and day out. Read more>>
Brett Bjorkman
My work ethic was shaped by generations and experiences alike. I got it from my Mom, who raised three kids on her own while working two jobs and still never missed a game, a recital, a moment — watching her show up every day was my blueprint. Read more>>
Steph Martinez
Hands down, I get my work ethic from my parents. I was raised to work hard, be frugal, and always give my best. I was taught that one should be generous with their time, treasure, and talent. This has been my life philosophy and the north star which keeps me focused and on task. Read more>>
Monique Clemons
My parents have been my greatest inspiration. They were young when they started raising a family, and I grew up watching them work tirelessly for everything they have today. As a child, I never felt a lack because they always made sure we had a roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothes on our backs. Read more>>
Rashay Gidney
My mother she’s the hardest working human on the planet Read more>>
Ian Fishman
Honestly, my work ethic didn’t really start to show up until I made the choice to become an actor: I was always very conscious as a kid of showing up and doing the work I was asked to do for a job for money, but I was also really happy to coast on my schoolwork, and it drove my parents — who, as a union grocery worker and a self-employed tile setter, worked their butts off for me to have better opportunities than they did — absolutely nuts. But there wasn’t anything in school that I actually cared about, so why would I put in the effort? It’s never made sense to me to work for something just because I’m told to. Grades never motivated me, and neither did any of the jobs or careers I could see available to me in my hometown. Read more>>
Jha Allen
I got my work ethic from the way I was raised though I didn’t fully understand that until I became an adult. I grew up in a big family; my mom has eight kids, and I’m the oldest girl. We didn’t have much, but we always had what we needed. Read more>>
Jasmin Te
For me, work ethic isn’t inherited or genetic, Its formed and shaped over time. My habits came from growing up in environments where I had to be independent early. I didn’t have the kind of start other kids had, So I learned early that that if I wanted something, I had to get it myself. Read more>>
Michelle Anthony, MS, CDFS®, AIF®
My work ethic comes from the challenges I’ve faced. Every obstacle taught me resilience, discipline, and the importance of showing up even when it’s uncomfortable or difficult. Those experiences shaped my drive and built the determination I bring to everything I do today. Read more>>
Barbara guillaume
My work ethic comes from a mix of lived experiences. I grew up watching my father work hard and always provide, which showed me the power of consistency. Then I left home at 16 to travel the world as a model, and being on my own that young forced me to grow up fast — to be disciplined, adaptable, and responsible for myself. And by 24, I became a mother and the breadwinner, so working hard wasn’t a choice, it was a responsibility. Read more>>
Mike McVay
I grew up a blue-collar kid. My father worked on the Railroad as an engineer. For 45 years he would be gone for two nights/3 days, be home for one, and go again. He was disciplined in his approach to work. Saw him work hard. My mother was what was called a “housewife” when I was a kid. You couldn’t say that she didn’t work, though. She raised 5 kids, mostly by herself, while my father put in his time on the railroad. They taught me how important a job is, that it’s important to perform it better than others so you have job security, and that you don’t rest until the job is done. Read more>>
Vanessa Steinmann
My work ethic comes from starting young and learning the value of hard work early on. My first job was at 13, working as a receptionist at a hairdresser’s, managing the queue and making sure everything ran smoothly. Read more>>
Donna Fox
I’m driven by the desire to connect with others through my writing. As well as the need for stress relief, which I get from writing and being able to escape into a world of my own making. Read more>>
Majdi Alameddine
My parents. Growing up in a Middle Eastern household, I learned that everything has meaning: how you treat people, how you show up, how you handle responsibility. I was pushed to deepen my faith, character, and purpose from a young age. Read more>>
Vincent Wrenn
At the end of the day, if someone says “it’s good enough,” it’s a likely sign that it’s not.
I like to say I have a “Texas work ethic.” I came up in Dallas, in the lighting department on film sets. When you’re in a service position, you should be in a constant state of listening to the decision makers. That way you can be a step ahead… ya’ also end up learning, not just the What but more importantly, the Why. Early etiquette instilled by very demanding Gaffers and Cinematographers set standards that I carry with me today. Read more>>
Alexes Haggins
I believe my work ethic was shaped very early in life. I grew up in a hardworking family and started helping in my father’s florist shop at just 9 years old. Being in that environment taught me responsibility, consistency, and pride in the quality of my work. I got my first official job at 13, and from there, working became a natural part of who I am. Read more>>
James Artissen
I believe it comes experiences, and learning from those who are better than me. I tend to pull inspiration from that because at any second things can change. Also being from New York gave me a certain drive to be great no matter what the circumstances. Read more>>
