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.

Frank Diaz

I’d say my work ethic stems from a blend of my upbringing and the experiences that shaped me along the way. Growing up, I watched my parents hustle day in and day out to create a better life for our family. They instilled in me the value of hard work and perseverance, teaching me that success doesn’t come overnight; it’s earned through dedication and resilience. Read More>

Kevin Halter

My grandmother immigrated to the U.S. at 16-years old via Ellis Island. She taught herself English, worked as a servant for a wealthy family in NJ, and took so much pride in becoming an American. She immigrated to have a better life for herself and her future family. I get my drive and motivation from my grandmother. Read More>>

Tristyn Marrero

My work ethic comes straight from my roots. My entire family has a strong work ethic and the person to lead in that would be my Dad. Growing up, it seemed like we had it all. I never felt like I missed out on anything, and my parents were the reason for that. They always worked, they always provided. Read More>>

Lauren Horzewski-Paniagua

My work ethic comes from my motivation to always push myself to create my best work both aesthetically and functionally. Creating work that ‘wows’ the client is what keeps them coming back to my business and recommending me to others looking for a well rounded freelance toy designer. Read More>>

Kanye Tomiwa

I get my work ethic from a strong desire to succeed in anything I put my time into, and from watching my dad while I was growing up. Seeing him consistently put in his full effort made a lasting impression on me at a young age. It taught me the value of discipline, consistency, and taking pride in your work. Read More>>

Jace Heyman

When people used to say ‘I always had work ethic’ I never understood it. Surely something happened, an opportunity or some pot luck that gives someone a boost to be able to work harder. Read More>>

Ivi Hysaj

My work ethic derived from my father. Ever since I can remember he was always a hard worker, never gave up no matter what obstacles he faced. The biggest breakthrough was when he moved to America and sacrificed everything to provide his family for a better life. Read More>>

Panos Fragkos

I think my work ethic comes from having to take on real responsibility quite early. As a university student while also working full time, I’ve always had to balance learning with actually delivering results. When I became the youngest ICF PCC-certified coach globally, at just 20 years old, I was very aware that people were placing real trust in me. Read More>>

Ashley O’Loughlin

I get my work ethic from the example my parents set for me my entire life. They were relentless in the best way—always working hard, always grinding, and always putting family first. They spent their lives giving us everything they could, often working multiple jobs and making sacrifices to create stability and opportunity for us. Read More>>

Jay Pun

My parents. Both were/are hard workers with Eastern mentalities. My mother and father were born and raised in Thailand, went to medical school, and then came to the U.S. to fulfill their residencies in St. Louis, IL (where they met) in the early 70’s. Through a time in a foreign land and being seen as different, they persevered. Read More>>

Sara Lloyd

I got my work ethic from my parents. I grew up watching them work so hard and I definitely followed in their footsteps. Read More>>

Becky Gydesen

My work ethic comes from my childhood upbringing. Being raised with my grandparents, Aunt, & mom; I saw a unique family upbringing that showed how hard work and working together meant everything. Everyone helped, everyone participated, everyone did their part. This is one of my first core memories of how hard everyone worked together to keep a house going strong. Read More>>

Par Chadha

I don’t think of it as “work ethic” in the traditional sense. For me, it’s about showing up for the people around you. That’s the job. I remember flying into Pune, 24 hours of travel, landing at 4 in the morning, and by 9 a.m., I was in the office. We worked until midnight that same day. Read More>>

Carolina B

My father. Read More>>

Catie and David Haensler

Our work ethic comes from the example our parents gave us. All four of our parents worked so hard to put their children in private schools on very limited budgets and their efforts have created a legacy in us. So we work hard by example but we also strive to leave a legacy for our children and hopefully the families to follow them. Read More>>

Lori Jackson

My work ethic comes from a mix of how I was raised and the environments I’ve chosen to put myself in. Growing up, I was always surrounded by people who valued showing up, doing the work, and taking responsibility for the outcome. That mindset stuck with me early on and throughout my career. Professionally, my years in corporate sales really sharpened it. Read More>>

Andrew Luxx

I got my work ethic from my family and how I was raised. My entire family is full of hard workers and people who refuse to quit. Especially when we care about something. My Mom had us when me when she was 18-19 and she got her masters degree while raising 3 kids and working 3 jobs. Read More>>

Yvonne Gagliardo

My parents worked as young children and throughout their adult lives. Their work efforts has had a significant influence on my work ethic. Read more>>

Chef Derek Robinson Jr.

My work ethic comes directly from my mother. Growing up, I always saw her as a boss before I even understood what entrepreneurship was. She did everything out of our home—she went to college, did hair full-time for herself, baked cakes for what felt like half the city, and even sewed clothes. Read more>>

Natasha Archer-Jones

My work ethic was embedded in me long before I was born, according to the stories I hear about my family’s legacy. It started with my grandmother. My father decided to let me carry her name as my middle name and often speaks about our similarities. Read more>>

Justine Chun

My work ethic is something I inherited long before I was old enough to have a job. There’s a story my mom tells about taking me to see Santa when I was little. Read more>>

Kelly Snyder

Work ethic is something that at a young age, I witnessed the women in my family do everyday. Their persistence, through adverse conditions, such as divorce, abuse, single parenting, working multiple jobs…. My grandmother, mom and aunt, were the first generation to move to the United States from Colombia. They arrived to New York with no where to live. Read more>>

Krysta Bell

My work ethic comes from my teenage years. I was raised at the bottom of a mountain in North Idaho. We lived a self-sufficient life where we got our water from the mountain. It was my job to ‘Start the Water’ each day. We had a gravity fed well that needed daily assistance. Read more>>

Ren Anne

I come from hard-working people who farmed, logged in times past (when everything was manual labor), drove trucks, built houses, and taught children. There was never a time in my life that I remember effort and service not being at the forefront of family life. It was a dynamic that we lived and breathed so it was internalized at a young age. Read more>>

Constance Bradley

My work ethic was shaped very early by my service in the United States Air Force. The military instills a level of discipline, accountability, and consistency that stays with you long after you take off the uniform. You learn that preparation matters, details matter, and that showing up fully is not optional. Read more>>

Kassinda Tsehai (KTsehai)

My work ethic comes from a mix of curiosity and accountability. I have always been someone who wants to understand how things work, especially when it comes to creative processes. That curiosity has led to the start of my brand and my discipline essentially became a personal non-negotiable. Read more>>

Janell Baldwin

My work ethic is something I credit to my parents. Growing up, my dad would always remind my sisters and me of what his uncle Lester used to say: “Work now and play later, or play now and work later.” That line stuck with me more than anything. Read more>>

Heather Wong

My work ethic was shaped by my parents, who immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan with very little. My dad left a successful engineering career to start over in a new country, and watching my parents rebuild their professional and personal lives showed me that consistency and honesty are the building blocks of lasting success. Read more>>

Shelby Nolan

I’d say I get my work ethic from my parents. Growing up both my parents worked hard. Money was tight at times and they worked any opportunity that came along. They both had positive attitudes while working long hours. Read more>>

Roshane Karunaratne

I 100% get my work ethic from my parents who worked around the clock my entire life to make sure my sisters and I had the best life they could provide. It’s something I’ll never take for granted and a large motivator for me to work hard on my passion of music. Read more>>