We asked some of the hardest working artists, creatives and entrepreneurs we know to open up to us about where they think they got their work ethic from. Below, you’ll find some of those responses, stories, and advice.
PJ Riley
My work ethic derives from a variety of sources; my personal values, my upbringing, influential people in my life, and all my life experiences. Since I was a child, my family always instilled the importance of God, hard work and dedication. I also like to observe successful people, and learn from their achievements, which can be inspirational as well as motivating when it comes to developing a strong work ethic. My past experiences as well as my desire to achieve my goals play a vital role in shaping my work ethic. All in all there is a combination of various factors that contribute to my work ethic. Read more>>
Darnetta Anderson
I get my work ethic from my parents and family. The motto is always work hard for anything you want. I have two children it is a must that I show them as well. Read more>>
Avery Walter
Work ethic is something I believe not a lot of people have nowadays. My parents have always taught me that I am not going to get anywhere without having a good work ethic. In this world, you aren’t just going to get things handed to you. I have always had an entrepreneur side to me and when I discovered photography, it kind of just grew even more. I recognized that if I worked hard enough, I could actually make something out of my photography business. Read more>>
Jennifer Ladd
I was raised in a family of strong women. My grandma, my mom, and my aunts all work hard and take a lot of joy in a job well done. I learned from them the satisfaction that comes from working hard at something and then seeing the results of your efforts. They say to me that if you say something is just “good enough”, it probably isn’t good enough. I use their wisdom to guide me when I work on my art and I strive to keep working toward perfection. Read more>>
Shelah Coleman
My work ethic came from a long line of family who didn’t take kindly to the word “NO.” My family always fed off of people saying”you can’t do this, you can’t do that.” It’s part defiance and part proving something to myself. When I told someone this dream, they said, “what if you fail?” I said, “what if I succeed?” and just smiled. Prior to this person saying that I was already having intrusive thoughts and self doubt but this person saying this fueled the fire and I never ever looked back. I’ve been like this my entire life. Read more>>
Caspa Cz
Got a lot of people need me and depending on me. Lost a lot of people who not here today. I can’t stop can’t quit so I keep pushing. Read more>>
Cassie LeFevre
Undoubtedly, I get my work ethic from my mom. I feel fortunate to have (and to have had) her example throughout my life, guiding me from preschool to college and now towards solidifying my professional career. Not a lot of people comprehend what it means to live in poverty. When fifty bucks is the difference between packing a lunch for your kids tomorrow vs. Read more>>
Ben Wolf
I wish I could say I developed my work ethic at an early age, but the truth is that I was pretty lazy as a kid. It wasn’t until the summer after my freshman year in college that I learned what hard work really was and how to do it. That summer, I spent my time working at a friend’s landscaping company. It was fast-paced work, as we had to ge through a certain number of job sites each day, and that meant I’d have to do my part to get everything done in a timely fashion so we could finish on time. Read more>>
Natalia Ortega
I definitely got my work ethic from my parents. My sisters and I never missed school or extracurricular classes, not even when we were sick. We had to be up early during the weekends and dress up even when we didn’t have anything to do. My parents said that it was to make our brain aware that it was time to be productive. “Are you bored? I’ll find you something to do. Here’s the mop…” Read more>>
Sara Garth
My work ethic comes from my time on the swim team while growing up. I swam from 7th grade to 12th grade. My coach treated us like olympic athletes, and even though I was not at all good, he pushed me to the breaking point every day, 6 days a week. Just like in the film industry, on time was late. One Saturday morning practice more than a few of us came in after 8am. He counted every minute we collectively were late, it ended up at about 15 minutes between the 30 or so girls. So when we were suited up we started the practice with a 1500m butterfly (If you know, you know). We were not late again. Read more>>
Dominique Jones
I definitely gleaned my work ethic from my grandmother. She was always doing something! From being a nurse to writing stage plays to creating her own hair care product line to owning several businesses, she definitely was a staple of what I wanted to achieve with reaching my goals. Read more>>
Aaliyah Fajut
I come from an immigrant family. My family and I moved from the Philippines to the United States back in 2007. My dad was just in his early 30s when he worked his way up in his job and was eventually transferred to work in Thailand for two years. He told my sisters and I that it was probably the most difficult thing he had to do — leave his family. He worked tirelessly during those two years, so he could afford to feed and house his family. Read more>>
CSI Bill Montgomery
My Dad and 4 sisters from Cincinnati Ohio at a young age! We moved from North Carolina to Forest Park and met two families that moved in from 2 different countries. We helped each other fit in to the Neiborhood and developed a good friendship and work ethic that has carried on today! Read more>>
Charlisa Montrope
I attribute my strong work ethic to a combination of factors. On the surface, my upbringing played a significant role. Growing up, I observed my mom’s dedication to her work and learned the importance of hard work, perseverance, and commitment. She instilled in me the value of giving my best effort in everything I do. My work ethic is also deeply rooted in a combination of passion, discipline, and a commitment to growth. Read more>>
Jen Ash
I used to be a professional basketball player, hard work and disciple were not an option. This part of my journey educated me to be a stronger person and a keeper. I was a mediocre player when I started and I find my way to the top by putting more work than anyone else , practicing extra hours when everyone else was enjoying their day . Read more>>
Tyler Larsen
My work ethic was instilled at a young age by my parents and my grandparents. They always worked hard to achieve what they had and expected us to work hard for everything as well. My grandfather Fred owned and operated a roofing business for 40+ years. Roofing was my first job and as you can imagine not the funnest job for a kid growing up in Arizona. However I learned to work hard and enjoy the journey and the outcome. Read more>>
Melissa Tuvey
Definitely my parents, but mostly my mother. She is the hardest worker I know, and still works full time today! But, that’s always been within my DNA. I’m a worker bee that thrives on busy, the hustle and bustle and a full calendar. Looking back, as the company turns 20 this month, I am incredibly proud of myself. In a two decade span, any entrepreneur will go through highs and lows, and ebbs and flows. Of course, life continues behind the scenes. I can concretely remember the events I produced experiencing life events like the birth of my children, my wedding, loss of loved ones and everything in between. Read more>>
Brighton Sloan
I was raised by entrepreneurs, and I saw first hand the amount of work it takes to be the boss. My mother worked from the moment she woke up to the moment she closed her eyes to go to sleep, and it was expected that we all work hard as well. Straight A’s was the expectation, and my parents gave me support to thrive academically. I’ve also found that I work hard when I’m passionate about something, and that passion can take a lot of forms. It could be the joy of solving a puzzle, or the satisfaction of making a process run better, or just the dopamine hit of cleaning up a messy room. Read more>>
Kim Giovacco
I think when you are fortunate to become your own boss, everything changes. Before owning my business, I was very much a 9-5 person, never needed to take my work home with me, and never needed to work overtime. The first couple of years that I owned my business, I probably worked 70 hours per week and was jumping out of bed every day, anxious to begin working. There was just so much to do, and lots of hope and optimism. When it’s your own venture, there is no choice but to plow through full speed ahead, and hope it will all be worth it a few years down the road. Read more>>
James Allen McCune
In 2011 I got my first break as an actor on the show “The Walking Dead.” I joined the second season and got to be apart of the cast for 10 episodes. Up to that point in my life I had only really just begun as an actor, and mostly had been on stage in regional theatre at best. Joining the show was frightening, as it was my favorite show and I was painfully aware of how little experience I had. I remember so vividly pulling onto set the first day with my costar Emmy Kinney, and the two of us clinging together for support because we were so intimidated. Read more>>
Taylor Boyd
It’s something that I’ve always had. My first job was as a nursing assistant at a small nursing home when I was seventeen. We were told that everything was our responsibility (within reason) when housekeeping, maintenance, etc. wasn’t there. I took that very seriously and treated my workplace like the resident’s home. Read more>>
