How did you develop a strong work ethic?

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.

Susie Matheson,christy Ford

At a young age I learned that discipline and accountability are everything. These are the keys to my work ethic. As a child I was the only one in my family interested in horses. So it was my responsibility to get to the barn, care for my horse, and work with him, which requires a lot of effort. Through this I learned some very valuable lessons. You have to go after what you want but be willing to do the work, even when it’s challenging, to get results. I also discovered the value of discipline and that nothing would simply be handed to me.  Read more>>

Jessica Osber

I get my work ethic and business brain from my Dad. Growing up, he taught me that anything good in life is worth working really hard for. I watched as he put so much time and energy into growing his business, which in time became extremely successful. I saw how he could provide for our family and the pride that comes with that. At an early age, I knew that I wanted that for myself. To grow something from the ground up, something I could cultivate and call my own. Read more>>

Christy Beving

My dad. He was one of the hardest working men I knew. He was never satisfied working for someone else. So he worked hard to be his own boss. Watching him start and run his own businesses, for all my growing up years, made a major impact on me. It has translated into the work I do today. The determination and drive to be a success is helpful, but the drive to help my clients is stronger. When they succeed, I succeed. Read more>>

Vrishti Savalani

I grew up in a family that really valued having a strong work ethic. I noticed it in my parents first and not too long started to see it in myself. I have a huge passion for what I do and so finding the motivation to work comes pretty easy. But when it comes to having the discipline and pushing through those moments when things get tough, that is something that was instilled in me long ago just by looking at how my parents used to embody it. Read more>>

Todd Jackson Jr

My work ethic comes from the early struggles of not having much growing up and seeing my grandmother work so hard to maintain a HUD apartment.. Also, seeing how hard 2pac worked to achieve what he achieve in 5 years I want that plus more. Last but not least Kobe Bryant’s MAMBA MENTALITY taught me that as long as I do my job I can never fail. Read more>>

Adam Ortman

My work ethic is rooted in the values I learned as a fourth-generation business owner. From an early age, I was surrounded by the ethos of grit, resilience, and professionalism, instilled by my family. This upbringing shaped my approach to business and, probably more importantly, customer satisfaction, emphasizing hard work and a commitment to excellence. Additionally, my passion for media strategy and consumer psychology fuels my drive to continuously innovate and deliver meaningful results for clients.  Read more>>

Nicole Golfieri

My work ethic comes from two main places. First, I had amazing examples in both of my parents—they were incredibly dedicated to their work, successful in their careers, and I saw firsthand how much effort and commitment it took for them to achieve their goals. So, growing up, hard work just became second nature because I had such strong role models. Read more>>

Gabriella Antoinette

I come from a long line of hardworking people. My line of work (musical theatre) is not for the fainthearted. There are some days as a non-union performer that I have to arrive to the studio by 4am only to wait for hours and sometimes not be seen for that audition. Some people might feel discouraged by this groundhog-day-like experience, I however, am not one of those people. From a young age, my mother and father showed me what it means to put in long hours for what you love. My mother (an English professor) would leave for work as early as 6am and come home just in time to pick us up from school and make us dinner.  Read more>>

Michael Eagan

I get my work ethic from my father, Robert Eagan. He came to the USA from Honduras, seeking new opportunities and carved a path for the rest of our family to make it over and become extremely successful. Whether he was in the office, the kitchen or at church he worked tirelessly until the task at hand was complete. Read more>>

Jennifer Crowe

In 7th grade, I decided I wanted to be a musician when I grew up. Whether that be a music teacher, a producer, a performer artist, I just knew that I wanted to work in music. As I started taking my music lessons and my practice sessions really seriously to prepare for college auditions, of course so many people told me I should reconsider majoring in music. So many people told me that you can’t make a living doing music. So many people asked me, “are you sure you don’t want to go into business or nursing or something practical that will pay the bills?”  Read more>>

Sarah Kennedy

My work ethic derives from my parents. As entrepreneurs themselves, I was raised watching them work hard each day to achieve their goals making it easy for me to follow in their footsteps. It’s a blessing to have someone in your corner to bounce ideas off of and talk through challenging business decisions. Nothing is straight forward in running your own business. It’s a role for those who understand that you need to embrace the uncertainty and always stay focused on your vision. Something of which I’m always reminded! I am organized, creative, and hold myself to a high standard. This ensures that my clients and customers will have the best possible experience every time. Read more>>

Mark Wagner

I think my work ethic has come from the generations before me. I’ve been afforded the opportunity to work in a business that was built on the sweat of others. I see that as a privilege & also an inspiration. I spend long hours dedicated to the business in honor of those who came first and also to build/improve upon the foundation that has been laid. Read more>>

Nikita Magan

I get my work ethic from my personal journey as a stroke survivor living with cerebral palsy. These experiences have taught me resilience and determination, driving me to overcome challenges and pursue my passions. My commitment to using only the highest quality of ingredients and crafting products for two-tone lips and golden skin reflects my dedication to making a positive impact. This mission fuels my work ethic every day, reminding me that with perseverance and passion, I can achieve great things and inspire others to do the same. Read more>>

Devon Fegen-herdman

When I was in grade school I heard a quote that was out of Harvard and it went something like this “do all your work all of the time” and you will be in the top 10% of your class! It was many years ago, so some of the details may not be accurate. I have always been a very competitive person, and I really liked the idea that if I worked hard I could be at the top of the class and it had said nothing about how smart you are. At that point, I made a decision to do all of my work all of the time. I carried this mantra with me through high school and college and it served me well. We have since come to learn as a society about “growth mindset” and that we actually do get smarter and smarter as we give full effort on harder and harder things. Read more>>

Dinah Myers Schroeder

My work ethic was instilled by my parents. My mom and dad had 14 kids. Between being in the navy, ties with the church, and raising 9 girls and 5 boys they ran a tight ship. We learned to work harder than the next and we learned to do it together. They taught us to give one hundred percent and to leave any given place/situation better than we found it. I developed the belief that I, like my dad, could do anything or at least figure out how to complete the task. I fostered these qualities and belief in my own children and use it in my life daily. Read more>>

Freddie Blache (muffinjaw Designs)

Being a glassblower is an intensely brutal profession. Your days are filled with lifting far more weight than your back should allow, sweating next to a 2,000-degree furnace, and abusing nearly every single muscle, tendon, and joint in your body. While we slowly degrade our eyesight and probably-but-not-hopefully cause irreparable damage to our lungs, none of this is quite as taxing as being a business owner. Our work ethic comes from knowing there is simply nobody else who is doing or will do this for us. Read more>>

Rey Ortega

My work ethic comes from my father and mother. In the early 1970s, my parents escaped Cuba to find a better life in the United States. They didn’t know the language (English) or have any connections in the town of West New York, NJ, where they migrated. Read more>>

Kevin Harper

When I was younger, I had the opportunity to help my father build custom homes. He was a general contractor, and we would do a variety of different jobs with him. He had us help haul 2x4s or cinder blocks for retaining walls, among other tasks. I remember one summer we were expanding our driveway, and we had to dig into a hill with shovels and pickaxes next to our house. It turned out the previous builders had made a pile of landscaping rocks (big boulders) and buried them there. Every day, my dad would send me and my brothers out to dig out these big rocks to make way for the extended driveway. Just like any 12-year-old, I hated it and complained any chance I got. Read more>>

Enrique Jimenez – “ejival”

Driven by a desire to connect with others and share my passions, I draw inspiration from the DIY ethos of late 70s punk—where creativity and collaboration thrived despite challenging circumstances. In the late 90s, my cultural landscape was quite barren, but over the course of a decade, a dedicated group of like-minded individuals came together to build a vibrant musical scene from scratch. It’s incredibly exciting to collaborate with others who share your passions and create something meaningful from nothing, fostering a sense of community and motivating people to be part of something greater than themselves. Read more>>

Michael B. Allen

My work ethic is an internal drive that came from and was fostered by my mother and the history of her dad, my grandfather. My grandfather was a shop owner, landowner and businessman. He had several children of which my mother was the youngest daughter. Pappa Red Rimes and her brothers and sisters instilled the value of hard, good and high-quality work into my mom, and she passed these traits onto me. I began working, as a little boy at 8 years old. I worked with my mom’s oldest brother, Vasco Rimes, who was an agricultural farmer (fruits and vegetables), an animal and livestock farmer, a landowner and salesman (Watermelon).  Read more>>

Jun Iida

My work ethic is rooted in a deep desire to create, understand, and execute music at the highest level. The more I dig into this music, the more I recognize that the journey to “success” is, in reality, a battle with ourselves. In a way this is an empowering sentiment, as this means we have full authority and responsibility over our progress and improvement as musicians. While there are tangible goals/accomplishments in our field which can be perceived as competitive markers amongst our contemporaries, I am primarily driven by the belief that I can continue to become a better musician and artist. Read more>>

Alysha Walsh

As a young college student starting a new career path, I often told myself, “It will be difficult, but it will be worth it.” I was raised by a loving mother and a hardworking father who instilled in me the value of a strong work ethic. My father would always say, “Always shake a hand standing up” before every job interview. This simple advice helped me network and shape who I am today. I owe much of my work ethic to him; he was always there to listen, guide, and support me through my career journey. Thanks to his influence and my mothers love , I am now a proud wife, mother, and a small business owner, capturing life’s moments. Read more>>