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.

David Mullins

My work ethic is deeply rooted in the example set by my dad, who ran a small fleet repair business. Growing up, I watched him fix large trucks and trailers for companies like Sysco, FedEx, and Roadway Express. I started working in the family business at just eight years old – painting the underbodies of trucks, painting two-wheel hand trucks, washing floors, and helping with paperwork. Read more>>

Pascale Sylvain

my dad always had a good work ethic- you do what you have to work on till its done

I came to America 10 years ago to learn about my fist passion, barrel racing/rodeo
many challenge, like everyone, make me who I am to day,
I want to rodeo, and already do, in the biggest level, PRCA/WPRA
I am just an average girl with not so much skill, but I can out work people,
I build a handcrafted jewelry business from the ground.
now got 14 employees, 6 experts, more then 8000 people register on my wholesale website and more the 1.1M dollars this year all our jewelry from bijoux fab are handmade in texas Read more>>

Gail Worley

As a seasoned writer and publisher based in New York City, I can attribute my strong work ethic to a combination of early influences and personal experiences. My passion for music was ignited during my childhood in the 1960s, inspired by my older sister’s enthusiasm for The Beatles. This early exposure fostered a deep appreciation for music, which became a central focus throughout my early life. Read more>>

Ursula Sabia Sukinik

My work ethic comes from my upbringing and personal values. Growing up with an immigrant household, I witnessed firsthand the importance of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. My parents taught me that success comes from showing up, putting in the effort, and always striving to do better.
I’ve carried those lessons with me, and they continue to drive me today. I’m deeply committed to giving my family the best life possible, which means leading by example and pouring my energy into work that makes a difference. Read more>>

Jared Vineyard

“I’m waiting to be inspired,” a talented hobbyist told me years ago. I befriended the young woman after reading three intriguing short stories she’d written. But months turned into years without her completing another single story. For the hobbyist, writing is something fun to do when you’re feeling it. For a writer, it’s work; inspiration be damned. Waiting to feel it isn’t an option. And a crazy work ethic is essential in order to succeed in a creative field. Read more>>

Daphne Alvarado

My parents are very ambitious. They each earned their professional degree in the Philippines and immigrated to the United States. They worked very hard and provided our family with a solid foundation to excel in life and to find our happiness. My work ethic comes from them. Read more>>

Joanne Jones

My upbringing, personal values, and life experiences shape my work ethic. My dedication to projects such as Amber Skies Funding Solutions, a grant writing company, reflects my commitment to my clients in helping them raise funds for their missions. Additionally, my involvement with initiatives like Nightingale Place, which offers an affordable camping experience for seniors, demonstrates my strong desire to create, contribute, and support others. Read more>>

Ben Levi

My work ethic comes from the incredible example set by my parents. Moving from Israel to the US at such a young age, I watched my dad grind his way up from nothing, building a life of stability and success for our family. Even after my parents divorced, his resilience never wavered. My mom and stepdad also showed me the value of hard work and perseverance. They taught me that dedication to your family and daily habits can create a life of prosperity. I work hard not just for myself but for the future family I want to build. I see it as my responsibility to honor my parents’ sacrifices and take my family to heights we’ve never reached before. Read more>>

Mo Clark

My father. Growing up I saw my dad have a lot of hustles so to speak. He would teach himself how to do things. Once he became so skilled at the craft, he turned in to an extra source of income. The extra source of income allowed him to implement his own savings trend. I would say he’s for sure the person who taught me to learn as much as you can. Read more>>

Andy Wenstrand

My first job was detasseling corn when I was 12 years old. For nearly every day over four weeks, I walked up and down quarter-mile long rows of corn, pulling the tops of the corn stalk. I was dropped off at the bus a little before 4am and would get back from the fields between noon and 2pm. I came home with cuts everywhere, and even lost a shoe in a mud hole, having to finish about an hour of work with no shoe. The job paid farm-worker minimum wage, $2.15 per hour, and the hour drive to and from the fields wasn’t on the clock. Mornings were 60 degrees and often wet and raining, giving way to 90+ degree heat. Frankly, it was miserable. Read more>>

Patrick Mcintyre

My work ethic comes from my diverse background as a realtor, financial planner, and registered nurse. These roles taught me the value of dedication, empathy, and precision. In loans and insurance, I carry those lessons forward—listening to clients’ needs, tailoring solutions, and going the extra mile to ensure their success. Hard work and persistence are non-negotiable when helping people secure their future. Read more>>

Mandi Trimas

Work ethic has always been an extension of a part of my personal being, my word and what I say I’m going to do. It was something important to me since my first earliest jobs as a teen and until now. Do as you say and say as you do. If you can’t, ask questions, learn or ask for help to figure it out. I’m sure my own work ethic came from my own personal pressures I placed on myself from examples around me growing up of what I didn’t want to be. Sometimes it can be seen as perfectionism and needs to find balance, but I would rather walk through life and my current work with integrity than the opposite. Read more>>

Nikki Khounphachansy

I truly believe a hard work ethic runs in our bloodline. You can teach people what hard work is but it’s something that has come naturally to all of us in our family. From when our family first came here to America, hustling to make a living, selling gold, the grind and hustle was instilled and passed down. Seeing my parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunties hustle always inspired me to grind. Read more>>

Jason Lee

I’ve chewed on this question every single day in the weeks since Bold Journey has reached out to me.
When you dig into it, it really is quite a loaded question– I don’t think any quality that anybody likes about themselves is a single-source trait. As I ruminated on this over the holidays, a number of distinct possibilities presented themselves– my ethnic and cultural background, my background in athletics, the nature of my personal upbringing, among other things.
I’ve ultimately decided that my work ethic boils down to a single philosophical lynchpin that encompasses and is informed by the aforementioned factors: Inevitability. Read more>>

Darriyhan Edmond

I got my work ethic from my dad and grandmother. Growing up, I watched my dad work multiple jobs to provide for my siblings and me. He never complained or gave up, no matter how challenging things got, and that resilience left a lasting impression on me. My grandmother also played a big role in shaping my work ethic. She ran her own daycare business and worked tirelessly to ensure everything was taken care of. She also taught me valuable lessons about responsibility, dedication, and what it takes to successfully run a business. Their determination and hard work have been a major influence on how I approach my own goals and responsibilities. Read more>>

Lindsey Kiesgen

My work ethic as a photographer is fueled by a genuine love for what I do. I’ve learned that when you are passionate about something, you naturally invest time, energy, and effort into it. I genuinely enjoy every part of the process, from consulting and brainstorming ideas to building my portfolio, capturing moments, and refining them through editing. As a self-taught photographer, I embrace learning as a continuous journey. For example, I remember spending countless hours watching YouTube tutorials when I was first mastering photo editing software. Fast-forward a few years, and editing has become one of my favorite aspects of the process, allowing me to bring each photo to life and truly express my creative vision. Photography is not just a job—it’s a passion that keeps me learning, creating, and evolving. Read more>>

Taryn Donofrio

My work ethic is deeply rooted in my early experiences within the creative world. By the age of 9, I was already a professional ballet dancer, commuting solo to New York City to train at the School of American Ballet and spending summers in intensive dance programs. This early exposure instilled a strong sense of discipline that has shaped my career.

After leaving ballet during my teenage years, I took time to explore who I wanted to become. At 19, I landed a role as a window designer at Macy’s Herald Square, where my creativity flourished. Designing for 51 windows, especially in the mid-90s, was an exhilarating challenge that expanded my creative horizons. Read more>>

Katherine Mk Mitchell

To tell you the truth, for the longest time I did not even know I had it, the “work ethic.” In retrospect, I realized that I am the product of the demands of my experiences. Starting with becoming a nationally ranked competitive gymnast as a teenager, the discipline and demands of the sport became part of my “nature.” I had to keep trying for being the best. Later in life, my making a living although driven by hunger as well as curiosity, seemed also to be competitive. I had to excel. Read more>>

Nikkia T Neal

I am a classically trained dancer and if you know anything about professional dance training, you know it is intense and it requires a lot of patience and discipline, but the beauty in the outcome of all that hard work is undeniable. I am also a perfectionist, to an extent, so I take meticulous pride in every detail of the creation process of every January Baby product. I would’nt want to purchase anything that does’nt meet luxurious standards, even if it isn’t at a luxurious price point and as a consumer, no matter how much an item costs, if it is of excellent quality it will draw costumers for the long hall. I keep my costumers at the forefront, always thinking what would make them happy and I create until they are more than satisfied. Read more>>

Katherine Nguyen

My work ethic is deeply rooted in the values instilled in me by my family. Growing up, I watched my mother and grandmother work tirelessly to create opportunities for our family, even when resources were limited. Their resilience and dedication taught me that success requires perseverance and heart.

When I started ZELIA LABEL, I carried those lessons with me. Building a brand from the ground up wasn’t easy I had to juggle learning the ropes of running a business while staying true to my passion for fitness and activewear. There were many late nights, setbacks, and moments of doubt, but I reminded myself that anything worth building requires consistent effort and focus. Read more>>

Troy Jones

I watched my Momma work 3 jobs, raise me, take care of her responsibilities outside of work, nurture her relationships and accomplish her own goals all while facing the challenges this world threw at her. I watched, I studied & I absorbed. I get my work ethic from my Momma. Thank you Jerri Lee. Read more>>

Paige Pettibon

and the lessons passed down from my family and community. Growing up as both Black and Indigenous, I’ve seen resilience, creativity, and a strong sense of responsibility modeled in many ways. My family’s experiences taught me the importance of honoring commitments, being resourceful, and working toward something larger than myself. As an artist, I channel that ethic into storytelling and bridging communities through my work. It’s about showing up consistently, not just for myself, but for the impact I want my art to have on others. Read more>>

The Hit List

Honestly just our deep love for music…as a band, we want to continue pursuing music professionally and it takes a lot of work, a lot of consistency and loyalty to make it full time. Our band members are either previous music students, current music students, or future music students. It’s important to all of us to be well educated and well trained so we can be the best we can. We love playing live, playing live music is one of the greatest experiences in the world! It’s an honor to be able to bring people together to sing and dance along to some of their favorite hits, old and new, and just have an amazing time dancing the night away. Read more>>

Shileshia Milligan

I get my work ethic from my parents. They were both hard workers and came from poor families. My mom was the 5th child out of 9 and my father was the 9th out of 14. They grew up having to work fields and having to help with their siblings. Both of them went into the military when they were old enough. They have always instilled in me the notion that hard work was important and could take you more places than just pure talent. Talent is no good if it doesn’t work. I always feel better when I reach a goal when I have worked hard for it. I know that I truly earned it and didn’t have to depend on anyone else to achieve it. Read more>>

Nabeel Rooshan

A lot of it is from my upbringing. For better or for worse, my parents had instilled in me the notion that if you wanted something, you had to work hard for it. When I decided to pursue art, that mentality sort of carried over. Especially since I originally was pursuing a career in comics, a noticeably grueling and demanding field within the arts. My time in architecture school also helped me hone in on working diligently, and I was able to translate that into my later career. Read more>>

Laurel R. Elliott

I was born and raised in in Trinidad and Tobago. At an early age my parents chose to get me involved in sports when my Dad took note of my physicality. He chose to enroll me in tennis and swimming. They both invested a great deal of time, energy and patience, but beyond that , they both noticed that I was intensely intrinsically motivated. Group swimming practice would get done on a Saturday and I would ask my dad if I could stay and swim some laps. I started at 25, then went to 50 and then finally settled on 100. I just wanted to see how far I could push myself and my Dad was always kind and patient enough to entertain my insane ideas. So, that became a thing. Every Saturday after group practice, I would swim 100 laps. Read more>>

Jessica Smith

My work ethic stems from the values instilled in me by my parents. They consistently emphasized the importance of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Through their own actions, they demonstrated the rewards that come with a strong work ethic. From a young age, watching them consistently strive for excellence in their own endeavors inspired me to do the same. Their unwavering support and encouragement throughout my development have been instrumental in shaping my own work ethic. Growing up, my parents’ small business (The FrameSmith) was a constant presence in my life. I remember spending countless hours at their shop, watching them work and learning the trade. I saw the long hours they put in, the sacrifices they made and commitment to excellent customer service. Through all of this I learned the importance of hard work, perseverance, and building strong relationships with customers. Read more>>

Gigi Jirapolchet

I believe my work ethic is deeply rooted in my upbringing. Growing up with a single mom, I saw firsthand what resilience and determination look like. My mom worked tirelessly, often wearing multiple hats, to make sure our family had everything we needed. She not only provided for us but also ran her own catering and sauce business, which I often helped with. Read more>>

Romain Kapadia

My work ethic comes from my parents. Similar to so many immigrant stories of coming to America for a better life, my parents came from India in the mid-60s looking for the same. My father, who couldn’t afford an airplane ticket, took a ship around the world and arrived in the US with $5 in his pocket. Given his dire financial situation, he was forced to finish a two-year grad program in one year.

Experiencing this as a kid, hard work and achievement were instilled in me at a young age. As I’ve gotten older, that work ethic continues as I strive to give my parents everything that they sacrificed for themselves to arrive here and raise me. Read more>>

Oscar Zambrano

I get my work ethic from my parents. From the begging they instilled a work/life balance. They always said, you have to work hard if you want to play hard. Both my parents are artists. My father was a photographer / explorer and travelled the world taking pictures. My mother is a jeweler / sculptor and has shown her pieces around the world. With both my parents being involved in the arts, it felt pretty normal to get into music. There is never a fixed schedule which can be a challenge to plan things. Fortunately, my early exposure to this kind of life style really helped navigate this. The one thing I really learned from my parents is, once you say yes to something, you give it your all no matter what the circumstances. Read more>>

Donnrockstarr Johnson

I got my work ethic from my grandmother Mildred. She retired from Caterpillar After 25 Years. She raised me from the age of 2 when my parents weren’t able to do so. She did this despite already having a full house. Read more>>

Keola Harris

My grandmother’s unwavering work ethic profoundly shaped who I am today. Growing up on her farm in Corcoran, CA, I witnessed firsthand the dedication and resilience it takes to build a life. Watching her rise with the sun, tirelessly tending to the land, instilled in me a deep appreciation for hard work. She not only provided for our family but also instilled in myself and my cousins the importance of perseverance, discipline, and the satisfaction of a job well done. Her example continues to fuel my own drive and motivates me to strive for excellence in all that I do. Read more>>

Giovanni S Rossini

I grew up in a somewhat unconventional household where my mother was the breadwinner. She also worked in Entertainment which at that time was largely male-dominated; especially in leadership. It serves as a comical story but think Anchorman with Will Farrell and Christina Applegate. The movie portrays a newsroom that is run by stupid men yet the shining star is an intelligent hard-working woman who is ridiculed by them. Of course, the movie ended well and so did my mother’s 40-year career. However, even in retirement, she is working a 40-hour schedule! Read more>>

Manuela Castro

I believe my work ethic comes from a mix of my upbringing and my own personal drive. Growing up, I saw firsthand the value of dedication and resilience—whether it was through my family’s sacrifices or moments where I had to push myself to achieve something I cared deeply about. I was born in Medellín, Colombia, where my parents were raised. When I was just three years old, the three of us moved to the U.S. At the time, I was too young to understand the magnitude of their sacrifice, but as I’ve grown older, it’s something I deeply admire. Now that I’m 25 and living in a new city, I can’t imagine what they went through to give me a better future. I was raised in Greenville, South Carolina, but I moved to Los Angeles in 2019 because I felt like I was living in a bubble. Read more>>

Mark Corey

I get my work ethic from the example set by my father. Growing up, he worked three jobs to provide for our family—clothes, food, a home—everything we needed. Watching him sacrifice so much to support us left a deep impression. His dedication to making sure we had what we needed taught me that hard work is the foundation of success. Read more>>

Jason Doyle

My work ethic comes from the city I grew up in. New York is a fast paced, highly competitive environment. You can never take your foot off the gas or you’ll end up at the end of the line. I never want to be there. New York has taught me how to never give up because there will always be an opportunity. No matter what happens in one instance, I’ve learned there is always another instance for your success. You just need to reach for it, push for it, and if it falls through, take what you learned and do it all over again. Read more>>

Sahara Morimoto

I’ve been very fortunate to have had most of my careers that are an extension of my interest and curiosity. I try not to forget how lucky it is to find something I love doing in the first place, and it makes it easier to seek to find opportunities of feeding that interest and curiosity. I trust that the time I spend in the process of asking questions will result in rich results. Read more>>

Gabrielle Johnson

I get my work ethic from watching my grandmother, Joyce Sowell Johnson, who was an entrepreneur for over 40 years. She owned multiple businesses and always carried herself with pride, grace, and determination. Growing up, I remember sitting in her shop, watching her interact with customers. She treated everyone with respect and made running a business look seamless, even though I now know how challenging it must have been. Read more>>

Joshua Tovar

My work ethic comes from my family, my roots, and, most importantly, my faith. Growing up, I saw how hard my parents worked to provide for us and to create opportunities for a better future, which shaped me. My true foundation is the Bible. It’s the rulebook for life. My identity, who I am, and the type of lifestyle I’m responsible for following, including my work ethic, comes from the instruction given by Jesus in the Bible. When you combine faith, family values, and a passion for what you do, it’s natural to give your best every single day. Read more>>

Eva Gerapetritis

I absolutely get my work ethic from my father! Being an immigrant from Greece, he started working in the kitchens of several restaurants, barely speaking English – and now owns a successful Construction Company! Read more>>

Elaina Ellis

My work ethic is something I hold close to my heart, and it’s deeply rooted in the examples set by my parents. From a very young age, I watched both of them dedicate themselves to their jobs with unwavering commitment. My dad would rise early each morning before the sun came up, while my mom often worked late into the night to ensure her clients were taken care of. Read more>>

Kyle Weingart

Talking positively about yourself can be cringe-worthy, which is why I have always struggled with Job interviews. Going on and on about the person you want to be rather than the person you are is all we see on social media these days anyway. So, why would I want to verbalize it all to some stranger? Having said all that, there is one quality I have no problem saying to anyone I meet with full confidence. I have a good work ethic. Read more>>

Lynne Hugo

My parents were children of the great Depression and had both worked extremely hard to climb out of that. They had very high aspirations for me, their first of two daughters. I was gifted in academic areas that involved reading and writing, but abysmal in math and science, and didn’t manage to muster any strong motivation. By early high school, when none of the all-required subject matter actually interested me, I was in an academic slump. My sophomore year was disastrous, and my college prospects looked dim. Internally I tried on the “I’m just not that smart,” identity, but I couldn’t make it fit. At the beginning of my junior year, I decided that for one semester, I would try. I would do the work whether I was interested in it or not.  Read more>>

Charissa Marciniak

I have always been an extremely motivated person. As a child, I would create a daily plan for myself starting as early as 5 AM with tasks listed in 15-minute increments. My goal was to ensure that I was getting as much out of each day as possible. I was afraid of wasting my life so much that when each birthday would come around I would dread the thought of getting older (just like Peter Pan). Read more>>

Nadine Johnson

Growing up, my mom embodied hard work and consistency, going out early mornings and coming home late at nights, while managing our home with a smile and an iron fist. All to ensure that her children were clothes, fed and had an education. Read more>>

Jason Marc Schoener

My father. He is an immigrant from Israel that moved out here as a teenager. He barely spoke English, but put his head down and managed to get into the prestigious Air Force Academy. After he retired from the military, he became a math teacher and tutor. He would work 14-16 hours a day 5-6 days a week to make sure that we were able to have a roof over our heads. Even after he retired, he still tutors kids that are struggling with math. Read more>>