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.
Glenn Woodard
My work ethic came from my dad, he recently passed around back in July of this year so it was a big loss to our family but I was very blessed to learn so much from him growing up about working and doing the right things in life to take you places. Read More>>
DAVID BERGMAN
When I was 11 years old, in Bronx NY, I came home from 6th grade to find a piece of paper taped to my bedroom door. ‘Get a Job’ it said. My mother, a teacher in one of the most challenging public schools in the South Bronx, was always working and learning and reinventing herself. Read More>>
Rees Shad
My parent’s were both children of the Great Depression who valued hard work and dedication to a task. They also placed an awful lot of faith in higher education as being part of what made them successful. I don’t remember my Dad not working at something, and his work ethic especially rubbed off on me. Read More>>
Kim Groshek
I’d say my work ethic is rooted in a blend of experiences that shaped me from an early age. From childhood, I developed a strong sense of discipline, time management, consistency, and independence—qualities that became the backbone of how I approach both life and business. My discipline for writing grew out of this same foundation. Read More>>
Katherine Cundiff
I grew up in a home where my parents worked hard for everything they had. They taught me that hard work isn’t optional, it’s the foundation for opportunities. I further developed my work ethic through motherhood, learning to push forward even in the middle of sleepless nights to make things happen. Read More>>
Justin Grome
My work ethic comes from an inner hunger to build something bigger than myself. Growing up, I learned quickly that success isn’t about waiting for opportunities to appear; it’s about creating them. That mindset has carried into everything I do at Clonefluence. In the music industry, especially, things move fast and competition is everywhere. Talent matters, but what really separates people is consistency and persistence. Read More>>
DeAndre Ross
Honestly, it was something I had to grow into. I feel like some people are just born with a strong drive and well equipped work ethic from the get go, but that wasn’t the case for me. Read More>>
CELSO OLMOS
I attribute my work ethic to the spiritual formation I receive through Opus Dei. Their approach teaches that you can encounter God by sanctifying everyday life—seeing His presence in ordinary work, family, and social activities. Read More>>
Beorht Lewinski
I think my work ethic really comes from two places: starting young and watching my mom. I actually began working around the age of 11 at a local pharmacy. Since I was underage, I couldn’t be on the books, so they had me doing face-to-face marketing. Read More>>
RADIVM
100% my grandmother. She is hands down one of the strongest individuals I know. Whether it’s just going to work or remodeling her house (by herself), that woman is always up to something. Growing up she would never let me forget how important it is to take care of what needs to be done. Read More>>
Jay Marshall
I learned my work ethic from my family and my faith. My parents showed me what it meant to work hard and stay steady, even when life wasn’t easy. They taught me to be dependable and to take pride in doing things the right way. Read More>>
Sarah Blodgett
I think a lot of my work ethic comes from my background as a professional dancer. Dance requires discipline, attention to detail, and a methodical process—qualities that I’ve carried into running my website design business. Both fields are creative and collaborative, and both demand a high standard of excellence. Read More>>
Conrad Byron
I’d say my work ethic is something that’s been built in layers over time. It started at home. I grew up watching my parents leave behind structured, secure jobs to take the leap of opening their own business. I was only 13 when they launched it, but I wasn’t on the sidelines. Read More>>
Jai Humble
My work ethic comes from the balance of where I came from and where I’m going. Growing up, I saw firsthand how sacrifice and consistency made a difference, and that shaped me early. Read More>>
Sarah Parise
When people ask me where I get my work ethic from, the answer is simple: my Dad. He grew up as one of eleven children in Upstate New York, in a household where hard work wasn’t optional, it was a way of life. Read More>>
Kristine Sloan
I am the child of entrepreneurs. I saw my parents work multiple jobs to make ends meet, and work late in the evenings to build and scale their businesses. Their home office was in my childhood bedroom, and I’d often have to find another place to play while they were getting things done. Read More>>
Eva Leersnyder
I get my work ethic from my mom, dad, and myself. My mom and dad are hard workers; they always have been. They taught me to be on time, prepared, and responsible. They also taught me to be helpful, patient, and kind to the people I work with. Something else that I learned from my parents is to do something I love doing. Read More>>
Bradley Valentin
My work ethic comes from my parents. Watching how my mother worked and came home to cook and help me and my siblings with our school work was impressive. My step-father would work 1-2 jobs to make sure the household needs were met. Read More>>
Jules Grand
My work ethic comes from my mother. The first one in her family to leave for college and return a doctor. The first woman at every practice she worked and a trail blazer in the medical field. Read More>>
Cecelia Mclaughlin
I get my work ethic from seeing my mother as a single mother growing up, working all hours of the day to provide for me. Her strength really inspired me not only to have a great work ethic but to want to overcome that lifestyle and get to a lifestyle of flexibility and over flow. Read More>>
Bennet Slusarz
I believe I got my work ethic from my father who although was fairly strict being from a military background (pilot WWII), he helped guide both myself and my siblings (6) through example, tough homework assignments, and visionary work in terms of landscape design projects. Read More>>
Hunter Rand
I get my work ethic from my grandmother – I watched her work until she passed when she was 94 – and not in a bad way. She was always doing things she wanted to do. She had raised three children, and worked as a journalist and worked for the March of Dimes. Read More>>
Ashley Brown
I get my work ethic from my mother. She raised me as a single mother, worked so many jobs at once just to get us by. She saw what needed to be done, showed loyalty to the companies she worked for, and of course loyalty and support to my sister and I. No matter how hard times were, she never showed fear. Read More>>
Jamaal Muhammad
My work ethic stems from me watching my family work my whole life. Everyone in my family is what you may call a “ workaholic”. I have learned that in order to be great in this life and successful you have to work ten times harder than the next person. Growing up hard work was always preached and respected. Read More>>
Hess Wesley
My work ethic comes from my parents, Missoule and Hervé. Two of the hardest-working people I’ve ever known. I was born in Haiti, and from as early as I can remember, hustle was life. My father worked two jobs back home just to make it possible for our family to move to the United States. Read More>>
SAYUMI INO
I’ve been fascinated by the world of entertainment since I was nine years old. From a very young age, I loved performing in front of people and standing in the spotlight. One day, I happened to watch the audition program ASAYAN, and it completely inspired me to dream of pursuing a career in this industry. Read More>>
Shayla M.
Growing up I was raised in a single parent house hold. Watching my mom care for two children on her own while still maintaining a job and taking care of us let me know that even when things get rough you can push through it. Read More>>
Matteo Cagliani
My work ethic comes mainly from my parents, especially my dad. He showed me resilience and sacrifice by building a career through courage and persistence, even when many doubted him. Watching him dedicate years of hard work to create opportunities for our family taught me discipline, focus, and the importance of persistence. Read More>>
Katrina Hart
I get my work ethic from my parents. Both of them were incredibly hard workers, and I grew up watching their example. They valued timeliness, punctuality, attention to detail, and always following through. They were also big problem solvers, able to think quickly and make the best decision in the moment. One phrase I heard often was “just do your best.” That stuck with me. Read More>>
Dwayne Peterkin
It just comes from within not to mention i believe in myself in what i do. Whenever i want to quit i stop and think why am i doing it in the first place. Read More>>
Ge. Benton
I believe my work ethic comes from both loss and legacy. I lost my mother at a young age, and from then on, I modeled myself after my father. He was the kind of man who led with generosity and carried himself as both a leader and an entertainer. Read More>>
Jake David
I guess it was built like a brick wall, one layer after the other. Some laid with cement, others just sort of lodged into slots like Jenga blocks. This imagery will feel a lot more apt in a minute, I swear. First off, my parents told me at a young age that I was going to college. Read More>>
Matt Clarkson
My work ethic comes from my parents, I had great examples of pushing and not giving up my entire childhood. My Dad was sick and in physical pain most of my teenage years until his passing in 2014, yet he still went to work every day, and he still worked tirelessly around the house until or after the sun went down. Read More>>
ATTICUS ADAMS
I grew up in the Appalachian mountains where people didn’t have a lot materially and were expected to work hard. I saw early on that if I wanted a certain type of life that it wouldn’t be given to me – I needed to figure out what type of life I wanted and then set about making it happen. Read More>>
Melinda Matticoli
I believe my work ethic comes naturally, and I carry it with me into every space I walk into in my life. As a projector in Human Design, I naturally feel the urge to get things done faster than the average person, even if that means my day is shorter. Read More>>
Murray SawChuck
I think I get my work ethic from my parents John and Arlene Sawchuk. They always taught me, that if I want something to go get it but always work hard for it. People don’t just hand you things, you need to work hard for them, be honest and learn from your mistakes. Read More>>
Dante’ Fambro
Umm…that would have to be my grandfather. He always taught me to work hard and go after what you want in my life and I’ll always be grateful to him for that. Read More>>
Kambiz Ahmadi
I’d say my work ethic comes from my parents, particularly from my mother. Growing up, I watched her build a small business from scratch. She didn’t have much help, and gave up most of her free time to make things work. What has stayed with me though, was how she managed to balance that with being present for my siblings and I. Read More>>
HOLLIS JO MCCOLLUM
Definitely from my parents and other family role models growing up. Both of my parents in particular really exemplified a good work – life balance. They both always went above and beyond in their careers, but never compromised their personal morals or principles. Read More>>
Jonathan Barfield
Work ethic steaming from my background, Grandmother/mother -upbringing, family. Being highly motivated and producing consistently high-quality results. Work ethic learned through early childhood experiences, including interactions with family, peers, and significant adults who teach values about work and responsibility. By setting personal goals, practicing self-discipline, and developing good time management skills. Work ethic and experiences from trail and error. Read More>>
Jaylon Becker
This sounds so cliché, but in full honesty, my work ethic primarily comes from myself. I didn’t really have a lot of support when we starting it and even now I don’t have a lot of support. Read More>>
Lacy Galas
I would say my work ethic comes from my passion for what I do. I truly love being a part of such an important milestone in someone’s life and helping bring their vision to reality. I’m often the very first step in their wedding day, and the getting-ready experience really sets the tone for how the rest of the day will unfold. Read More>>
Jeff Robbins
I’d say my work ethic really comes from a mix of early influences and real-world experience. Growing up, I saw firsthand the value of taking responsibility and following through, and that stuck with me. Early in my career, I built a landscaping business from the ground up, which taught me that there’s no substitute for rolling up your sleeves and doing the work yourself. Read More>>
Hannah Burroughs
I get my work ethic from both of my parents, especially my father. Both of my parents have had to bunker down and work multiple jobs, and insane hours to get by. While photography is my main passion, I currently balance two jobs alongside it to save up for where I want to be. Read More>>
Nichelle Bane
I’ve always had a strong sense of self-drive. As a child, I remember watching the older dancers and wanting to be in their classes. One day, I told my mom I wanted to move up to a class above my level. She told me I wasn’t ready yet. I simply replied, “I will be in that class.” And by the next year, I was. Read More>>
