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.
Carli Johnson
My work ethic came from watching my mother work hard and put her best foot forward at anything she does.. My mother puts her all in and work hard at every job she has been attached too. Read more>>
Fiona Lincke
My work ethic is from my immigrant parents. They had a tremendous “work hard and do it honestly” policy as they felt one’s downfall is to “not be busy” in life. Read more>>
Todd Henderson
My dad is one of the hardest working people I have ever met. Growing up I saw the hours that he put into his career and how much he traveled in order to be successful in the medical consulting field. He has always devoted his time to go above and beyond for his family and teach those values to his children. Read more>>
Quantina Harrison
My Work Ethic Comes From My Parents. My Mom and Dad have worked hard all of their working years to be providers and I am truly beyond blessed. Watching Both Of Them Work Hard Motivated Me To want more out of life and after my father passed away I had an different outlook on life overall. I knew that I needed to work hard and consistently toward the things that I wished to have in life, to chase my dreams, and giving up is never an option. Read more>>
Kayla Kling
Work ethic is an attitude of determination and dedication toward one’s job. I believe my work ethic comes from within. I’m strong, confident and independent. When I have a goal in mind, I go full speed. Read more>>
McKenna Scheppele
My work ethic came from my parents. I grew up in a household where both my parents worked hard to support their family, chase their dreams and create a life that they love. My dad is a business owner and I’ve seen him conquer the business world multiple times. His drive to grow a company is unmatched and his success comes from hard work and resilience. Read more>>
Tony Howe
Work ethic is such a complicated topic right now. My work ethic comes mainly from my parents. My dad was a Marine Corps drill instructor, a teamster, and came from a very blue collar Pennsylvania family, so it was always just “work harder than everyone else. Keep pushing. Pain is weakness leaving the body. No excuses.” My mom was raising 4 kids on her own (plus half the neighborhood) and had no choice but to keep grinding to make ends meet. Read more>>
Pi Jacobs
To be successful in music, you need Talent, Skills and Charm. Read more>>
Jennifer Doyle
I come from a family of hard workers. We were taught if you were going to do it do it right. Keep trying was another common refrain from my childhood. Most of the things I have accomplished came from hard work one day at a time one step at a time. Every success is a journey that you build one piece at a time. My journey’s have been many and even if they were not considered successes when it was all said and done I learned many things along the way. Read more>>
Dr. Quodarrius Toney
My work ethic comes directly from my mom. My mother’s ability to always stay dedicated to her dreams is remarkable. She has a unwavering spirit about herself that really pushes me to be great. Her discipline, and drive is unmatched. I cannot thank her enough for instilling that in me. Read more>>
Aly Romero
Being an entrepreneur means there’s no one telling you what time to wake up, how to structure your day or where to spend your time on activities that will grow your business. It’s a blessing and a curse. For me, I attribute my work ethic and drive to my mom. Read more>>
Luke Demetry
Work ethic can be something that is very easy to struggle with, which is why I am so thankful I had role models growing up who showed me the value of hard work. My dad’s story is one that continues to inspire me to this day. Read more>>
Philip La Croix
I was always taught that anything in life that’s worth having doesn’t come easy. If you really want something, you have to work for it, and that’s how I try to live my life. It got me through getting my bachelors, becoming a knight, and becoming a writer. Read more>>
Alex McGinness
I’ve always been a really responsible person. In fact, I won a responsibility award in 3rd grade (that I’m still clearly proud of.) With that baseline in mind, I made a promise to myself when I was about 10 years old that I was going to succeed in life, that I was going to do my best to make my dreams come to life, and that I wasn’t going to let my circumstances stop me from doing the things I wanted to do in life. Read more>>
Jaron Yancey
I’d definitely say I got it from my family originally. However as I got older I saw this Tom Petty Documentary and I’d say that shaped a lot of my work. Not only was he one of the best songwriters of our time, that guy was on a mission and seeing that drive and passion really inspired me. Read more>>
Bryan Hill
My parents instilled in me the will to succeed. I watched them get up and go to work everyday of my life growing up. I eventually got my first job at age 16 and never looked back. I moved out of home right after highschool and just worked jobs until I became an entrepreneur. Read more>>
Arianna Peffer
My work ethic comes from learning the importance of a job and the impact you can have within the workforce at a young age. My parents had me go on my first interview when I was just 14 years old. It was for a small diner in the town I grew up in, and I am almost positive that the manager knew she wouldn’t hire me from the start. But it taught me what questions I could expect in an interview and how to handle rejection too. I then went on my second interview for another local diner and got hired! Read more>>
Preston Brown
I had a great example growing up when it came to work ethic. My Mom laid the foundation with being single for a big portion of my youth. I learned early that the work doesn’t get done sitting still. You have to take action because nobody is going to do it for you. Those early years have bleed into everything that I currently do now and have been able to lead by example to pass the torch to my children and folks that I mentor. Read more>>
Jamesha Freeney
I took the time to invest in myself I decided to go to Bella modeling school in Dallas. Once I start I knew I made the right decision to help me become the model I am today. I learned to be confident by believing in myself and no that I can do whatever I want to accomplish in life. Read more>>
Monty Cime
I have said, and I will continue to state, that I am a perfectionist to a fault. I’d much rather put my health on the line & overwork myself if it meant a perfect release than try and find a meaningful balance–this is not a good thing. After I underwent a cholecystectomy a month before my 18th birthday & almost died in a car wreck a few months before my 19th, I came to understand life to be an incredibly fragile thing. Read more>>
Logan Lewis
Easily my Dad. My parents had me and my siblings young and my Dad didn’t even finish school. He went right to work and ever since he has been grinding for the better of our family. He taught my siblings and me that nobody owes you anything and that those who work hard, good will come to them. Read more>>
Danielle Clardy
I got my work ethic from my parents. My whole life I have watched my dad work and be a problem-solver/fix-it guy. Watching him work in Business, Marketing, and Sales has driven me and my work ethic. There is never a closed door or window. I am also an extremely type-A and organized person that keeps me running and productive. All of this feeds into my work ethic to keep creating my brand and business and eventually creating my own media company. Read more>>
Nicole Zettlemoyer
My work ethic has developed from watching my father run his small business owning a liquor store for my entire life. Even if he was tired, overwhelmed, or just burnt out, he always showed up and did what he had to to keep his business afloat and incredibly successful. For a little backstory, I just finished up a waitlist that I’ve had since December 2020 when I became viral. Read more>>
Haley Stone
I love seeing everyone enjoying something new! Guiding people through the safety and play process, then watching them excel at our games makes work so much more enjoyable. It drives me to make the Arena the absolute best it can be. Creating that warm, inviting space to really let loose and have fun is the ultimate goal and what gets me through the work day. Read more>>
Lisa Harrison
My parents. My mother was a go getter, I use to go to the hair shop as a little girl and watch the transformation of her clients and the self confidence that she helped them achieve. My dad worked hard long hours and never once complained, he just got the job done!!! Read more>>
Hasani Vibez
One of the most impactful qualities in my journey has been perseverance ,my faith in Christ and knowing my purpose and everything I create now is greater than me. The music industry can be challenging, and there will inevitably be obstacles along the way. But staying true to the vision Christ allows me to follow, remaining dedicated to my craft, and persevering through the ups and downs has been instrumental in my growth as an artist. Read more>>
Erin Rappleye
I think the importance of having a strong work ethic was instilled in me when I was very young playing soccer. I had a coach who always talked about how we did not have to the best at any particular skill but we had to be the hardest working team. I started adapting that mentality to other areas of my life. Read more>>
Cindy Carpenter
I think it comes from a few different sources. One is from doing something I love. I love the challenge of being a business owner and growing my business. Every day I learn something new, and that pushes me too. I never want to become stagnant. Read more>>
Alexandra Raye
My work ethic stems from a very personal story. My best friend lost someone in her life to an eating disorder. From the moment I heard this story, I knew I wanted to be a personal trainer who helped people recover from, or avoid that illness altogether. That is what gets me out of bed every morning; I know how devastating the aftermath is of loosing someone that way. So, I do it for them. I always have, and always will. Read more>>
Ryan Malkin
My father has been a big inspiration for me. As a small business owner, I saw him work almost every day of the week, including weekends. I would join him on many weekends and was put to work. That included stocking shelves, pricing items and helping with inventory. I’ve always had jobs and been entrepreneurial. Read more>>
Christopher Mitchell
My work ethic comes really from my family, on my moms side some of my family were immigrants from Haiti that came to the united states on a green card. My grandmother being one of them, when she entered the united she found work in New York quickly because of how fast paced it was. From a seamstress, to interpretation phone jobs through banks and businesses like Macy’s. Read more>>
Kyndall Owens
My upbringing plays a huge role in my work ethic today. My parents would always push me for greatness! I remember my dad telling me to never settle for being just ordinary. Always do more than enough and exceed beyond the average person. Read more>>
Kathryn Peters
I developed my work ethic very young in life. Being the eldest of 8, helping my divorced mom around our home and with my siblings was a necessity. Because we didn’t have much in terms of personal belongings and sometimes even food, I did what I could to earn money to help pay for the things I needed, like clothing and even food. Read more>>
Isaac Middendorf
My parents for sure. They taught me how to keep things organized and how stay on track with a certain task before moving forward. I learned from a young age that organization and having some form of organized system is key for making a business work. Read more>>
Hannah Hon
My parents! But especially my dad. My dad was a super hard worker himself, working until a project was finished, even if it took him until midnight or two o’clock in the morning to finish. Both him and my mom raised myself and my siblings to have a strong work ethic, which I am very grateful for today. Read more>>
Jordan Ostroff
I get my work ethic from my cousins. Both of them worked REALLY hard to make sure that one of them was able to be there with their kids every day. One cousin worked from home 1-2 days a week (this has been for the last 20 years…well before covid made it a normal thing) and the other worked longer hours on the weekends and the days the other one was home. I have taken this to heart to make sure at least one of my wife or I can be there for our son as needed. Read more>>
Johnnie Izquierdo
My parents. Read more>>
Joseph Santagata
My parents. I have never seen anyone work as hard as they do. My dad has always been in business for himself and my mom has always had full time job while also maintaining a household for my family. I watched them put their heads down and work every day for my 30 years now, no matter how tired or sick they were feeling or no matter how big the challenges were for that day. They are the toughest, strongest, and hardest working people I know and that is the standard that I have for myself. Anything less than that is unacceptable. Read more>>
JonRoss Maddox
I was raised in a house where my mom wouldn’t let me sit inside all day and a dad who would always say “do something productive today” after playing videogames most of the day. They taught me the value of creating and accomplishing tasks and art throughout my entire life. Once I moved out on my own and started creating outside of a structured school regiment I began joining/creating more and more bands to fill my time. As soon as I started filming bands live and acquired a girlfriend I pretty much sealed my fate of an eternity of working hard! Read more>>
Alexis Turner
My grandma has always been a woman who works for what she wants. Since I was a little girl I have always watched her work 2 jobs, sometimes even 3. She is the most determined and blessed woman I know. When I need motivation or slow down in my creative process I can always count on her to get me back in motion. So thankful I have her as en example, and at 82 she is still working! Read more>>
Erika Alonso
My work ethic came from my parents. As a second-generation immigrant, I was taught that hard work paired with opportunity leads to success—so work as hard as possible! While I don’t believe success is dependent on work ethic alone, I think it is one factor that I can control. My work ethic has proven incredibly helpful to my artistic practice. It plays a big part in how I have been able to create a large body of work that includes drawings, paintings, and wire sculptures over the past five years. Read more>>
Kemira Venable
I get my work ethic from my Mother and Grandmother. My mom was a single parent but you wouldn’t have know that by the way she seems to keep everything together. She worked so hard to accomplish her goals and to provide for her two children(My brother and i). As an adult i reflect back on how she did because as a young adult life is already hard and challenging but to do it with two children to raise by yourself that’s a different level of strength. Read more>>
John Sanders (TDKMulaa)
I really get my work ethic from my parents, especially from my pops he does a lot for his family especially from work hard everyday . My mom goes hard as well I get my ethic from her too , both of them together have a great working ethic always making things happen out of nothing so that’s what made me such a hard worker but I’m a smart worker as well . Read more>>
