Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic come from? Is it something we learn from our parents, or are we born with it? Do our friends, work environment or the city we reside in impact it? We asked some of the hardest working folks we know to share where they think they get their work ethic from.

McLane

My strong work ethic is fueled by the inspiration I draw from observing the dedication and passion displayed by those in my surroundings. Read more>>

Taylor Foster

My work ethic comes from the fear of boredom and my love of being busy. By the time I was six years old, I was a part of a competition dance team. I knew that I had to work hard to get better, and I knew I had to give up after school time and weekends to be a part of that team. My mother is not a stage mom, she never pushed me into it. Read more>>

May Suri

My parents. 100%. I am a first generation Indian-American, and my parents showed me that with hard work, you can achieve anything you want to. They were both born and raised in India and came to the states to do their residency. Read more>>

Viviana Torres

Well throughout my life, growing up, I’ve learned that you work hard to get what you want. My parents taught me that the things in life aren’t free. The rewards are earned once you work hard. Through school, aiming to make good grades to reward yourself with more opportunities of education. I am currently applying these same work ethics to achieve my goals. Read more>>

Emmanuel Asamoah – Kstony

I intend to lift the legacy of people like my grandmother, who used clay to form pots to bring water to our homes for daily use in a village called Bekwai. Where I come from, men are known for hunting, and many women make pots with clay for a living. Whenever we visited our grandparents on vacation growing up, I stayed home with my grandmother while she made pots and ceramic grinding bowls. Read more>>

Cesar Ricardo García Solís

My parents. I come from relentless, humble people who taught me that discipline and work ethic make a difference. Read more>>

Katie Cox

I get my work ethic from my parents. Growing up, my dad was a home inspector and my mom was a Realtor. I watched them work extremely hard everyday. I even got to help my dad on inspections sometimes by making sure the outlets in homes worked or going to open houses with my mom. Read more>>

NaTasha Ashton

I got my work ethic from my mother. She worked hard and she was determined and disciplined to get what she wanted. It was hard, but she got it done! Read more>>

Bailey Floyd

I have always been very involved with sports. Growing up, I was a gymnast competing nationally spending six days a week in the gym. I learned at a very young age the value of hard work. That perfection takes repetition, time and time again, and progress it not linear.  Read more>>

Veronica Droulia

Being your own cheerleader is definitely not an easy feat. When you start a business in your early 20’s, it sounds really glamorous (and some parts are!) but there are some days that you have to push yourself to keep going. I am grateful to follow in the footsteps of some truly inspirational people. Read more>>

Kevin Abril

Being from an immigrant family i just saw my mom juggle multiple jobs at a time to make ends meet, I never considered it good “work ethic” It was as simple as if she goes to work she gets a check. It was not until later in my life i noticed people had options, they did not need that certain job so they treated it like hobby.  Read more>>

Yago Cura

Both my parents were immigrants to this country from Argentina. This simple fact has bestowed upon me a great and mighty hunger to constantly be improving my skills, my knowledge base, and ultimately my per-hour rate. In terms of ganas or will, I have also been lucky to travel through Argentina, and come face to face with what it means to execute a plan with limited resources.  Read more>>

Angela Steele

My grandparents were farmers. My dad grew up on a Dairy Farm in Dibble, Oklahoma doing chores and milking cows before school every morning. I believe my foundation and work ethic come from my family line. Read more>>

Erwin Recinos

The work ethic I’ve developed has been instilled by my mother and grandmother. My mother raised my brother and I in a single parent home. Growing up as a child my mother was always working. There were times when I would join her during the weekends as she worked overtime at Bank of America.  Read more>>

Rose Alaimo

I would probably credit two people for this. The first person that comes to mind is my mother. I was born and spent most of my younger life living near an old coal mining town in northeast PA. When I was a kid, money seemed to always be an issue and we were pretty broke. Read more>>

Alexis Osby

My strong work ethic is rooted in an intrinsic drive for continuous self-improvement. Setting ambitious goals for myself has been a constant in my life, therefore I have remained aware of the dedication required to attain them. This entails me to remain relentlessly committed to hard work until my goals are met.  Read more>>

Jennifer Peck

My sister and I grew up in Waco, TX and come from a family that has been farming in Central Texas for well over 100 years. We had a solid work ethic instilled in us from a very early age – you had to work and children were no exception to the rule. Read more>>

Jessica Moore

My grandmother and father are immigrants from Trinidad and Tobago. I had the amazing opportunity throughout my life of not only seeing the beautiful islands, but specifically the houses they come from and grew up in. My grandmother came from shack and migrated to the U.S. with nothing.  Read more>>

Rylee Hampton

Growing up, my parents raised me to earn the things I have. Before I was able to go shopping, hang with friends or even watch TV, my chores had to be done. I have had a job since I was 15, because when it came time for me to have my license I had to have the money to put gas in my car. Both of my parents are incredibly hard working individuals.  Read more>>

Rachael Highsmith

My mom. Watching her pursue and accomplish her goals while facing challenges and never gave up, inspired me. I face challenges but I keep going. My father. He showed in his actions that your working hard will pay off. Both of my parents instilled in me the importance of establishing a work ethic. Read more>>

Megan Williams

I would be completely remiss if I didn’t start with the first person in my life who instilled in me the foundations of a strong work ethic and doing my best – my dad. My dad worked in the car business my entire life – he was a Sales Manager for both Mazda and Honda, and worked long hours for as long as I can remember (often 12+ hour days).  Read more>>

Titus Walker

Titus Walker CEO of UEL -My mom. She was a single mom of 5 kids and she was unexpectedly on her own when my father was put into prison for something he didn’t do. She worked 3-4 jobs while putting herself through college getting her real estate license and teaching us what she could in the meantime. Read more>>

Gina Cohen

The difference between mediocre and excellent is ten percent more effort. This applies to countless areas of life but as an Anaplastologist, putting in that extra push to make a prosthesis even better can be life changing for the wearer. Read more>>

London Reese

It is safe to say that I am truly a product of my environment. I witnessed a relentless work ethic from my mother and father. My dad worked two or three jobs, for most of my life. My mom worked a few jobs but also went back to school and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, all while raising three growing sons.  Read more>>

Shannon Jones

I’ve been working since I was allowed to… as soon as I was 16, and able to drive, I’ve had a job. I come from a family of hard workers, and I remember as a child not being allowed to be lazy… you had to get up in the morning and do something productive. I guess you can say it was just how I grew up and it’s still how my family lives today. Read more>>

Alice Fujii

As a first-generation immigrant with Asian parents, I was raised with an ingrained belief in the value of hard work. As a child, I didn’t fully comprehend it and often felt resentful. However, as I grew older, I came to realize that hard work can compensate for a lack of natural skills or talent. Those who possess talent often take it for granted, while those who have learned to work hard can surpass the naturally gifted and continue to progress. Read more>>