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.
Candace Williams
I definitely think I get my work ethic from both of my parents. My mom started working at the age 13 all the up to the day she was able to retire. And my pops built his business from the ground up and still works in the field to this day at the stealthy age of 71. I’m grateful they both showed me the importance of working everyday. Read more>>
Stephanie Neiheisel
I truly think it’s ingrained in me to work hard. I blame my Capricorn placements. I wasn’t necessarily a great student but when I graduated early and entered the workforce, something about working toward something felt different. Even when I had jobs I didn’t love, I was known as a hard worker. Read more>>
Heather Cohen
I grew up with both of my parents working full time. Both of them put in extra time to get things done and accomplished. They did not settle and the bar they set was high. Read more>>
Loren Stephens
three brothers. Every morning, my father got into his leased maroon Chrysler — which my mother referred to as the “hearse” — and drove from Westchester across the George Washington Bridge to Hoboken, New Jersey. Read more>>
Ramia Griffin
My high school coach, he taught me “The pain of regret, is much greater than the pain of discipline” that mantra alone is engrained in my brain. I will always be the hardest working one in the room because of it. Read more>>
Tesha Smith
I believe that my strong work ethic stems from my upbringing. From a young age, I was exposed to the value of hard work and determination. As a child, I took the initiative to sell fireworks to kids in my neighborhood at the age of six, and later began selling candy in grade school. By the time I was 14, I was already participating in the summer youth program, which instilled in me a sense of responsibility and the importance of earning my own keep. Read more>>
Char Davis
My work ethic stems from a combination of factors. Firstly, I was raised in a family where hard work and dedication were emphasized and rewarded. I’ve always been driven by personal values such as integrity, excellence, and accountability, which translate into a strong work ethic in any endeavor I pursue. Read more>>
Danielle Rodriguez Cade
My dad worked the sugar cane fields in Puerto Rico, immigrated to the states during a turbulent time period for Puerto Ricans, and entered the restaurant industry. With hard work and tenacity he worked his way up to owner of a successful restaurant (not to mention delicious). He taught me that there was always more to do when working – find the problem and solve it. Read more>>
Subikksha Balaje
My work ethic is shaped by a combination of personal values, and a genuine passion for what I do. Witnessing the dedication and perseverance of my dad has inspired me along the way and has played a significant role in shaping my work ethic. My dad is a versatile entrepreneur. From running a car rental company and managing a prawn culture farm to venturing into real estate, he approached each business venture with unwavering dedication and a strong work ethic. Read more>>
TIFFVNYJOY
My work ethic primarily stems from my immigrant parents. As a second-generation Asian American, I am deeply appreciative of the sacrifices they made to provide me with the life I have today, allowing me the privilege to pursue a career in music. When they immigrated to the United States from Taiwan and the Philippines, they encountered numerous challenges: Read more>>
LaQuandria Leatherwood
I get my work ethics from my mother and grandmother. My mother worked and went to college, so seeing her accomplish those things made me realize that if I wanted it I had to go get it, and don’t let nothing stop your from getting it! Read more>>
Amanda Miceli
A huge part of where I get my work ethic from is a huge shout out to the Midwest. After living in the Midwest for over 20 years and then living in Florida for a while and getting to continue to travel to a lot of different places and see the way people interact and how customer service is, the Midwest is a different beast and I think anybody who’s been in the Midwest or lives in the Midwest can attest to the fact that there are hard-working people up here and I think it’s just instilled within the community and the environment from a young age. Read more>>
Marie Feutrier
When it comes to work ethic, I like to think of it in terms of the choices we make every day. Take, for example, the way we choose the items that fill our lives. I’m a firm believer in quality over quantity. Whether it’s a well crafted espresso or or a timeless piece of clothing, the principle remains the same: one outstanding piece can outshine a multitude of mediocre ones. Read more>>
Michael Walsh
I love what I do. And my clients are great talented and creative people. My feeling is that if I want to get more clients and have clients refer me to others, I need to over deliver. It just me joy and great sense of self respect to do absolutely the best job I can and to make my clients extremely satisfied. Read more>>
Jessica Cerka
I watched both of my parents work extremely hard from a young age. Both were entrepreneurs in a variety of businesses and put in long hours to get them off the ground. My father didn’t slow down once he achieved success in one endeavor, he kept pursuing new ideas and businesses relentlessly. Read more>>
Jasmine Danielle
This is such a great question – very thought-provoking! I believe my work ethic primarily comes from within. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been a hard worker especially when I was in school. Growing up, my parents always encouraged my sister and I to do our best in school and although this wasn’t from a place of “you have to get straight A’s all the time”, to me, I interpreted it as doing so because it felt good to do the best I could and get the best grade. Read more>>
Kourtney Coleman
My work ethic has been instilled in me from my family from birth. My family isn’t stricken with poverty but we are not what most would call well off either. My parents were the generation in both their families that was determined to change that and break unfortunate cycles. Those same work ethics, faith, and values were instilled in me at an early age. Read more>>
Katie Farmer
I grew up in a very loving household. Yet, my dad was an entrepreneur, who came from nothing. He taught us that if you wanted something, you had to work for it. Dance is something that I was innately drawn to, yet I wasn’t naturally skilled at. I began lessons at the age of 8, when most had since the age of 3. I always felt like I was catching up. The challenge of that drove me to practice constantly. Read more>>
Rob Gooljar
I come from a long line of hard workers. A pair of my great-grandparents were brought to Trinidad as indentured laborers. While all of my ancestors worked harder than you imagined, my paternal grandmother inspires the work ethic I have. She cut sugar cane for over 40 years, a task plagued by overseers, abuse, unethical work conditions, and no modern conveniences. Read more>>
Alyssa Chavez
I grew up in poverty. My family had to do everything by hand whether it was hunting to survive, or building a car from the ground up! I grew and raised a lot of my food growing up and always made or repaired my own garments. I never saw either of my parent’s being lazy, so in turn I am a very productive person. Read more>>
Bernard Porter
I was brought up without the influence of a father in my life. I had a wonderful mother who worked many jobs to make ends meet. I learned the importance of work ethic in order to get ahead and beat the odds. As I grew i also realized I didn’t want to have my children go through the same upbringing. Read more>>
Timothy Vettel
My work ethic has been cultivated over time through understanding that while motivation can ebb and flow from various sources, the true cornerstone of sustained effort is discipline. This valuable lesson has been instilled in me by coaches, parents, and the natural consequences of neglecting responsibilities. Life’s experiences have reinforced the principle that working smarter, not just harder, is key. Read more>>
Nikita
I would have to say that I get my work ethic from my parents. For a long stretch of my childhood, my mom was a single mother of 4 with a history of making “it” happen. She gave every project 100%, without any excuses…even when she really should’ve given an excuse. (My mom literally went into labor with my brother while at work). Read more>>
Carla D’Agostino-Vigil
Hi! Thank you for having me. My generosity is deeply rooted in the values instilled in me by my upbringing, particularly through my experiences working in my parents’ business in our small mountain community. Growing up, I witnessed firsthand how their commitment to supporting others and giving with abundance not only enriched the lives of those around us but also contributed to the success of our family business. Read more>>
Anna Claire Schellenberg
Growing up my parents taught me to be very independent. Starting in middle school if I came to them with a question, they would turn the question around on me and ask what I think about it or what I think I should do about it. I HATED when they would do this, but it was the best thing they could do to create an entrepreneur. Read more>>
D. R. Sara
My work ethic is deeply rooted in my upbringing and personal philosophy. Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the relentless dedication and perseverance of my parents, who instilled in me the value of hard work and integrity. They taught me that success is not merely about talent or opportunity but about an unwavering commitment to excellence and the willingness to go above and beyond. Read more>>
Juquita Martin
This is definitely an easy one and I say that because I get it from my parents. As far as I can remember, I have never seen anyone work as hard as my mom and dad. My mom had the role of what we call a “housewife”, caring for 6 kids and a husband, which is my dad. My dad has worked his entire late teen/adult life. Read more>>
Sandra dahdah
My parents, two brothers, and I immigrated to the States when I was 8 years old. We left Lebanon because of the civil war. So witnessing and understanding how hard it was for my parents to start all over in a new country, learn the language, and adapt to a new culture was not only a difficult transition but also scary for them and us kids. Read more>>
Dorica
For me, the foundation of my work ethic lies in the energy and determination I’ve observed in every hustler I’ve encountered. I was influenced by a lot of different perspectives and passions for excellence. I have a deep respect for the opportunities presented to me. Read more>>
BRENNA
Probably from my parents. I grew up in a household where both parents were higher educated, worked full-time, and made great sacrifices to build a better life for my sister and me than they had growing up. Excellence was expected, nothing less was tolerated. I tend to describe myself as a machine. That probably sounds miserable out of context, but there was also a lot of love in the house as well. Read more>>
David Johnson
One of the great reliefs in my life has been learning that the self-doubt and negativity that we all think is secretly contained in our own heads isn’t the thing that makes us unique. We all have that inner monolog that questions the validity of what we’ve accomplished – whether that was today, yesterday, or way back when. Read more>>
Manny dela Rosa
From my mother! She was born in the Philippines, didn’t finish elementary, and so, Anastasia, the country girl moved to the big city of Manila to find a job and feed her siblings! She was faced with a lot of adversities but she was able to send me to a private, exclusive Catholic school and give me a great life! I learned, through her, that hard work, perseverance, and belief in oneself can help you overcome anything! Read more>>
Yaya Vega
My entire family but especially my parents inspire my work ethic every day. I have always been taught that the one true way to be successful at anything is hard work. Seeing how hard every single one of my family members work every day fuels me to keep working at all my goals to do my part and be successful for them. Read more>>
CJ CHARLES
I am a hard worker because I was taught the value of hard work at an early age. I watched my mother and grandparents work hard and it taught me to be the same. Read more>>
Siva Taswell-Woods, LMSW, RYT
My work ethic is profoundly influenced by the generations preceding me, particularly by my maternal grandparents and my mother. Originating from Costa Rica, my grandparents immigrated to New York in pursuit of a better life for themselves and their four children. Despite encountering significant hurdles and having limited educational opportunities, my grandfather rose from humble beginnings of toilet scrubbing to a distinguished career with the United Nations. Read more>>
