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.

Shea Bridges

I developed my work ethic from a combination of factors. Firstly, I was raised in an environment where hard work was highly valued and seen as the key to success. Additionally, through my experiences, I’ve learned that consistent effort and dedication are essential for achieving excellence in any endeavor. I believe that if you want to truly excel in your field, you can’t afford to take days off. Each day is an opportunity to learn, grow, and push yourself further towards your goals. Read more>>

Lela White

I get my work ethic from my mom. Any job she had she took pride in doing it well. Even to this day she works hard and takes ownership of her work. When I started working at a young age, it helped me to take pride in my work and want to be good at it, no matter what it was. Read more>>

Diego L. Pedroza

I think my work ethic is directly tied to my cultural background. I am a Mexican immigrant, and anyone who was born and raised in Mexico can attest to the fact that nothing will happen for you unless you actively pursue it, and give it everything you got. Read more>>

Tykisha Baker

My work ethic came from being raised in a low income family that had to fight for everything we had and growing up watching strong women who raised me fight many life challenges and worked two and three jobs to make sure we had what we needed and never complained. Read more>>

Olivia Nunn

My work ethic is deeply rooted in my upbringing and experiences. Growing up in an environment where hard work was not just valued but considered non-negotiable has significantly shaped who I am today. My 20 years of service in the US Army as an army officer, including combat experiences, further reinforced these values of discipline, commitment, and perseverance. Read more>>

Sapphire Nova

I get my work ethic entirely from my mom. She has always been one of the hardest workers I know and she does not know how to sit still. Growing up she taught me how important it is to work hard and to always be professional and reliable.  Read more>>

Miss Rae

As an abstract artist and business owner, I have a commitment to authenticity and integrity, even when faced with challenging situations or disingenuous people. In both my professional and in my personal life, my work ethic is deeply influenced by my role as a mother and a provider. Read more>>

Mark Mound

I grew up in a family that unfortunately had some tragedy when I was young. My father passed away and my brother and I were raised by my selfless mother who took a low-paying teacher’s aide job so she could work but also spend time with the two of us.  Read more>>

Marissa Campbell

When you grow up with a father who woke up at 4:00am every weekday to drive 60 miles-round trip to work and come home smelling like sawdust from a long day at the lumber mill and a mother who put her heart and soul into planning dream vacations for clients, many of who would never see the extent she went to to do so, you are bound to be influenced by that kind of work ethic.  Read more>>

Trina Haire

It all started with dance. When I was 7 my mother put me in tap, jazz, ballet and hip hop dance. Later I went to Los Angeles County high school for the arts and learned that life wasn’t always going to be easy. Auditioning taught me that there will always be “no’s” but that doesn’t mean you stop. Read more>>

Micah Williams Kelly

My work ethic comes from my parents. They got married in the 1980s. At that time, there was still a lot of social stigma surrounding mixed-race couples, with my father being black and my mom white. Neither of their parents attended their wedding.  Read more>>

Sam Fairless

I grew up on a small farm in rural Canada and from an early age, my parents instilled the importance of being disciplined and the value of hard work. Waking up early and performing various tasks such as taking care of livestock and physical labor was part of everyday life.  Read more>>

Susan Hill

This is an easy question for me. My dad owned his own business for the majority of my childhood; we moved from Chicago, IL to Louisville, KY for him to start the business with his partner. There were many nights I saw his frustration, rejection, and difficulty and heard the conversations with my mom about how to persevere and overcome the obstacles he was facing as a “yankee” in the south. Read more>>

Cipriano Ortega

My work ethic is a reflection of my ancestors. Both sides of my family have shown me how to develop my own discipline and work ethic. As a full time artist, I am my own boss and I have to bring a level of professionalism to every project I am apart of. Read more>>

Marla Borokoff

I may not be the best at my job. I’m probably not the most qualified at all of the hats I wear. But man, I work hard. It seems like I hear daily about how hard people work and how tired they are. I don’t doubt it. I almost never complain about it though.  Read more>>

Reid Hendry

I think my work ethic comes from a place of necessity and pride. As an independent artist/musician/creative you realize very quickly on your journey that a regular payday isn’t a given and that what you put in is more directly related to what get out.  Read more>>

Jacob Chavez

I believe I get my work ethic from the wonderful people I have met through out my journey and of course all my teachers throughout life. I decided to pursue music back in 2015 and took that very seriously since then. I always admired all the amazing teachers through high school, and throughout my life. Read more>>

Dylan Paulini

I think it just comes from being driven by doing something that you love doing as well as working with and helping people that you care about. it just makes you want to work hard for that thing and after some time working hard you develop a work ethic that helps you do your job as well as helps the people you’re working with. Read more>>

Nelissa Carrillo

Ever since I was a little girl I’ve had to work for the things I wanted. Thats not to say I had a job when I was 8 but I would always ask to do extra hard chores or go to work with my mom and be her secretary for some extra cash. Read more>>

Nicki Mesenburg

From a young age, I learned that hard work is the key to success. Seeing my dad head out for work every day, facing a long commute of up to 3 hours each way, taught me the value of perseverance and doing whatever it takes to get ahead. He’s been in a union since he was 18, and even now, at 77, he still works part-time because he enjoys it. Read more>>

Laura McCumber

Work ethic was instilled in me at an early age by my family. We worked hard for everything we had. My grandfather was an electrician. He grew up during the Great Depression and was a self-made man, eventually owning his own business.  Read more>>

lori dresner

I came from a hard working family – my father was self made, a builder, and instilled his work ethic in me from an early age. No matter the subject, I was programmed to work hard. As a professional, an artist, and a philanthropist, the idea of working hard comes naturally from within. So whatever I chose to do in life, I do with commitment. Read more>>

Ibrahim Dhalla

From the very beginning, my work ethic has been fueled by a deep-seated determination to be the best father and the best version of myself. This drive is not just about personal ambition; it’s about setting a standard for excellence that I hope to pass down to my children. Read more>>

Donna Sheara

This sounds cliche, I know, but I definitely get my work ethic from my parents. I have clear memories of their references to the times they “barely had two nickels to rub together,” or how they tag-teamed for many years, dad working days, mom working evenings, to provide a secure life for their family.  Read more>>

Brynna Kibler

I got my work ethic from my mother 1000%. She had me when she was 20 so I watched her juggle college and raising me at the same time. She showed me that there are no shortcuts to success—only I could get myself where I want to be. Read more>>

Gary Smith

My work ethic was instilled in me at an early age. I grew up in a household where work was important. My dad was a cement finisher and rain played a factor on when he could work. Work was important. Being paid by the hour to miss work meant a short check. I saw him go to work sick with flu or injured many times. Read more>>

James Pratt

My work ethic was definitely something instilled by my mother from an early age. The importance of hard work and doing things with diligence is something to always strive for, regardless of what you’re doing. Over time, I have come to really love working and that feeling of ending a day after maximizing it at work. Read more>>

Jeremy Tipton

Without a doubt from my Mother. She worked as a teacher/principal for 40+ years. I saw her work overtime, show up to kids games/events, and miss things she wanted to do to make sure others were happy. Read more>>

Jemerris Giles

My Parents , I’ve Been Blessed Enough To Grow Up In A Two Parent Household Where My Dad Would Get Up Monday Through Friday At 4am To Go To Work And Make Sure Me And My Mom Had Any Everything We Needed To Be Successful And Not Have To Want For Anything. Read more>>

Asia-Miree Thorpe

From the time that I was a little girl, I grew up watching my mom single handedly take care of me and my younger brother while juggling multiple business endeavors. She went from owning her at-home daycare to owning a hair salon to joining network marketing companies, and then finally landing on her coaching and consulting business that she has been building since 2012.  Read more>>

Kyle Lucey

My father regularly made the impossible possible. We were a poor family. It was a regular occurrence to go home, flip a light switch then realize our electricity was shut off due to non-payment. Sometimes we would have no hot water to shower so we would go without regular bathing as well. We sold furniture for grocery money.  Read more>>

Jiovani Cervantes

From this immense pressure I had put on myself at a young age. I realized I found the most comfort and identity in the world of the arts, so I felt that I wouldn’t really fit in at any blue-collar job and that I had to make it as a creative to feel fulfilled and successful. Read more>>

Michael Vargas

I get my strong work ethic from my mother and my time in the Marines. When I was younger my mother had the difficult task of raining me and my two brothers mostly on her own. She is one of the strongest and hardest working people I know and she believed in and supported me and my bothers. Read more>>

Laura Fredrickson-Gosewisch

Work ethic is such an interesting term…there is definitely an ethical component to how we contribute to the world. I have always wanted to be of service, to make a positive impact, and that is what has driven my work throughout my life. Read more>>