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.
Brandon Bates

Imagine playing basketball or any sport from the time you can remember up until your last few years of Highschool. Not really understanding the true equity in hard work because I was very talented, I ended up being out worked by my peers. It wasn’t until it was time to go to college and I realized I hadn’t put in the work long enough to be able to compete with folks just a year ahead of me. Read more>>
Victor Gelsomino

My work ethic is deeply influenced by the example set by my father. He instilled in me the value of hard work and dedication through his own unwavering commitment throughout his life. Though he passed away in 2019, his legacy continues to inspire me to uphold high standards of diligence and perseverance in everything I do. Read more>>
Shakeyla Shinholster

My family. I come from a long line of over comers that worked hard. Read more>>
Dara Ratcliff

This question is a no brainer. I get my work ethic from both of my parents. Since a young age I knew what having a job was and what a days of work looked and felt like. My mother being a single mother of 4 had to work her tail of day and night to provide for us. Which led me to being the mom of the house, a job within itself. Read more>>
Kelly Watters

My work ethic comes from a combination of lessons from my parents, personal failures, and a healthy amount of sheer stubbornness. As a fourth-generation entrepreneur, I learned many of the hard truths of entrepreneurship as a child. Growing up, I watched my parents navigate the turbulent waters of business ownership for over three decades. Read more>>
Cristina Golubovich

Growing up, my father was my ultimate inspiration. Both of us are now involved in the world of filmmaking, myself having recently entered while he’s slowly edging out, after 30-something years in; his seasoned expertise and unwavering commitment to excellence served as a guide for my discipline. Read more>>
Danny Taff

As a Producer, my work ethic came from a fantastic and long line of mentors when I was younger and just getting into the production game. Every opportunity I was given, I made sure to work hard and more importantly, learn a lot. In my industry, you need to know every department inside and out and paying close attention for every production over the past 20 years has been vital to my growth as a Producer as well as a human. Read more>>
Elaine Bobbey

Every week day, my father got up, put on his suit, tie, overcoat and hat, and went to work. My mother was a “housewife” and she loved this job. She got up before my father and made his breakfast, then got us off to school. I can’t remember a single day that my father stayed home sick or my mother wasn’t up and taking care of her family in the early morning. Read more>>
Elizabeth Graham

My work ethic comes from my parents. They both showed me resounding examples of honoring commitments throughout my childhood, never letting me bail on things I didn’t want to follow through on just because something more fun came up. Read more>>
Lije Sarki

I think this answer has two parts. First, I’m a skateboarder. I’ve been doing it since I was a young teenager growing up in Michigan. Back then, we would watch skate videos and see photos in Magazines for inspiration. There was nobody really great in my town. Read more>>
Andre Darlington

As a child of an immigrant mother and a classical musician father, a strong work ethic was instilled at an early age from both sides. It was always understood that being the best – or even just surviving – involved self-improvement as well as constant maintenance on the road to any goal or practice. Read more>>
ANN Maynard Payne

I most definitely get my work ethic from my parents. They worked hard all their lives and showed me that with hard work and dedication comes reward. We didn’t take fancy vacations but we were all quite happy with the yearly camping trips that allowed our family to enjoy some much needed time to relax and reconnect. Read more>>
Jamo Kapone

I been working hard all my Life since I was a child… I grew up in the hood…. Had to work hard to get out… we clean… everyday… and also learn the value of a dollar… raking leaves… cutting grass… or getting paid working for my uncle painting services…. I didn’t have my pops in my life… Read more>>
Donna Mallard

The short answer to this question would be from my mother. She has always been a guiding example for me and is still one of the bravest and hardest-working people I know. Creative work can be a little different, though, perhaps because it involves showing up for yourself. I’ve found that developing a sketchbook practice has been super helpful in creating new work. Read more>>
Kyla Simone

I absolutely get my work ethic from my parents. Not only do they work hard, but they put their heart into everything they do. This has shaped my thinking about my work and encouraged me to always shoot for the stars, even at times where I feel disenchanted with the process. Read more>>
H.D. Hunter

I get my work ethic from my father. We grew up not always having everything we needed but working hard for everything we got. The lessons were not fun. And many of them didn’t stick until much later. But as far back as I can remember, not only was my father a hard worker, he also really emphasized for me to take p r i d e in my work. Read more>>
Julie Bonner

My work ethic is deeply rooted in the values instilled by my parents, who were both educators. Growing up, my mom and dad, a second-grade teacher with a Master’s in Child Literacy and a middle-school math teacher, respectively, read to me and encouraged my artistic endeavors. Read more>>
Anita Trent

This is such a great question and one that took me some time to be thoughtful around. At the age of 52, and after 13 years of committing to a yoga practice that includes meditation, I can finally see myself and one bit of character that’s always been with me is my ability to see what needs to be done and do it. I have found myself to be quite unmessable. Read more>>
Molly Peyton White

My parents. Growing up we were homeschooled due to competitive sports with intense schedules. I watched my parents pick up multiple jobs to make sure we were able to do the sports and activities we enjoyed. I saw how hard they hustled and now am able to do the same for myself. Read more>>
Shalisa Shaw

I get my work ethic from my environment that I am surrounded by and have been surrounded by for the last 28 years of my life. I grew up with a hard working family. My mother worked in insurance. My father worked as an auditor and drove very far distances to provide for his family until the age of 70. Read more>>
Jill Pratt

Raised in a small farming town in Nebr. We learned from an earlier age that work was a must to get ahead in life. My parents both went to collage where they met. Dad’s family was form Omaha and they owned their own business, which my father worked. My mother was from a small town where she worked for her father. Read more>>
Heavy Bandz

I get my work ethic from those I see hustling. I get my work ethic from studying certain people I’ve been around. My drive, my passion, my enthusiasm, and my creativity… It is fueled by many things. I’ve also learned that nobody is going to hustle harder, for what I want to accomplish in life. That is the reason, I’m constantly working. Read more>>
Mishiko Sulakauri

I got my work ethic from the streets of Tbilisi, especially from the subcultural levels, where you need to act permanently to get the result. Read more>>
Ryan Arioli

As a first-generation college graduate, my work ethic is deeply influenced by my upbringing and the journey I’ve undertaken to achieve my educational goals. Coming from a family where higher education was not the norm, I felt a strong sense of responsibility to pave my own path and set an example for future generations. Read more>>
Christina Hill

great work ethic advice, nothing has honed this skill quite like being a mom of four. I’m often in the business of managing, whether this is our schedule, our homeschool lessons, or emotions that are too big for their small bodies. Read more>>
Angela Green

I developed my work ethic at a young age. I was tough the importance of completing what you start and given opportunities to handle projects on my own. Read more>>
Carly Plemons

As cliche as it may sound, my parents. My parents divorced when I was 3, and I saw firsthand the hardships that single parents face. For me, that looked like never seeing my parents not working. We would be on a trip to visit family in another state, where my mom would be working on her degree online on her laptop at my uncle’s kitchen table. Read more>>
Timothy Nathan

My work ethic honestly came from watching my mother support me for so long on her own . Watching her wake up in the morning at 5am to go to work to provide for my sister and I. Just being able Witnessing that every day gave me no choice but to do the same in my own life. Read more>>
Madelynn Mutter

My parents have taught me everything I know about hard work. Coming from a family of small business owners, I have watched them put in endless hours of work into their business. They have shown and taught me to have a bit of ‘Grit’ in my life, when a job comes across my path to pull up my sleeves and get to work. Read more>>
Joseph Walker

My father was an international high school superintendent and my mother was a social worker, and I got a lot of my work ethic and practices from seeing their example growing up. My brother and I had after school jobs in middle school and high school, participated in work/study programs in college, and always left room in our lives for service and volunteer opportunities. Read more>>
Irvinng Soria

When i was a little kid my family didn’t had much and my father wasn’t around either, so my grandparents take care of me and my grand father, who now passed away, used to have a bicycle shop and from my early 3 or 4 years he started teaching me how fixe or assemble new bicycles; he always told me that one always had to get their hand dirty so you know how much effort is put in all the thing around us. Read more>>
Bill Rotella

Growing up in a family of successful musicians undoubtedly influenced my work ethic. It nurtured the discipline needed to begin and complete and then record and release my songs. I just released my 15th album, “The Big PIcture Fits In A Little Frame” (streaming now). Read more>>
Ahman Laster

I learned it from. My dad he started selling fruits and vegetables and a street corner and turned it into a store with hard work. Read more>>
Anouck Gotlib
As a third generation to holocaust survivor, my grandparents and their story were a huge part of my growing up. Their strength inspired us to venture into entrepreneurial life. When World War 2 was over, my grandfather opened a garment business. My dad followed him into that industry and between the two of them, I had no shortage of examples of hard work. Read more>>
Sydney Brett
At a young age, I was diagnosed with dyslexia. Because of my dyslexia, I always had to put extra effort in especially when it came to my schoolwork. My strong work ethic comes from having dyslexia. I never wanted the stereotypes and what other people have to say define me as a person. Which is why I have made it my mission to always give everything I do 110%. Read more>>