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.

Kevin Abrams

My work ethic comes from both the values instilled in me at a young age and the challenges I had to overcome. Growing up, one of the core principles my parents emphasized was to always give your best effort, no matter the task. That lesson became a foundation for everything I pursued. Read More>>

Aristides Mantilla

I always try to be the coworker I would love to have, so I reflect what I expect from the rest of people who work with me. My work ethic comes from my upbringing and my deep passion for storytelling. I’ve always believed that filmmaking is not just about talent—it’s about perseverance, discipline, willingness and collaborative work. Read More>>

Marla Truitt

My dad Read More>>

Laila Ghambari

I grew up with a family of entrepreneurs. My father is an immigrant from Iran and he found his place here in hospitality. He was a GM for a company in Seattle called B&O Espresso, one of the first European style cafes to open in Seattle in the late 70’s. Read More>>

Kimberly Boulos

My work ethic comes from a deep sense of gratitude, and from a feeling that I always want to know I gave it my all to the people and things I care about. Read More>>

Jdub Warren

Having the feeling of being all alone with myself to count on. I’ve been put in situations with the odds all against me which put me in a position to mentally grow in this game we call life. You have to work hard like you’re still starving in order to maintain consistency where I come from. Read More>>

Cynthia Egle-Grant

My work ethic is energized from a few different sources. One is to continually view the art being made by others. It is inspiring to see how people create their views of the world, and change the world because of what they add to it, which calls me to attempt to do the same. Read More>>

Racci The Don

I get my work ethic from growing up watching my mom work 2 jobs as a single mother trying to make sure I had everything I needed. Read More>>

Justin Murta

My work ethic comes from a few different places. First, watching my parents who were always very dedicated to their careers, who were socially successful because of their punctual nature and work acumen. My 8 year relationship with the United States Marine Corps would be a close second. Read More>>

Alexa Thompson

I started working in high school at a small mom and pop owned pizzeria in the small town of Loveland, Ohio, where I lived during my teenage years. The owner of the pizzeria was from New Jersey and I am originally from Staten Island, NY, that is when I knew this would be a perfect fit. Read More>>

St Hilaire Gheslaire

My work ethic comes from an insatiable thirst for creation and a deep commitment to the future of art in Haiti. I am ST Hilaire Gheslaire, a painter and artistic director, and every day, I wake up with one mission: to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Read More>>

Tony

I get my work ethic from pure survival. If you don’t show up and do the best job you can, you will no longer have a business. This is so important when you are self employed and own your own business. If you don’t produce a good product, your business will not last. I also love to make people happy so doing a perfect job and getting that initial reaction from a happy client is what really keeps me going. Read More>>

Corey Gaston

My work ethic has been developed over the years! I began work at a young age with my maternal grandfather who owned his own businesses. He owned a commercial building cleaning service as well as a lawn care service and I worked with him in the evenings and during my summer vacations. Read More>>

Angela Bryant

I got my work ethic from my Grandfather Ralph Collins. He raised my siblings and I, we grew up watching him work hard to care of us even after the passing of our Grandmother. He own his own logging truck, so he’d get contracts to clear land of the trees and would sell the trees for a profit. That’s how he made money to support us. Read More>>

Andrew Bernett

I learned my strong work ethic from my dad. He has owned a construction company since I was born, and as I grew up, I was always by his side, riding along to various job sites. In the beginning, my role was simple—grabbing tools, cleaning up, and doing whatever needed to be done. At the time, I didn’t fully realize the skills I was gaining, but years later, after college and living on my own, I truly came to appreciate the experience. Read More>>

Kelly Czupkiewicz

Both of my parents were very blue collar when I was growing up. My Dad worked overnights until I was probably in middle school, so I remember him sleeping thru the day for a big part of my childhood – I loved being able to see him, but it usually wasn’t until the weekend! Read More>>

Kelly Tompkins

I most certainly get my work ethic from my parents. Being raised on a farm provided me with invaluable life skills and opportunities that I may have taken for granted at the time. Hard work, dedication, and pride in what I can accomplish—both individually and as part of a community or family—are just a few of the key values that instantly come to mind. Read More>>

Immanie Rogers

My work ethic came from watching my mom overcome many challenges while being in the military. I learned so many traits from her by watching, hearing the compliments that she’d get for her hard work by her fellow soldiers, and even direct lessons she taught me. Read More>>

Stefan & Leticia Olson

Our work ethic comes from a mix of personal values, life experiences, and a deep passion for what we do. We both grew up with strong examples of hard work, and over time, we developed the discipline needed to build and sustain a business we love. Read More>>

Rachel Peters

I think for a long time, I allowed myself to wait on people to do things. In a certain way, I think the environment I grew up around expected me to wait for people to help, rather than do things myself. Whether I was waiting for people to do the things they said they would, or to change, or to prioritize things for me in the ways I prioritized for them- I found myself for a long time sitting around and just allowing my faith in others take the lead, instead of taking the reigns myself. Read More>>

Sam Bellenger (sblngr/sb)

I think a lot of the success I’ve had with my work comes from a fear of it not working out. From early on in my design career I realised that I’d only get as much from it as I put into it, So if I wasn’t constantly putting my concept work out there then I wouldn’t be seen by potential clients. Read More>>

Hannah Kopplin

Our company and brand takes every chance we get to highlight women’s rights, entrepreneurship, and overall importance in our community. This all stems from witnessing my mom’s work ethic throughout my childhood. Growing up I remember how much my mom would work while also showing up for my sister and me. Read More>>

Kristin Thompson

I think that my work ethic is mostly thanks to actually loving my career and constantly wanting to learn more and be able to offer more to my clients. Sometimes that can come with downsides too. I often have to tell myself to focus on the present, and what’s in front of me instead of always looking to see what comes next. Read More>>

Jenny Ngo

Being first generation Asian American, we were raised to work hard and become resilient to change & challenges. I eventually worked in many fine dining restaurants including the best restaurant in the world. During my time in restaurants I gained a lot of knowledge on how the food industry operates from front and back of house. Read More>>

Robiee Ziegler

I’ve been incredibly lucky to know exactly what I wanted to do from as far back as I can remember. Photography wasn’t just a hobby or something I stumbled into. It was always the thing. And I had the kind of parents who actually listened when I said, “This is what I want to do.” Read More>>