Working hard in 2023: Keeping Work Ethic Alive

While the media might often make it seem like hard work is dead and that everyone is just ghosting their lives away, we’ve seen countless examples of how strong the work ethic is on every street and in every neighborhood in America. Hard work is alive and well and we asked some of the hardest working folks we know how they developed their work ethic.

Sophie and Izzy

Our work ethnic is strong and it started with watching how hard our parents work. We noticed it even more during the heat of pandemic, since we were all working from home. Read more>>

Kim Colwell

My work ethic came from partially from family and partially from my background in Ballet. Read more>>

Marcelle Folk

My work ethic comes from growing up with my step-father, Trey. He was a hard worker and never allowed himself to be a victim. Growing up, we were very poor. I was the oldest of my mom’s 8 children. Despite qualifying for government assistance, my parents refused to accept it. My parents were very strict and taught us about hard work. That really shaped me into who I am today. Read more>>

Shane Stanley

From my father. Since I was very young he would always say, “Whatever you set your hand to, give it your best.” I hated hearing that as a kid because it often referred to homework or something I didn’t want to do but at some point in my life I realized it was a great approach and finally applied it to my day-to-day life and work. Read more>>

Shalanda Leggs, Esq.

I believe my work ethic was innately within me from a little girl. From that, I worked that muscle. I grew up in a regular Detroit neighborhood. Expectations of me and those from my neighborhood were low. However, I always knew I was destined for more/greater/bigger than what my surroundings suggested. Read more>>

Nicolette Canady

Believe it or not, my Mom has trained me to work in corporate America since like age 12. She had a mortgage company and was teaching me how to be an administrative assistant. I did that really well and I would notice that when I put a lil extra work in, she would reward me with bonuses. She said that’s what they did at big companies. In my mind that meant come in ready to work go hard and try to outwork everybody. Read more>>

Cassandra Goldberg

I grew up in a military family where we moved consistently for 17 years before my dad retired. My dad, a captain of a Naval destroyer, had a philosophy of “you take care of it and it will take care of you”, which holds true to many aspects of my life. My mom, on the other hand, who didn’t go to college, went from bank manager to real estate broker guru throughout my childhood. Read more>>

 Zion Jeng

The music industry is built on team work and collaboration. All the moving parts of the team work together to achieve the best possible result which helps establish concrete individual roles. Personally, I do not intend to stand out, I intend to serve the music I’m making. Read more>>

Ashley Chase

Our work ethic at Valar Aesthetics comes from our core value of taking care of our clients. We all strive to work hard to make sure they get not only the best aesthetic results possible, but are cared for and feel comfortable in our space. For clients, aesthetics can be difficult to talk about because you are talking about things you don’t like or want to improve about yourself, which puts us in vulnerable positions. Read more>>

Sue Lee

Most definitely my parents! They use to own a restaurant in Baltimore City and worked 16+ hour days. I basically grew up there and watched how hard they worked and how much they sacrficed to make my life better. Their motto was to always work hard, save and don’t spend within your means. I hold onto those lessons and values today. Read more>>

Nicole Houff

My work ethic definitely comes from my parents. As children, my sisters and myself were always encouraged to go after what we want and to not be afraid of the work and effort that goes along with that process. Nothing in life is free, but the cost to get what you want is well worth the price. Read more>>

Laurin Collar

I learned work ethic at a young age. I knew I wanted to be in TV news from 8th grade on, I also knew how hard it was to make it in that field, especially in my hometown of Charleston. I started interning the minute I graduated high school and worked every summer and Christmas break to gain experience. Read more>>

Todd Westover

I figure I might as well work. I would much rather create something than be passive and just watch the world go by. If you look at all the great painter’s output numbers, it’s in the hundreds or thousands. I haven’t reached 200 yet. Time to get to work! Read more>>

Luke Porter

When I was growing up, my mom managed an old apartment building in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. She had office hours, but she also had to clean all of the public areas, manage the maintenance staff, take care of payroll and scheduling, and clean units when people moved out. It was hard work, and the building was in a poor neighborhood. I remember her taking me around with her when I was a kid, and I would help her clean for extra money. Read more>>

Gretchen Skedsvold

I was raised on a farm in North Dakota and both my parents were self-employed. My dad was a farmer and also a volunteer EMT and my mom was a stay-at-home mom when I was little, gardening and canning and sewing to help make ends meet and then worked at a tax preparation business part-time, bought the business, and eventually became a financial advisor. Read more>>

Kelly Kleisner

I grew up with many role models that worked their way from the ground up. Climbing career ladders in the field of hospitality. We were brought up understanding that nothing worthwhile comes for free. Read more>>

Rowan Grebeck-Perry

I think about work ethic a lot. It is hard to say what drives a person to want to work and be the best at what they do. I am not competitive, but firmly believe that if you choose to do something (because any job is a choice) then you need to strive to be good at what you do. If I am going to put in the effort to build a business, you better believe that I am going to try to be a great business. Read more>>

Gary Leon

My Mother is where I get my work ethic from. She came to America from Haiti with nothing. She worked hard for everything she has gotten. She is a big believer in owning your own property and she has paid off 3 houses since coming here from Haiti. I have always remembered my mother as working 2 jobs at times when I was younger. Read more>>

Kyle Fedasiuk

I learned my work ethic from my mom. She always inspired me to treat every day and encounter as a new opportunity. One quote that holds much meaning to my family is that “life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” -Vivian Greene. I believe that even through the toughest of times or the harshest of conditions, we can all find ways to bloom amongst the storm. Read more>>

Tayshaun Lewis

My work ethic has been shaped by various factors throughout my life. From an early age, my parents instilled in me the value of hard work and perseverance. They taught me to set goals, prioritize tasks, and always give my best. This foundation laid the groundwork for my work ethic, which grew stronger over time. Read more>>

Binh Trinh Trinh

My parents immigrated to the United States with the equivalent of $4 between them. No family, no money, no English… They had to work extremely hard for opportunities for my siblings and I in the states. My parents worked hard because they had no choice as they came over here in the 70s. Civil rights for Asian immigrants at that time were tough so they dealt with a lot of discrimination. Read more>>

Luis Chamorro

I’d say my work ethic was passed down from my parents. They immigrated to the States back in the 1980s, working low- to mid-paying jobs while raising three boys. They only requested one thing from their kids: “get good grades.” I’d say I took it to heart somewhat. I consider myself a passive person, but I want to produce quality work when it comes to my photography. Read more>>

Del Harrison

As the #rapper #Juvenile said, “she get it from her mama”. If I call my mama right now (and no matter what time I call), she is reviewing something, grading something, helping someone, looking over something… hard at work. And if I could call Beyonce right now, I bet you she’d be working too. Read more>>

Jay Grosman

Certainly! Here’s a reworded version of your answer, emphasizing the tremendous impact your dad’s work ethic had on shaping your successful career: Read more>>

Amanda Zappler

I have worked full time since I was 12 years old. For my first job, I was employed as an overnight clerk at a 24-hour pharmacy to contribute to my family’s household income. There has never been a time in my life since then when I have not worked. I learned early on that working gave me power- power to make changes in my life, power to achieve goals and ambitions, power to affect my future. Read more>>

Lisa Andrews

I credit my dad (RIP) for my work ethic. He was a lifelong learner that was always looking for ways to help people. I recognized that he grew up with nothing but was successful because he rolled up his sleeves and dug in. In addition to being a high school principal, he was a great musician. On weekends, he would play in a band to make extra money for our family. Read more>>

Lynn Tanaka

I credit my parents for my work ethic. From an early age, my parents instilled their positive work ethic values in me and my siblings. Taking pride in our work, being self-directed and motivated, and finding a sense of accomplishment in finishing a job or task. Read more>>

Nykisha Banks

My work ethic came from always being a rule follower. I always wanted to do the right thing even when no one was looking. I never wanted to be micromanaged. I wanted to be trusted. I wanted all of my leaders to trust me. I wanted all of the studio owners I worked for to trust me. Read more>>

Shawn Douglas

My work ethic in my music drives me. It mostly come from greats I’ve seen along the way growing up as in different artist. Also even in my home life growing up raised by women always working making sure the kids were always good. But Artist I look up to like Lil Wayne always dropped mixtapes back in that era also Gucci Mane. Read more>>

Wesley Ryan

Our team, including Wesley Ryan, Bob Ryan and Ariel Faeth have a drive to become the nation’s best canine entertainment show. We started 2 years ago with this mission and strive each day to push our show to the next level. Each of us works independently and as a team with our dogs to constantly improve our craft. Our work ethic comes from the drive to be the ultimate in dog shows. Read more>>

Isaiah Brown

I believe that as soon as we stop learning, growing, and pushing our limits to grow then we stop living. My drive and work ethic comes from a burning desire to always unlock a chapter of my life I never thought possible. When I look back on the things I’ve able to accomplish, I remember how much is truly possible for any person that puts their mind and dreams into action. I also go stir crazy when I feel stagnant, and my goals always motivate me to take steps each day closer to my dreams. Read more>>

Manal Hussein

I have definitely developed my strong work ethic from my parents, but especially my mother. There was a point in my life where I had to be completely exhausted to feel like I did anything and if I had more than a day off to rest I felt useless. I had to really understand why I was like that and I immediately thought of my mother. We grew up in my parents’ computer business. Read more>> 

Tim Mathis

I got my work ethic from both of my parents. My dad was a phone man for Southwestern Bell and my mom ran a kitchen in our family restaurant. Both worked tirelessly day after day to better our situation which never really rose over lower middle class. Personally I never wanted that type of 9 to 5 grind but I try to apply that same “get up and get it done” attitude which has helped me greatly in my entertainment career. Read more>>

DuPont Brass

Our work ethic is rooted in our love for music. To be successful in music, or anything for that matter, you have to work hard, but when you sincerely love what you do, the work doesn’t seem so much like work. We also inspire each other to work harder. Everyone in the group has aspirations, and seeing each other work toward them makes us want to work harder. Read more>>

Lindsey Christian

Both my grandfather and my dad started their businesses from scratch. From an early age a hard work ethic was instilled watching their businesses grow and flourish in the community. Read more>>

Marisa Pearcy

When looking back throughout my life, I give much credit to two things. One, my father. He has been a chiropractor for over 50 years and at the age of 74, he still practices til this day. He supported a family of five children. He moved to a small town from the city and built his business from the ground up. It required long hours, dedication and compassion to help others. Read more>>