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.
Bill Ross
So, where did I get my work ethic from? It goes back to my childhood. So, growing up in Upstate New York, my grandparents owned a big dairy farm. I was there most days growing up, and I would go there and work when I wasn’t in school. For those who know about farming, it’s a challenging job to say the least. We would be up at 4:30 to go to the barn and milk the cows, come back in, have breakfast, and right back out for more work. The hours were long, and they were difficult. Read more>>
Ana Tejeda
Ever since I can remember, my parents have always been hard workers. They were always reliable and responsible, whether it be at work or at home. They set a great example for my brother and I, and those traits were passed down to us. I’ve carried those characteristics ever since I was a young child and continue to do so now. Once I began attending art school, I made friends who shared the same work ethic and shared the same passion for illustration. We asked questions, we stayed up late to work, we stayed determined. Read more>>
Katy Martin
I believe my strong work ethic stems from a combination of personal values, family influence, and professional experiences. Growing up, my entire large Serbian family instilled in me the importance of dedication and perseverance. They always emphasized that hard work and integrity are key to achieving any goal. Read more>>
Jontue Stansbury
My mother’s commitment and ethical principles greatly impact my work ethic. She instilled in me the value of perseverance by demonstrating that success can be attained through constant work, despite the obstacles she faces. Her constant dedication and focus in the face of adversity have motivated me to go after my dreams. She stressed the value of being resilient and possessing your own. Read more>>
Ash Gordon
When I was 13, I was struggling to learn classical guitar. My hands were tiny, and the fretboard was MASSIVE, and I couldn’t read music to save my life. I was about to give up, but then my guitar teacher showed me the most fierce video of Charo playing “Malagueña” in the 70’s. I noticed her hands were just about the same size as mine and that she wasn’t reading sheet music. That’s when my guitar teacher said, “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” Read more>>
King Quice
My work ethic comes from my father. He always emphasized the importance of hard work and perseverance. Watching him dedicate himself to his work and responsibilities taught me the value of putting in the effort, no matter the challenge. His example shaped how I approach everything I do, always striving to give my best. Read more>>
Jerome Ro Brooks
I get my work ethic from my parents. Watching them as a kid do what they needed to do to provide for my three sisters and I. Working two and even three jobs at times to keep a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs and clothes on our backs. As parents you don’t get any days off when you have kids depending on you for their survival. Read more>>
Raj Will
My work ethic stems from a few different places in life that we’re pivotal at the start of my career in the industry. At the forefront is the discipline I learned from being in marching band, specifically the drum line, all four years in high school. That was the start of my passion for music of all genres and styles. During that time, I was laser focused on drums, producing and song writing, being able to go from not reading music to finishing as a senior in the drum caption role receiving awards for musical excellence. Read more>>
Dalton & Megan Shirley & Redlin
We both get our work ethic from our parents. They are some of the hardest working people we know, and they have always pushed us to do our best. When we purchased Novios Café, they worked long hours right along side us to clean, paint, and spruce up the café. We’re talking 18-20 hour days–until 1 AM–with minimal complaining. For people close to retirement, they sure had the energy of 20-year-olds. They inspire us to keep going even when we’re tired. If they can keep going, we really have no excuses! Read more>>
Ry T Spear
My Grandmother. My grandmother’s name was Marion. And she worked the entire time of my existence as a librarian. She would work all day. Pick me up from school and then make dinner for my grandfather and myself. She never called in sick. She was always awake, alert and happy every single morning. And she was for the depression era. I think maybe I saw her cry a handful of times. Read more>>
Emily Long
I got my work ethic from my parents. Ever since I was little, they lead by example. They started their roofing business in their 1 bed/1 bath apartment. 31 years later, they are still putting in the work. My dad and mom work hard to ensure our family lives this amazing life. From them, I learned hard work, discipline, and balance. Read more>>
London Simes
I get my work ethic from my mom, who has been an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember. She owns Simply Simes Event Planning, and I’ve seen her dedication and hard work firsthand. She always balances multiple tasks, stays organized, and never gives up, no matter how challenging things get. Growing up with such a strong role model has shown me the value of hard work, persistence, and passion. Because of her, I understand the importance of putting in the effort to achieve my goals with Pooka Bean and Co., LLC. Read more>>
Segun Abraham
From the society and day to day life. Read more>>
Scott Donnelly
I have always had a strong work ethic. Growing up, my dad and my grandfather were great examples for me as far as how to work hard. Now that I am in my adult hood, my family is what drives my worth ethic. I always want to set a good example for my children, and show them that working hard does pay off. Read more>>
Claudia Virginia Vitari
My work ethic as an artist is deeply rooted in a commitment to understanding and telling the stories of those who live on the margins of society. The drive to engage with these often overlooked or forgotten communities comes from a desire to confront the complex relationship between individual stories and the institutions that shape the society we live in. Read more>>
Alexis Bennett
My work ethic is all thanks to my dad! From a young age, he instilled in me the value of hard work and tackling obstacles head-on. He’s shown me that with persistence and dedication, I can handle anything that comes my way. His lessons have really shaped how I approach my work and life. Read more>>
Krystal Neuenschwander
I am very fortunate that I’m able to say that my parents have been amazing role models in my life. I grew up in a household where my mom was the primary breadwinner, worked long hours, and somehow still made it to my softball games and clarinet recitals. My dad was an engineer by night, and coached us kids during the day in all kinds of things. It sometimes felt like they were always working, but if that were the case, how could they take us on so many family vacations or to cheer me on in the stands during every one of my games? They showed up and made their children a priority, which has made a lasting impressions on the whole family. They worked to live, instead of living to work. Read more>>
Natali Hall
My work ethic comes from a strong line of women and not to take away anything from the men in my family but the women go above and beyond. My paternal grandmother raised 6 boys, so you can only imagine the cooking, sewing, laundry, worrying, and praying she did for her boys. My maternal grandmother raised 5 children and in her lifetime has lost two of them. In the middle of all that, she never gave up. Lost her husband to lung cancer a year after losing her second child to a fatal single car accident, she has continued to keep things in order at her house all alone. Read more>>
Mindy Mccombs
As I was growing up, I always loved helping. I can remember my Papa taking me to get The Hardy Boys book set because I helped him with yard work for the day in the peak of summer in Southern California. As time went on, I learned to love the idea of getting a reward for working hard. It always gave my busy mind something to put energy towards. The moment I turned 15, I started working and have never looked back. It has always brought so much joy to me to bring excellence into everything that I do. I believe my work ethic comes from the continued desire to add value wherever I can. Watching others win is my “why.” Read more>>
Rochelle Williams
I would say I learned from example. My mother was a single mother and an immigrant. The only way for her to build a life for herself and her family was by working. She progressed from being a live-in nanny to pursuing post secondary education and then establishing her career in long-term healthcare. My mom worked double sometimes even triple shifts to ensure her kids had what they needed. She went to work, did what she had to do then came home and managed the household. When you witness that, you can’t help but to copy it. Read more>>
Gaye M Adams
I’ve always believed that work ethic is necessary for success in any field. I learned this from my family of origin. Doing your part was always a given, and expecting everything to be dropped on your lap in terms of wealth or success or happiness was just not a reasonable expectation. Read more>>
Jay Chism
My strong work ethic is deeply rooted in my faith in God. I’m truly grateful for the continuous blessings and motivation that have guided me towards my goals. Without God given support and focus, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Additionally, my family has been a tremendous source of inspiration. Witnessing the achievements of my fathers and godfathers, as well as our success with Nikki’s Delights, has fueled my desire to explore new ventures and push my boundaries. Read more>>
Dr. Kimberly W. Pruitt
I get my work ethic from my parents, who both demonstrated the value of hard work and dedication throughout my childhood. My dad was a welder, and I watched him work long shifts to provide for our family. He never complained and always showed up with a strong sense of responsibility and commitment to his job. My mom was a nurse who worked the evening shift. This meant she was often not home in the evenings, I had to take on responsibilities at a young age, ensuring I kept up with my studies and helped around the house. Their example taught me the importance of perseverance, responsibility, and balancing multiple roles. Read more>>
Carrie Davids
I definitely can attribute my work ethic to music. I started playing viola when I was 6 years old through the music program at my public school. The teacher there was Janet Fantozzi, who was Suzuki trained and an amazing educator (she has since passed due to cancer). Much of her teaching involved lessons in posture, listening, collaboration between classmates, and memorization. I immediately fell in love with playing, and took to it quickly. I saw that the more effort I put into it, the better I got and the more I got special solo/performance opportunities due to my hard work. Read more>>
Casey Jolly
My strong work ethic and motivation to succeed started at a young age. I always wanted to be independent, create my own path, and find a sense of purpose. Despite some challenges growing up and struggling academically, I was never short on drive—I just needed to channel it into something meaningful. I had an entrepreneurial spirit early on, running a small stationery business at 10. Being homeschooled gave me the opportunity to accompany my dad to work frequently. Read more>>
Kalin Wiggins
I think I get my work ethic from seeing how things could be in the future depending on the opportunity. I have always been goal driven & i say pretty hard headed in a good way, I don’t like quitting anything I start no matter how long it may take. Read more>>
Jay Yoder
My moms, I raised by 2 strong women who were no stranger to hard work! Both were nurses who worked from a very young age. My one mother was a nurse in Austriailia who was helping deliver aboriginal babies in the outback when she was only 17! They both taught me about balance too! Work hard, but play hard! Read more>>
Sarah Olivia Lawrence
To be honest, my work ethic stems from my childhood. When I was a little girl, I had to help raise my two sisters after my parents separated when I was about nine years old. I found myself in a situation where I didn’t perceive a choice; I decided to do everything I could to shield my sisters from a lot of dysfunction. It was then that I realized that work ethic could mean keeping the house clean so that when my single mother came home, she wouldn’t feel overwhelmed. Over time, my understanding of work ethic evolved to encompass learning and discerning the difference between over-giving and applying myself effectively. Read more>>
Nousha Salimi
I got my work ethic from my parents. They were such hard workers from young ages both being immigrants. Read more>>
Andre Scott
The short answer is my family. I have witnessed consistent efforts from multiple members of my family, on both my maternal and paternal sides. My mother had me at an early age and raised me by herself. She provided a quality example of how to parent while working and pursuing an education. She never allowed me to slack off due to our circumstances. Her sister, my Aunt Diane, entered the military and served for 23 years before retiring. Read more>>
Alex Wimmer
My work ethic I attribute to my parents. My mom is from Vietnam and came to the United States during the Vietnam War. She went from having nothing to become a successful business owner. Growing up I saw her work tirelessly to pursue two masters degrees, starting her own business, and providing for our family. Her Vietnamese background was the key through all of this, often saying the following phrases: “Nothing is free, you have to earn everything in life.”; “Hard work is all that matters, talent does not get you anywhere.”; “What you do matters more than what you say, do not open your mouth unless you can do what you are going to say.” Read more>>
William Gates
I would say I get my work ethic from my father . He was the type of person that would never sit down growing up I watched him work on his off days doing construction, plumbing work and sometimes auto mechanic work but he was a Chicago Firefighter by profession lol. Read more>>
Rakym Mccarthy
I asked myself, “what else would you be doing at this time in your life other from doing music” at the age of 18, sitting everyday on the block, chilling doing the regular roll ups and meditation, going to work everyday doing a job you don’t like, and that’s when it hit. I got up the exact same moment and went to built a beat. My work eithic came from an ultimatum, then it became what do I want for myself, even when I got into recording artists and mixing and mastering songs, it became more of do it because your are necessary and me searching for that sound that is an extention of myself. Read more>>
Michael S. Garcia
My work ethic came from my traditional martial arts background. The more time you spend on the mat, lifting, stretching, sparring, etc. the better you get. It’s that simple. Talent only gets you so far and from what I have discovered in recent years, can even act as a hindrance. Read more>>
Jeevan Tillit
Without a doubt, my work ethic comes from my mother, Carmin Tillit. A single mother, originally from Peru, she is the founder and vice president of East of Collins Expediting (EOCE), a permit expediting service provider that has been servicing clients for over 15 years. She opened the company in the midst of the housing and financial crisis and after losing her job in the construction sector. Today, EOCE has 25 full-time employees handling not only building permits but also business licenses, special event permits and other supporting services for the South Florida area. The key to her success? Her white glove service. Read more>>
Tatiana Samano
My strong work ethic is undoubtedly inherited from my father. Since I was a child, my dad has exemplified hard work, always striving to create something remarkable out of nothing. His philosophy of “the early bird gets the worm” has been ingrained in me from a young age. I would characterize him as a dedicated, compassionate, and innovative person, qualities that have greatly influenced me in all aspects of my life. Read more>>
Veronica Murry-lockamy
My father was in the military so instilled in me & my brother hard work discipline and no matter what putting your best foot forward. I carried these principles through everything I do. My career in the Federal Government to my passion of service where it resignates in my event planning & design business. Read more>>
Gale Dashner Schadewald
I definitely received my work ethic from my parents. Growing up in Minnesota, the winters are long and cold. To heat our house, we had a wood burning furnace, no electric heat. So, that meant in the summertime a portion of summer break was spent in the woods helping Dad cut trees for firewood to last all winter long. Then, from fall through spring, every weekend without exception, we hauled wood into the house to last all week. We had other household chores and yard work that needed to be done on a daily basis as well. Read more>>
Arnold Pinel
My work ethic is rooted in the values instilled in me by my family and my experiences throughout my career. Growing up, I was taught the importance of diligence, responsibility, and always striving for excellence in whatever I do. These principles were reinforced by mentors and colleagues who demonstrated the value of hard work, integrity, and commitment. Additionally, my passion for the work I do and the satisfaction of achieving meaningful results drive me to maintain a strong work ethic. Read more>>
Yesenia Gutierrez
My work ethic is deeply rooted in my experience as a first-generation Mexican American. My parents immigrated to this country to provide a better life for my brother and me, and they instilled in us the belief that anything is possible with hard work. My father always emphasized the importance of education, reminding us that ‘nothing we learn can ever be taken from us.’ This has driven me to continually grow, learn, and work tirelessly toward my dreams. Read more>>
Andrea Huang
My principle is “Treat others the way I want to be treated.” If you don’t like the feeling of others being late, don’t be late.
If you would feel hurt hearing sharp words, don’t say them to others.
If you appreciate others’ understanding and tolerance, do the same to them. Read more>>
Seth Holmes
As a boy growing up in a poverty, I saw my mother working multiple jobs to make ends meet while my biological father was in prison. Seeing her struggle as we lived in a trailer lit a spark in me to where I never wanted to go back to that living condition ever again. When she met my stepfather, he brought in the help and the discipline we desperately needed in the home with my sister and brother. Together as a team they taught us the value of hard work, perseverance and dedication. My parents always emphasized the importance of respect, showing up on time and working diligently to achieve our goals, even in the face of adversity. Read more>>
Baby Delgado
I grew up in trailer parks in the middle of no where in the desert and a very abusive family structure. So my work ethic comes from having no other choice to keep going because I don’t ever want to return to where I came from. And its only been a beautiful journey since then and I cant wait to see what else is in store. Read more>>
Kent Youngstrom
a letter to me, the 15 year old kenT who has no idea what is ahead of him from kenT the coach, the dad, the artist formerly know as kenT the 15 year old.
these random thoughts are composed in no particular order.
stand up straight. be confident in your speech. those who you are standing next to currently will always know your name and who you are, but will not necessarily be the one’s shaping your life in the future. their opinion of what you are doing, wearing or excited about does not matter. be a beacon of light for those who need it. Read more>>
Monique Whitley Phillip
I come from a long line of hard workers. Growing up, I would see my mom come home from a long day’s work, cook, help me with homework, do my hair to be ready for school the next day and make sure I took a bath before quietly going into the bathroom to have a few minutes to herself. I loved going to work with her, because it made me feel important. I think a lot of that feeling came from the fact that she was so well-respected and liked at her job, and some of that rubbed off on me as her daughter. I also watched her do yard work, plan family events, sit at the kitchen table to budget and pay bills, and just be a master problem-solver. Read more>>
Cali Mcdonald
My work ethic stems strongly from my grandmother, whom I lovingly call Neena. Growing up and to this day, Neena has been the embodiment of resilience, strength, and dedication. She never stops until a task is completed and always puts others before herself. Neena is the most hardworking person I know, constantly on her feet from the moment she wakes up until she goes to bed. The number of tasks and projects she completes in a single day could easily take someone else a week. Read more>>
Holly Lane
Being born into a middle class family where everyone worked; Dad, Mom, brothers and sister I learned at an early age that I had to work. Babysitting, house cleaning neighbor’s homes, paper route, yard work and pet sitting were all work I did from about 10 years old and onward. As I got older I had different kinds of jobs like clerical work, hotel maid, electronics assembly line worker and gas station attendant, which was my favorite. All these jobs were not in themselves enriching…they just ate up time and wore you out. Read more>>
Mia Ventura Lucas
I think mostly from my parents. From an early age they taught me that no matter what the work was, we should do it to the best of our abilities. Things don’t always work out the way we wish them to, but we should always focus on doing our best, so that we remain proud of the work we deliver. Things lead to other things and often our most insignificant tasks are cumulative and amount to big changes in our lives, they build character. If we always perform at our highest level, we are able to remain with a clear conscience. Read more>>
