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.

Tyler Gillespie

I grew up in a working-class household. My grandfather was a tool & die maker, my grandmother a secretary, & my mother a waitress. I saw generations of family members wake up early to make a living. Read more>>

Molly Welton

For as long as I can remember, “working hard” has been a through line in my family’s history. Striving for more, taking risks, failing and getting back up – a quality presented as being more important than most. Understanding early on that you have to work for what you earn made me commit to what I had signed up for. My biggest fear would be for someone to perceive me as not really trying or giving up, or not achieving something that I’d claimed to be in pursuit of. Read more>>

Joe Skifter

Both Steven and Joe grew up in rural America in the 1970’s. Steven spent most of his childhood in Oklahoma until being sent to Boys Town in Omaha NE. Steven graduated High School from Boys Town. Read more>>

Marquis Diamond

Where do I get my work ethic from? Well I can honestly say my work ethic comes from 2 things. One my grandfather raised me and he was an electrician so I come from a do it yourself household. When things needed to be fixed or maintained around the house my grandad brother and I that was our duties. Also every summer growing up from 1st grade – 9th grade I had to go with my grandparents to their summer ranch in East Texas and if you ever been somewhere after you have been away for 9 months there’s a lot of maintenance work that has to get done before you can comfortably enjoy your stay. Read more>>

James Giacopelli

I owe my work ethic to my father, He was the kind of person whose passion could light up an entire room. I’d stumble out of bed before the sun rose, still half-asleep I would walk down to his office, and there he’d be—hours into his work, with a smile so big that made you forget how early it was. He wasn’t just going through the motions; he genuinely loved what he did. Accounting was never just a job to him—it was an extension of who he was, and watching him pour his heart into every single client is what made me realize that true success is found in doing something you love. All too often people call their clients and co-workers family but he took it seriously he never forgot that every single one of his clients had a choice not to use him and that those who trusted him with their personal financial information made the right choice and would be treated as if they were his own family. Read more>>

Natalie Hermosillo

Growing up my father always worked two jobs and long hours to provide for our family and ensure we had everything we needed and most of what we wanted. Growing up I learned at an early age that if you want something you have to work for it. I started my first job in High School at 16 and for most of my young adult life held down two to three jobs while going to school and playing sports. I ultimately made a career choice at the very young age of 20 and have been in the restaurant industry for 2o+ years. I have worked in every position in a restaurant and am now a tenured Managing Partner. In the past I have worked 12-15 hour days, 80+ hour weeks but am now in my most important position as a Mom and have learned to cap my week at 50 hours. I manage a team of 130 and manage 12 million dollars a year. Read more>>

Sunny Sutherland-depaz

I believe my work ethic comes from my mother. As a first-generation American from a Belizean family, I know first hand how challenging it was for her to establish a fruitful life here in America. I witnessed her work multiple jobs at once to support our family. She was also single parent who worked tirelessly to achieve her US citizenship, earn a college degree, and ultimately purchase a home. Today, as a married mother of two I am grateful for the sacrifices she made. She’s never accepted mediocrity in how she showed up to work, her grades or performance as an employee. Her hard work and integrity is proof that doing your job well will always serve your best interest. Read more>>

Dolla Black

I believe my work ethic stems from not wanting to have obstacles that hinder me from reaching my goals. I can become quite obsessed when I’m locked in on a goal or objective, so running into speed bumps or things that could prevent me from reaching that goal normally pushes me closer to the goal. If it’s a skill or trait that I’m unfamiliar with or don’t have as a strength, instead of calling it quits, I normally take the time to learn about it. Apply a bit of energy towards figuring out if it’s something that I could absorb and use as another tool. I can’t say that I can pinpoint a reference as far as an example of that trait in anyone I saw growing up, but I know I’ve always had the desire to be relentless in my pursuit of making something of myself. Becoming purposeful and allowing that drive to create a way for me to create access or wins for other people I encounter along my path. Read more>>

Evan Cavallini

My work ethic is rooted in passion, discipline, and consistent learning. I fell in love with the music scene deeply when I was in college in my early 20s. That experience opened my eyes to the culture, energy, and the way music can bring people together. From that moment forward, I knew I wanted to be more than just a spectator—I wanted to contribute to the scene in a meaningful way. Read more>>

Dione Tripp

I started working with our small family business building houses when I was six. Some of the first skill set, I learned was pulling nails and learning leverage . I worked summers during school years and by the time I was 15 we had built our first shed at 19 building my first house. As a single mother, I went to Junior college and University to earn my degree as an artist while building houses for our small family business. Although I failed to receive my teaching certificate at that time, I did manage to graduate with my bachelors of art. Substitute teaching didn’t pay the bill so I stuck with carpentry and created crafted time between my busy schedule of work and motherhood to create pieces of art or indulge in study. Combining my architectural understanding with my art developed into something unique in its own architectural gazebo art. In 2020 I started my own two businesses. Incorporating my knowledge and building and housing along with my artistic skills I developed a clothing line @artistdione.org And I maintain a construction business, doing plaster, drywall, painting, and tile Read more>>

Teri Mctighe

Growing up on a ranch, and being the child of parents who were also raised on ranches, work ethic runs deep in my family and background. Both of my parents come from homesteader families, people who immigrated to the US looking for opportunities they didn’t have at home. They had to figure out how to either make a living, or give up the opportunities they had been granted. My family has survived economic collapses such as the Great Depression, long droughts, historic blizzards, and managed to survive despite these obstacles. Improvisation and learning to do without were part of their survival. That spirit of overcoming has inspired me my entire life. I too have faced hardships that tested my resolve. When it seems that the odds are stacked against me, and I am fully overwhelmed by circumstances, the core of perseverance I saw in my parents keeps me going. I use this in both of my careers, both with running the family ranch and my art career. There are times when we are facing an imminent blizzard, or I have invested a great deal of work, money, and time into a show that has been unsuccessful, but I learned to look ahead. I tell people that gambling has no interest for me because I gamble every day of my life! Experience has taught me that there will be wins and there will be losses, but whatever is currently happening is not permanent. There will be another chance, conditions will improve, you “take your lumps” as the saying goes and do what you can with what you have. That is a hallmark of people who survived homesteading times, financial and environmental and physical tests of their mettle, and managed to keep a family operation together. I don’t quit until the job is done, even if I feel like it’s too much, and cultivating that ability to push through has proven to me many times that my fears are worse than reality when the current challenge has been overcome. I look at all the advantages I have today that were not available to my ancestors, and it gives me the perspective that whatever seems insurmountable to me is not as difficult as it would have been for them. Read more>>

Hadas Metzler

I come from a family of entrepreneurs, so you could say hard work runs in my blood. My grandfather owned a woodworking shop and was a true perfectionist. From a young age, I had the privilege of working alongside him. With sandpaper in hand, I witnessed firsthand the dedication, attention to detail, and high standards of service that he upheld every day. Read more>>

Bob Sorrentino

Growing up in family owned business being the son of the owner I always feet that I needed to work harder than all of the hired help so that they would respect my effort to not take advantage of my position. Read more>>

Alison Zhang

Growing up in a Chinese household in New Zealand, I saw how hard my parents worked to create a stable life. During most of my upbringing, I felt angry that I never got to spend time with them but now I understand it was what they needed to do. My mom held down two jobs while being a full-time housewife, while my dad worked long days in construction. After a few years, they bought a cafe and ran it for 5 years. I had never seen my dad take a sick day, he was always out of the house before I went to school and came home an hour before dinner time. I saw how my parents used their time wisely. Even on weekends, my dad would write a list of things he needed to do. Seeing what they did allowed me to develop a strong work ethic and instilled how important it is to get on with it. They kept working because they had clear goals of how they wanted their life to be in New Zealand, which I see in myself with moving to New York. I learnt how to set goals and break down the steps so you know that your on track. Read more>>

Caroline Wilkerson

I grew up playing basketball and carried that passion all the way into college. The sport taught me invaluable lessons—not just about the game, but about myself and what it truly takes to excel in anything. I remember the days when I didn’t want to get up and practice for hours, when taking a “sick day” felt so tempting. But I knew that skipping even one session would set me back. Read more>>