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.
Dani Rodriguez
I grew up in a household where “hard work” was the answer to everything. My parents always made sure my sister and I knew the importance of pushing through a task, even if we didn’t “like” it. I think this approach comes with its advantages and disadvantages. I enjoy giving something my all, but I definitely struggle with knowing when to throw in a towel. That’s why I think it’s important to have checks and balances with yourself as well as systems to evaluate if something is working. Read more>>
Shera and Maxime Lilly
Our work ethic derives from our parents. Neither of them were able to attend college and both are very much self made success stories. While they each have different approaches to problem solving and different work styles, their work ethic is very much the same. They are grinders who simply always told us to put our heads down and get the job done no matter what it takes. Read more>>
Xaminah
Truthfully, I’d like to think I get my work ethic from my mother. While being a stay at home mom for majority of my childhood, she managed to have published over 10 books, 25 folk paintings, and she earned her MDiv (Master of Divinity). My mother is my super hero and biggest inspiration! She is the embodiment of balance and diligence. Read more>>
Caroline Loberto
problems and figure things out. Early on in my career, after doing a couple of stints in business, I happened upon a position in the executive search business. It was risky as it was 100% commission, and I had very few contacts or leads. Read more>>
Roger Ma
My work ethic is deeply rooted in my family background, which is filled with entrepreneurs. The importance of diligence and consistency has always been emphasized in my upbringing. Life offers a multitude of approaches to achieving goals, and embracing every part of the journey is crucial. It’s common to focus on the less appealing aspects of work or business, overlooking our strengths. Read more>>
Rebecca Gosik
I have my parents to thank for my work ethic. I grew up in a middle class family with nothing handed to me. If I wanted something, I was taught to earn it. On top of that, my dad was an entrepreneur himself so I get that itch from him. I think some of these younger generations grow up with their parents not wanting their kids to go through any hardships so they don’t make them work for things. That just ends up in entitlement and people with no patience. Read more>>
John Weiss
Simply put, my father. He worked his butt off and achieved greatness with a never quit attitude. If you think about work, its kind of like skiing moguls. Each mogul can be huge and present a challenge if you spend all day looking at that Mogul you may never pass it, but if you look to the bottom of the ski run and focus on getting there, you will pass the Moguls swiftly. Read more>>
Frederick Hines
Doing what I love. I find when I’m doing what I love it feels my fire to work and improve my personal talents. Read more>>
Alison Ogden
Both of my parents are extremely hard workers and instilled that same drive in me at a very early age. While it may sound a bit harsh, one of my favorite things they have taught me is: “No one cares if you make it or not, and no one will do it for you.” Both of my parents worked their asses off to completely change their financial futures, provide more for their children than what they had been provided with, and were the first in our family to attend college. Read more>>
Rachel Schumacher
Work ethic comes from within. Everyone has it in abundance, if they chose to ignite it. I am blessed to have grown up with two parents who have shown me by example what work ethic looks like. They work harder and at a level of excellence that can’t be town down. Both artists. Both do so professionally. I, as a daughter, and an artist, hope to do the same. Read more>>
Natalie Thomas
I get my work ethic from always having to rely on myself. From an early age I developed a strong sense of independence- what started as a loving childhood as an adopted little girl, ended with resentment and irreparable damage in so many different ways. Read more>>
Lisa Ochoa
I get my work ethic from my parents. They immigrated to the US at a young age and worked multiple jobs, long hours, and hard conditions to provide for my brothers and I. They wanted my brothers and I to get a great education so we would have a good job and be able to provide for ourselves. They instilled great values within us, values of hard work, compassion, servitude, perseverance, and kindness. Read more>>
Gianluca Magalotti
Beginning from a strictly personal analysis of the words involved, “work” represents the practical realm of a more or less lucrative activity, which often requires specific technical skills and involves a service that ultimately generates some kind of either intellectual and/or financial return for both parties involved in a given work, such as a service provider and a customer, or an employee and an employer. Read more>>
Tyler DeLoatch
I have been lucky enough to have worked around some of the smartest, most talented, hardworking people in the Chicago theatre world. Working with these artists has not only taught me how much work must go into being in the industry, but also how to love doing the work itself. Read more>>
Jazmine Miller
Growing up with watching mother being in the Navy, and being a single mother. My mother also had a degree in Fashion Design. She would design and make unisex clothing for military balls and fashion shows. She also designed work out clothes for the gym she taught classes at. My twin and I grew up watching our mother multitask balance and compartmentalize her career and motherhood. She made it look so effortless. Read more>>
Jacqueline Harris
When I was about 12 years old, my mom told me “do your very best at whatever you’re going to do”. I then went on to apply to our summer work program. I was 14, and I had a job working the janitors to clean the entire school over the summer. Everyday I came in on time, I listened, and I closely followed directions. Read more>>
Kristen Maldonado
Growing up in a Puerto Rican and Dominican American household, my parents always taught in me that in order to be successful I had to work harder than anyone else. To me, being Latina has always meant being a hustler. It makes me really proud to look at everything I’d been able to accomplish on my own due to my drive and ambition. Read more>>
Erica Chanel
I would have to say my work ethic come from my beautiful sister Ravan. She is mother of two and a young mother at that. I have watched her bust her ass not just for her kids, but also our family. My sister was has always been made a way out of no way! She would drop the kids off work and then get to work herself pick the kids up get them feed take them to dance, or football all by herself as a single mom. Read more>>
Alex Kovacs
For as long as I can recall, I always enjoyed having tasks. Whether that was homework, studying, or basic “to-do” lists, I found I liked purpose and success. Even now, all these years later, whether I’m writing a five minute cue for a film or simply cleaning our kitchen, there is always a feeling of achievement when complete. Read more>>
Samantha Hoffman
I feel so incredibly fortunate to have grown up in a household where my parents were involved and invested in my education, passions, and success. Throughout my school years, I have many fond memories of my parents helping me with school projects, and going above and beyond to bring learning to life. Read more>>
Vicky Lamb
I am a first generation Latina and my parents worked hard for everything they have and to give us a better life. My father worked early mornings and took on extra work and odd jobs anytime he could. I remember my mom working two jobs when I was a freshman to help pay for my quinceañera, we didn’t get to go on vacations when I was a kid but we also never went without necessities or things we wanted. Read more>>
Heather Pridemore
I grew up blue collar – raised by a single mom with the help of her three sisters and my grandma. I remember being really young and my mom was working at a plant nursery. As you can imagine it was back breaking work. And one day she actually hurt her back. She was in so much pain and as a kid I told her she should quit her job. Read more>>
Melissa Ewing
I have devoted both my professional and personal life to one word: challenge. My work ethic has stemmed from a natural framework of work ethic, confidence, self-awareness and creativity. Growing up, my grandfather and father were touchstones of what discipline and work ethic should look like. Read more>>
Kristi Head
Where do you get your work ethic from? I got my work ethic from a sparkling amethyst stone. I would love to tell you it was the power of crystal magic, but that’s not this kind of story… necessarily. I was about 12 years old passing by a jeweler’s window, when my eyes fixed upon a purple stone, seemingly and effortlessly floating above a golden orb. A golden orb with a purple drop of magic, I suddenly and fiercely had to obtain. Read more>>
Chris Pearson
A balanced work ethic is not something that can be taught but has to be experienced. The understanding that time takes away from the things that we want to do. When you work hard and use your time wisely, you will be rewarded. Working on films, props, or art pieces takes away a lot of time. That time is valuable in order to provide for yourself, pay bills and just live life. Understanding balance is the only way to improve on work ethic. Read more>>
Richa Kansal
I come from a south asian family where Individuals are encouraged to uphold honesty, integrity, and fairness in all aspects of their work and interactions with others. My family has always emphasised the value of hard work and perseverance. “Work is worship” , a phrase that has been an integral part of my upbringing which has taught the importance of maintaining a balance between work, personal life, and spiritual well-being. Read more>>
Andrea Richardson
I get my work ethic from parents, who are baby boomers! *chuckling* By example, they’ve always taught me to: be on time (or early), do your best. For decades my parents worked at the same place together. They showed me consistency in work. I saw how they were rewarded at their gigs with greater responsibility and even greater pay. Read more>>
Nolan Delgado
Growing up, I continuously would start various projects without a clear sense of direction, often struggling to see them through due to my (then undiagnosed) ADHD. However, upon entering college as an Architecture major at Cal Poly SLO, I discovered an environment that transformed my approach to work ethic. Read more>>
Brittany Brumfield
I was raised by my grandmother who initially sparked my interest in baking at an early age. I would watch and assist her bake any thing you could imagine. She taught me patience and about how important consistency was. Read more>>
Matthew French
I proudly identify as gay, white, and genderqueer, embodying traits of empathy, energy, and a strong work ethic aimed at achieving my goals and dreams through unwavering dedication. The roots of my work ethic lie in a facet of my identity that often remains unseen by many—an upbringing in rural Appalachia. Read more>>
Heather Brookshire
My parents have owned their own small business since before I was born. I watched them work consistently hard throughout my childhood. I got to see first hand what it takes, the good and bad both–I learned what it takes to build a self sustaining business from the ground up, and the pride and sense of ownership of creation! Read more>>
Samm Stangeland
This is a multi-faceted answer but mostly comes down to growing up without a lot and always wanting more for myself. I was raised in Riverside, CA by my grandma and her husband and even though I had the luxury of living under their roof, when it came to clothes, school supplies, etc, I had to depend on my dad for that and he couldn’t provide. As soon as I could work and earn money for myself, I did. Read more>>
Chanterria McKeever
Growing up I watched my Nana work hard every day as a RN. I watched her drive a new Buick every year and even purchase a home. This encouraged me at a young age to work hard. One day my Nana loss it all. But yet she kept working and trying to get back to the top. As I got older my Nana became sick and started trying to draw her social security and they kept denying her. Read more>>
Bonnie Davis
I got my work ethic from my parents and growing up in the country around animals. My parents both worked hard at what they did. I always had animals growing up and they always need to be cared for regardless if there are things going on or not. For 20 years in corporate America, I took care of animals. Mice for big Pharma and academia. Read more>>
Tanesha & Garel Mcken
Our work ethic was derived from seeing parents and family struggle to provide for us as children. Our families would wake up early , as they believed that the early bird caught the most worms. We adopted this work ethic and applied it to our lives. As a result, we decided that hard work and dedication were the only vehicle that would help us gain success. Read more>>
Frank Bonanno
My work ethic comes from my parents. I watched them both put in so much work and effort and sacrifice and I got to see the fruits of their labor as our quality of life continuously improved. People tell you all the time “If you just keep working for it you’ll get there but being able to have that tangible example growing up was really potent. Also, later in life I’ve learned that as New Yorkers, we are all sort of bred to be work horses. Read more>>
Robert Lydecker
I was lucky early on in my life to have mentors who taught me the value of hard work and commitment. My parents modeled this behavior for me and would also tell me stories about my ancestors to teach me about hard work and help me appreciate the opportunities I had.My mother would often tell me stories of her father and how he had to leave home at age 13 to work on ships and on the docks to support his family. Read more>>
Joey Farese
We partner with master Amish craftsmen to build all our furniture. My work is different than theirs because it’s behind a computer screen, but I do my best to match their work ethic whenever possible. Read more>>
Ashley Lesley
My work ethic comes from the examples that my mother and father set for me growing up. I remember being so proud of knowing how hard my dad would work the night before, get a few hours of sleep and still make it to my honors assembly the next morning. My mother would have a set routine every morning to start her day. Read more>>
Malachi Tamepo
My work often comes from the people around me. I have tried to surround myself with people who are hardworking in their respective fields which challenges me to also have some level of work ethic. It also comes down to the fact that I see myself doing the thing I love, being music. The only way to even to do what I love is through work hard and having the end goal within sight. I mean sure there are days where I don’t work as hard as I should and some days I slack off but the end goal never changes. Read more>>
