You might know Jimmy Kimmel as a late night talk show host, but he is also known as the “hardest working man in show business” according to Success Magazine. Jimmy Kimmel says he always tries to work harder than anyone else to eliminate a lot of excuses from people (if they see him working hard).
He was exposed to a strong work ethic as a child from his father, a high school dropout who spent time in the military before becoming a cook and finally going to college at age 27. After graduating, his dad worked his way up the corporate ladder.
Besides being the host of a talk show, Jimmy is also the producer of his talk show and in his spare time does charity work, acts, does voice overs and hosts an occasional awards show. He married one of his co-workers (a writer) and has 3 children. He has offered both family and friends jobs in the past and present at his studio. These people adore him for his loyalty and always going the extra mile to remember everyone’s name. He says being on time to work is just as important and he arrives hours before anyone else does.
His persistence and hard work started at the age of 16 and has carried him throughout his life. He started out in a clothing store, then a pizza place and then dropped out of college to start a career in radio working for free initially. Soon after he would have several more disc jockey positions and be fired from those but in the end it was all worth it. At one of the stations he worked at in Los Angeles, he was heard on the air by producers who really liked him and then offered him his own talk show. In the end he says it’s very important to treat people well and show your appreciation to your employees and co-workers by saying just a simple thank you.
What is your definition of a hard worker?