If you’ve ever gotten an email from me, you’ve seen it. Right under my name and title—before the links to my LinkedIn or portfolio—sits a simple four-word mantra: Grit and Grind, Onward and Upwards.
It’s not a random quote. Not some corporate slogan I copy-pasted because it sounded nice. It’s my personal operating system. A reminder I write to myself dozens of times a day. A small window into the philosophy I bring to work, life, and everything in between.
For me, this little sign-off tells a big story. A story of how and why.
The “Grit and Grind”: The How
This part’s about the process. The messy middle. The part most people don’t glamorize.
Grit is the mindset. It’s resilience when life knocks you down harder than you expected. It’s the fire that keeps burning after the excitement fades. It’s the courage to risk failure—or worse, being misunderstood—and keep moving because you know the mission matters.
Grind is the action. The daily, unglamorous work that no one claps for. The early mornings. The late nights. The tenth draft nobody asked for. The small, invisible repetitions that compound into mastery. The grind is showing up—consistently, deliberately—even when no one’s watching.
Together, grit and grind are my way of saying: I don’t run from the hard stuff. I expect it. I prepare for it. And I keep going.
The “Onwards and Upwards”: The Why
This is about direction. About purpose.
Onwards means momentum. Refusing to stay stuck in the past, to replay mistakes, or to grow complacent. It’s a commitment to forward motion—learning, evolving, stretching the edges of what’s possible. A stumble isn’t the end; it’s just part of the path.
Upwards is aspiration. Not about ego or climbing over others—but about climbing with purpose. About striving for better quality, higher standards, greater impact. It’s asking every day: How can I grow? How can we improve?
Onwards gives me movement. Upwards gives me direction. Together, they turn the grind into something meaningful.
Weaving It Together
I started using this signature after a season of tough personal and professional challenges. That period taught me something simple but profound: success rarely comes down to being the smartest or most gifted person in the room. It comes down to being the one who refuses to quit. The one who keeps showing up. The one who still believes when the odds say otherwise.
That’s what my signature means to me. On hard days, it reminds me I’m tougher than I think. On good days, it keeps me grounded, focused on the next step. It’s my north star, written in four words.
So, when you see it at the bottom of my email, know this: it’s not just a neat sign-off. It’s an invitation into my mindset. It’s my way of saying I believe in the power of resilience, the value of hard work, and the promise of continuous growth.
It’s a short summary of a long story: grit, grind, and the unwavering belief that the only direction worth moving is onwards and upwards.
Your Turn.
That’s my mantra. What’s yours? What gets you through the grind and pulls you upward?
Grit and Grind, Onwards and Upwards,
Tracy