“Imposter Syndrome Won’t Stop Me” | Sam Cho

At just 29, Sam Cho went from exporting millions of pounds of eggs to becoming the youngest and first person of color to lead the Port of Seattle Commission. In this episode, Sam shares how growing up as the son of Korean immigrants shaped his path, from the Obama White House to city politics, from battling imposter syndrome to fighting anti-Asian hate, and why he opened a bubble tea shop with his family. Timestamps0:00 - Intro02:32 - Becoming youngest and first person of color President of the Port Commission; leading through COVID-19, anti-Asian hate, and imposter syndrome05:48 - Entrepreneurial story: exporting eggs during a global shortage10:29 - Breaking down tariffs & trade wars15:58 - Growing up Korean American19:19 - Hungry Questions21:14 - Opening bubble tea shop “Social Tea” with family25:28 - Sambal Survey28:35 - The Hungry Journal31:17 - Advice to young immigrants & children of immigrants on leadership and mentorshipAbout Sam ChoCommissioner Sam Cho is a second-generation Korean American who was raised by Korean immigrants in the state of Washington. By day, he is a staff member working in the state Legislature. By night, he runs his own business as the CEO of Seven Seas Export, a trading company that exports US commodities to Asia.Prior to Seven Seas Export, Sam worked as a political appointee under President Barack Obama. In the Obama Administration, he was the Special Assistant to the Deputy Administrator of the US General Services Administration. There, he helped to manage a federal agency of over 10,000 federal employees and worked on agency-wide strategy and execution for its three business lines in real asset management, federal acquisitions, and technology transformation.Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Sam worked for a member of the United States Congress for whom he managed a portfolio of issues ranging from Foreign Affairs, Trade, Small Business, and Banking & Financial Services. Sam has also worked as an analyst for the US Department of State and conducted economic research for the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Washington D.C.Sam was a recipient of the Congressional Fellowship from the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) in 2014 and World Affairs Council Fellowship in 2018. He served on the Board of Directors for the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL) from 2014 to 2016.He currently serves on the board of directors for Asian Pacific American Islander Americans for Civic Empowerment (APACE) and the Korean American Coalition (KAC) of Washington.He holds a bachelor’s degree from The American University and a master of science from The London School of Economics.FOLLOW SAMhttps://www.instagram.com/samhcho/https://www.linkedin.com/in/samhchoFOLLOW US⁠⁠@abangbrian⁠⁠⁠⁠@hungryimmigrant⁠