Staff Spotlight: David Cho: Product Manager

For more than 25 years, MBO has led the charge to keep the independent economy moving forward. And now we are thrilled to give you an exclusive look at the individuals who have made our company what it is today. We are happy to launch new series which highlights the team that power our platform, many of whom you’ve met, and others that we hope you’ll enjoy getting to know! Please enjoy our featured series: the Staff Spotlight.

This month we spoke to David Cho a Product Manager, who helps MBO continue allowing our clients to do the work they love, the way they want, each and every day. And if there’s anyone in our company who reminds us why it’s David! Read our exclusive interview with David to learn more about how he remains true to himself and encourages everyone to give their all to the work they choose to do .

When I first given David’s name for being our next Staff Spotlight, I knew I was going to be interviewing someone with both enthusiasim and a remarkable set of skills that has allowed him to excel MBO’s Product department in advanced new and exciting developments. He’s known for always coming to work excited for the day and intense focus on the tasks ahead.

When I first sat down with David I wanted to know why he enjoys coming each work day to MBO.

What he told me was:

There are 2 things that play the biggest part in why I enjoy waking up to go to work at MBO:

The People – my coworkers at MBO are just genuinely good people so it’s easy to make a real connection. We’ve been able to foster an extremely enjoyable working culture here where ownership is at the forefront. We have some true industry experts on our team and I learn at least one new thing from them a day. 

The Problem – What we’re trying to solve as an organization is unique, compelling, and challenging. There’s a lot of attention in this space and you see related articles everywhere in the media today. These articles are echoing much of what our leaders have been evangelizing for decades and it definitely feels good to know there is validation from the market.

After seeing how passionate David was about being authentic and always working hard, I wanted to know where he developed these character traits. He told me he got them from his heroes: his parents.

I see them as the bravest people I know. They packed their bags, left their families/friends, and immigrated to the States because they believed it would provide me and my sister with a better future. They exemplified the need to keep both a positive mindset and a killer work ethic to make great things happen. Beyond that, by watching their relationships with others, they instilled in me the importance of empathy.

I then wanted to know if there was any words of advice he would give to young adults entering the workforce.

Don’t stop until you do/find something you’re excited about! It’s a slightly different take on something people commonly grow up hearing. I find myself highly motivated to accomplish a goal, both professionally & personally, when it’s something I am genuinely interested in. This is one of the main reasons why I really believe in our workforce optimization strategy because it’s centered around enabling individuals to do the work they are excited to do by connecting them with enterprises that want them to do exactly that.

His favorite quote seems to go hand in hand with this message as well:

“Outliers are those who have been given opportunities – and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them.”

 Malcom Gladwell

Finally, we wanted to get a bit personal and learn about David’s life outside MBO.

Aside from work, I wanted to know what David’s top hobbies were. He told me:

It’s a boring answer but it really has become a big part of my routine which is going to the gym. I started about 8 years ago and just haven’t been able to stop since. More recently, I’ve been getting back into golf which is a significantly more humbling hobby. I’m not a professional by any means but something about the game makes me take it very seriously.

I then asked him what his dream career would be if he wasn’t working for MBO. He told me he had one specific career in mind:

Growing up, I always wanted to be an athlete where my livelihood was based on my physical performance. Unfortunately for me (but fortunately for MBO), I realized at a fairly young age that I do not have the talent or skills to get even close to that level.

Knowing how talented David is in the workforce, I wanted to know if there were any hidden talents he had in his every day life.

Probably my ability to cut men’s hair (plus my own hair). What sparked me to start learning was going through multiple bad haircuts in high school. I was always particular with how I wanted my hair to look so I thought, “who would know what I want my hair to look like better than myself?” I’ve been cutting my own hair ever since. I also was cutting my friends’ hair throughout college which I considered free practice to refine my skills.

On a day to day basis I wanted to know what David couldn’t live without. He told me:

Something materialistic I would not be able to live without right now is my iPad. I carry this thing with me everywhere and it really does connect me with my digital world: work, email, social media, video calls, books, and photos!

To end our interview I wanted to know what was on David’s bucket list.

I don’t consider myself a huge international traveler (but definitely something I’m actively working on this year). However, visiting different parts of Italy and eating my weight in pasta & pizza has always been on my list. A day I often fantasize about is going to Rome and having pizza & pasta for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’d, without a doubt, pepper in commonly-known Roman history bits to my girlfriend and claim its exclusive learnings from taking multiple Roman history courses in university!

Once the interview came to an end I could see that David always shows up authentic and ready to give his all to the task ahead. He is an inspiration to all of us at MBO and reminds everyone that they are capable of more than they know and that if they work hard they can achieve whatever they put their minds to!

Eager to learn more about or submit a member of the MBO team for a future spotlight? Drop us a line and share your suggested submission. We’ll continue this series throughout 2022 and beyond.