Jessica Jung (President, Oswald Companies): Magnetic Culture, Game-Changing Insurance & Superpowers

Jessica Jung (President, Oswald Companies): Magnetic Culture, Game-Changing Insurance & Superpowers

In this episode of What’s Up at Work?, host Sam Clyde Schroeder sits down with Jessica Jung, President of Oswald Companies, to talk about her path to leading one of the country’s top insurance firms.

Jessica shares how rolling up your sleeves can model the kind of leadership people want to follow, how to find anyone’s “superpower,” and how leaders can create safe environments where people feel comfortable challenging the process. 

And don’t miss how she realized that outworking everyone isn’t sustainable (sound familiar?). This episode is part leadership masterclass, part reality check, and all about building a workplace people are drawn to.

Timestamps & Topics

  • 00:54 Jessica’s nontraditional career path to business
  • 03:00 Managing people right out of college
  • 05:45 The moment that changed her career trajectory (and her confidence)
  • 10:58 Why “rolling up your sleeves” still matters in leadership
  • 13:25 Advice for those stuck between wanting to grow and needing to keep learning
  • 14:40 The importance of inviting doers and diverse voices into decision-making
  • 16:40 How Oswald helps employees discover and apply their “superpowers”
  • 19:10 What it takes to create a culture where people feel safe speaking up
  • 22:00 Behind Oswald’s big move to a new HQ
  • 25:00 What it means to be an employee-owner
  • 27:30 How to make a less-than-glamorous industry feel magnetic
  • 32:00 Supporting women and underrepresented voices
  • 33:10 HR Hot Seat: Mel Robbins, staying grounded, and how to stop working your life away

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🔗 Visit Oswald Companies: https://www.oswaldcompanies.com

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Author

  • Sam Clyde Schroeder is Vice President, Sales & Marketing at ERC, where she leads the organization’s revenue strategy and brand growth. She oversees both the sales and marketing teams, focusing on expanding ERC’s reach, strengthening relationships with employers across Northeast Ohio, and ensuring the organization continues to deliver meaningful value to its members and partners.

    Sam is also the host of ERC’s What’s Up at Work? podcast, where she speaks with leaders from major Northeast Ohio employers and institutions about leadership, workplace culture, and how organizations are navigating the changing world of work.

    Sam holds a Master of Business Administration from Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor of Science in Comprehensive Design from the University of Cincinnati. She also serves on the board of the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning (CAL), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students build confidence, creativity, and critical thinking through arts-based learning.