CO-FOUNDER
John Druien
Commercial strategy, media revenue & sales leadership
John connects market opportunity with the commercial realities of running a business. His background spans dealership operations, media revenue, digital products, and the sales teams responsible for bringing them to market.
Before co-founding UpShift Digital, John served as Director of Interactive Sales at Belo Corporation, where he managed a $50 million interactive business that included Cars.com, ResponseLogix, and other digital advertising products. His work encompassed market evaluation, partner selection, product launches, sales management, and the development of teams serving automotive advertisers.
John began his career with 13 years in the dealership business, working across multiple departments. That operating background gives him a practical understanding of the pressures clients face—from evaluating an investment to preparing a team and protecting customer relationships after the sale.
His approach gives equal attention to the strategic decision and the details that determine execution: the offer, the economics, the sales conversation, and the customer relationship. John earned a degree in communication with a focus on advertising from the University of Louisville.
CO-FOUNDER
Justin Erbskorn
Digital strategy, product launches & marketing performance
Justin connects digital strategy with the decisions that shape marketing performance and sales, bringing a commercial perspective to the details of the customer journey. His background includes launching automotive digital platforms in small, midsize, and major metropolitan markets, with work spanning positioning, product packaging, sales training, and go-to-market planning.
Before co-founding UpShift Digital, Justin worked at Belo Corporation, where his experience included Cars.com, ResponseLogix, and digital advertising products. His work connected broadcast and print sales organizations with online platforms and integrated advertising strategies, helping teams bring digital offerings into their broader customer conversations.
Justin’s digital expertise spans search and paid media strategy, social marketing, user experience, and conversion optimization. He approaches these disciplines as connected parts of a business: how an audience is reached, how an offer is understood, and how interest becomes a meaningful customer action.
His approach keeps the commercial objective in view while working through the details—positioning the offer, preparing the team, improving the customer journey, and making the next move clear. Justin earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Toledo, with a focus on sales and marketing.
