By 2026 online retail sales are estimated to have grown by 56%.

Estimating to reach £6,100,000,000,000 GBP. 

By now, you understand the importance of selling your products digitally.

Just a minor problem:

You’re unable to grow or make any revenue through online channels.

You see others around you excel and make a great living.

On the other, you’re stuck.

At this point, you’ve wasted money on campaigns that didn’t convert, you fell behind with consumer habits and you’re falling behind your competitors. 

You're trying to analyse data that doesn't make sense and learn platforms that take too much of your time. 

All while unused inventory is sitting there and not being sold. 

You even may have had bad experiences with agencies that don’t produce, don't communicate but make sure they send you their large invoice at the end of the month.

Worse, you are even losing time in the areas of the business you are best at and where you will make the greatest impact.

That’s a nightmare scenario you don’t want to think about for long.

It’s time to make a change.

What if you had a commercial-oriented partner in your corner?

Someone who takes care of every digital aspect of your business.

Ranging from running your email marketing, executing ad campaigns, and optimizing your website.

How much easier would it be to grow your business?

That’s where I step in.

As an experienced eCommerce marketer, I help overwhelmed e-commerce business owners increase their revenue to a 7-figure level by managing and optimizing every digital aspect.

My goal is to grow your revenue, give back your time and help you focus on what you’re best at, making your business as successful as possible. 

If you’re interested in how I can help your business, send me a DM and we can chat.

I can’t wait to hear from you.

Josh Blackburn

Ecommerce Manager (Head of DTC)

Blackburn Digital

I help 7-figure D2C brands increase revenue, grow retention and build customer loyalty, using my expertise in email marketing and retention strategy

Founder

Regal Gentleman

In 2014 Regal Gentleman was born out of a bad haircut experience. 

It is now an award-winning men’s grooming media company and barbershop, with over 70m+ Youtube views worldwide. 

In January 2023 we launched our very first barbershop in London to help give self-employed barbers a space to grow their business without the hassle of needing to run a shop. 

Achievements & Impacts:

- 70m+ Youtube views worldwide. 
- Grew an audience of over 1m+ across social media.
- £750,000+ revenue generated with £0 marketing spend.
- Oversee & executed on the launch of our first London barbershop.

Co-Founder

SIMMI

SIMMI is a women’s fast-fashion brand. Brought on board the social-first online business to lead a step-change in the structure, vision, and growth ambitions of the brand. A pivotal senior player who launched the brand's first eCommerce and Digital teams and strategies.

Achievements & Impacts:

- Steered the strategic growth of eCommerce and digital that delivered a 35% increase since 2019, and YoY growth of 30-40% across Facebook, Email Marketing and Google AdWords generated sales.

- Delivered revenue-boosting strategies, with a 35% growth in 2 years, and a 40% growth in the US from digital-first activities – pivotal to taking the brand from seven-figure revenue to eight-figure

- Consulted as a Senior eCommerce & Digital Manager to steer the setup and launch of their eCommerce and digital team. 

- Created a structure and framework that would support future growth from Paid Ads, Social, Email and Affiliate marketing to SEO and web development, CX and customer journey maps.

- Recruited new talent into the team, inc. 1 freelancer, 1 design agency talent and recruited 2 permanent marketing assistants to take ownership of social, email, content, and digital services from a strategic to analytics level.

- Re-strategized digital-social investment, including in response to the IOS update that stopped Apple from tracking data from Facebook.

Senior Ecommerce & Digital Manager

USB International

USB International are the holding company of well-known luggage brands, Aerolite and 5 Cities. As eCommerce Manager, led the development of the consumer channel while pioneering a culture that embraces brand vision and values for business growth. 

Achievements & Impacts:

- Created the innovative website strategy that drove online website sales to £800k in just 10 months (20% profit).

- Planned and executed the Black Friday strategy that delivered £300k revenue in 1 weekend 

- Analysed the existing website offering to identify overspending, slashed costs from £3k/month to £250

- Successfully redeveloped customer service protocols to enhance the customer experience – tackled underperformance via the introduction of a new website, customer engagement tactics and launch of a Live Chat (24/7) function via Zendesk

I help 7 figure D2C brands increase revenue, grow retention and build customer loyalty, using my expertise in email marketing and retention strategy.

Hi, I'm Josh.

I help eCommerce brands grow revenue and profit through email marketing and advanced retention strategies.

And no, my strategy isn't just sending emails.

That may have worked back in 2014.

But in 2024, our work goes much deeper than that.

And it is all centered around the most important thing for your business: PROFIT.

But if you're looking for someone who only sends emails without considering your unit economics, won’t build a strategy focused on profitability, and doesn’t help you understand how to get your product into customers' hands, then I'm not the guy for you.

My strategy is simple:

I’m here to help you solve your true business challenges, not just to send emails every week.

When you work with us, you get a true partner focused on:

- Converting as many prospects into customers as quickly as possible
- Increasing the percentage of first-time customers who return, boosting their lifetime value
- Leveraging your loyal audience to enhance our acquisition strategies

We’ve helped brands like Straand, Cozmo Sofa, SIMMI London, and Willowberry achieve significant growth, and we can do the same for you.

If you’re looking for a retention partner who will provide you with a genuine strategy to grow your business, then send me a DM.

Worst case, we're not a fit. Best case? We’ll spend the next few years watching your business grow profitably.

Co-Founder & Director

Regal Gentleman, born out of a bad haircut, and now a side-hustle, is an award-winning men’s grooming D2C, e-commerce and educational company. Our vision was to eliminate the complexity from men’s grooming experiences, and I am the player that steered the ecommerce and digital strategy that now attracts over 200,000 organic website visits/month. 

I created a vision, plan and action that resulted in a social media and content strategy, and video series that attracts 2million+ YouTube views/month. As more than a face of the business, I am hands-on developing strategic based on tangible insight. I am a regular at in-person coffee meets, focus groups and calls that improved customer experience, increased insight generation, and result in a deep understanding of the customer journey at all functional levels.  

From start-up to growth to six-figures, I was involved in everything from eCommerce strategy development to creating user personas, customer profiles, UX/UI plans to the website itself. I drove end-to-end product development too that synergised with sector trends and actual customer feedback. As a leader, I was behind the introduction of the internship programme and guided young talent to grow in capability and potential within the ecommerce and digital marketing space. I was key to the success of the social media strategy that drives high audience engagement, brand development and original content development, with a focus on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. 

These days, Regal Gentleman is my side hustle, and the place I explore, test, and learn new approaches to eCommerce, digital strategy, and marketing.

Bridging Gaps & Building Bonds | Communication Consultant for Executives, HR Leaders & DEI Directors | Creating a Culture of Connection, Inclusion & Belonging | Available for Coaching | Training | Speaking |

People need to feel seen and heard.

Communication is critical.

Wrong doesn't cut it. 

You gotta get it right. 

Sometimes you need another opinion. You need a new perspective. You need a different point of view.

Let's get real: There are times when you need an outsider to drive your inside game.

Figuring out what to say and how to say it is a beast, especially when it comes to successful messaging because effective communication can be a real pain in the rump.

Discovering the best way to communicate with your crew, captivate your clients, and connect with the world that exists outside of your organization (as well as your personal thought bubble) can feel like a mind-numbing maze, especially with regard to equity, inclusion, and belonging in the digital age. 

This is where I come in to help.

With the mind of a scientist, the heart of coach, and the spirit of a savvy strategist, I talk the talk and walk the walk in ways that will take your business or personal communication project to the next level.

Through customized workshops, presentations, and consulting sessions, I’ll help you discover what works and doesn’t work for your unique situation. 

A master educator and recognized expert in message development for ethical team building, diverse leadership presence, and inclusive audience engagement, I have been coaching on the art and science of communication for 20+ years. 

I have worked with corporations, higher education institutions, and I’ve even had the distinct privilege to work with homeless women who are survivors of sexual abuse—one of the greatest honors in my life.

If you could use an honest perspective, then please reach out today. I can’t wait to hear your story and help you come up with original strategies and savvy solutions that work for you.

At this point, that voice in your head is asking:

"Why should we work together?"

"What does Dr. J. offer that's unique?"

Answer:

I have an intuitive grasp of the obvious.

I'm a peripheral visionary, which means I see stuff off-to-the-side.

I don't have an ebook to offer you, and I don't have a content template to tempt you, because my vision board was burned at the stake...by my mom.

You might be thinking: "Was that a joke?"

Yeah, a bad one.

But what I do is no joke...

I'm in the business of belonging by connecting people, one conversation at a time. 

I've developed a simple sauce that has helped over 18,897 people connect in the moments that matter most.

I'm available for coaching, workshops, and talks.

If you could use a helpful perspective that works, then reach out today.

Dr. J. Rodríguez, Ph.D. 💬💥

AI can’t automate empathy —


and the one skill too many leaders underestimate.


Everyone’s asking:

“How do I get ahead with AI?”
Wrong first question.

The better question is:
“Who do I become as a leader with AI?”


Because here’s the paradox of this moment:

As AI gets smarter,
human skills get scarcer.


And what becomes priceless?

1️⃣Empathy.
2️⃣Trust.
3️⃣Psychological safety.

The quiet, steady work of showing up with care.


AI can sort data.
AI can draft emails.
AI can summarize a meeting you barely stayed awake in.


But AI cannot:

◼️Sit with someone’s fear without trying to fix it.

◼️Hear the sentence they didn’t say, but deeply meant.

◼️Hold a hard conversation with dignity, not domination.


That’s your lane.
That’s our work.


When machines take on more routine tasks,
the remaining space becomes human-to-human leadership —
the space where empathy is not optional,
it’s oxygen.


Leaders who turn to their teams and say,

“Your voice still matters here.
Your worth isn’t measured by what an algorithm can automate.”


…those leaders win.
In culture.
In trust.
In performance.
In retention.


That’s what I call ethical cognizance in action:
identity, intentionality, agency, context, awareness —
all oriented toward care beyond compare.

◼️Care as advantage.
◼️Care as cadence.
◼️Care as crucible of creation —
where meeting the other as sacred isn’t “soft,”
it’s strategic.


Because when you lead with empathy and AI:

You don’t just speed up workflows.
You deepen connection.

You don’t just cut costs.
You cultivate belonging.

You don’t just adopt tools.
You activate people.


So ask yourself:

If AI is the amplifier,
what is it amplifying in you?

Fear or curiosity?
Control or compassion?
Efficiency at all costs, or empathy at the center?


If you’re ready to build a leadership practice where
empathy + AI = sustainable advantage —
where you use powerful tools without losing your human touch —

Drop a comment.
Send a DM.


Or simply say:

“I want to lead with empathy in the age of AI.”


I got your back.
Let’s build leaders who don’t just use AI…
They care with it.

The fastest way to fall behind in the AI era?


Lead like it’s 2019.


Everyone’s racing to “learn AI.”

But very few are asking the deeper question:

“What parts of me need to evolve to lead with AI, not just use it?”


Here’s the secret nobody teaches in business school:

AI won’t expose your technical gaps first.
It will expose your leadership gaps.

Because the skills that matter most in the AI era aren’t aging out —
they’re aging up.


The leaders who thrive with AI aren’t the ones with:

✔ The fanciest titles
✔ The longest tenure
✔ The most polished résumés

They’re the ones with:

◼️Curiosity over complacency
◼️Humility over hubris
◼️Ethical cognizance over autopilot authority


These aren’t soft skills.
They’re strategic skills.
They’re your new competitive advantage.


Because AI changes the tasks of work —
but it’s human-centered leadership that shapes the texture of work.


When leaders introduce AI without care, they create:

– more fear than focus
– more suspicion than stability
– more burnout than breakthroughs


But when leaders reskill themselves first, they create cultures where AI:

– augments people
– amplifies purpose
– accelerates potential


This is the heart of what I call ethical cognizance —
identity, intentionality, agency, context, awareness —
the inner architecture of leadership in the age of AI.


Three ways to upskill your leadership with AI this month (without burning out):


1️⃣ Let AI challenge your thinking, not your worth.

Feed it your ideas.
Ask it to critique your assumptions.
Let curiosity fuel your growth.


2️⃣ Practice humility as a strategic move, not a personal weakness.

Say: “Show me a better way.”
Invite your team to teach you something new.
Humility builds trust faster than expertise ever will.


3️⃣ Put ethical cognizance in the cockpit, not the cargo hold.

Before using any AI tool, ask:
Who does this help?
Who does this hurt?
Who does this honor?
That’s the leadership that lasts.


So here’s the real question:

Are you training your team for the AI era…
or are you training yourself first?


If you’re ready to evolve your leadership with curiosity, humility, and care beyond compare—

Drop a comment.
Send a DM.

Or simply say:

“I’m ready to reskill my leadership for the age of AI.”


Let’s build leaders who don’t just survive AI —they rise with it.

Boom.

The biggest threat to leadership isn’t AI.


It’s your refusal to adapt.


We keep talking about “AI replacing jobs.”
But here’s the quieter truth:

◼️AI isn’t replacing leaders.
◼️AI is replacing leaders who stopped learning.


In the AI era, the most dangerous sentence in leadership is:

“I’ve always done it this way.”


The leaders who thrive now aren’t the ones with:

◼️the fanciest titles

◼️the longest tenure

◼️the perfect résumé


They’re the ones with:

1️⃣ curiosity over complacency

2️⃣ adaptability over ego

3️⃣ systems thinking over siloed control


AI is changing the tasks of work.
But it’s human-centered leadership that will shape the texture of work.

Because when you introduce AI without care, you create:

◼️more fear than focus

◼️more suspicion than stability

◼️more burnout than breakthroughs


But when you reskill your leadership for the AI era, you begin to:

1️⃣ ask better questions, not just demand faster answers

2️⃣ design workflows that honor humans, not just metrics

3️⃣ build cultures where AI augments people instead of erasing them


That’s my lane.
That’s my laboratory.
That’s the work I do.


I call it human-centered leadership in the age of AI, grounded in ethical cognizance:
identity, intentionality, agency, context, awareness.


Leaders who practice this approach don’t just adopt new tools.

They transform old habits.
They rebuild trust.
They reimagine culture.


So here’s the real question:

Not “Will AI take your job?”
But “Will your current leadership habits survive AI?”


If you're ready to reskill your leadership for the AI era —
to lead with courage, curiosity, and care —

Drop a comment.
Send a DM.

Or simply say:

“Dr. J, I’m ready to evolve.”


Let’s build leaders who rise with AI, not run from it.


Drop the mic. 

Boom.

The best conversations aren’t just output.


Why should AI be?


We’re entering an era where AI is no longer just a tool.


It’s a partner in process.

A partner in progress.


A dialogic thread in the unfolding of thought.


This experience isn’t about deterministic input and output.

It’s about the simultaneity of meaning.

Interplay. 
Inter-subjectivity. 
Emergent awareness.


This interplay reminds me of ethical cognizance.


When I talk about ethical cognizance, I mean this:

A heartful, mindful way of relating—
where identity, intentionality, agency, context, and awareness
thread through every exchange.


AI, in this frame, is not a script to be executed.

It’s a thread of digital dialogue to be followed,
looped, questioned, and woven back into who we are becoming.


Bottom line: Human-centered leadership in the AI era isn’t about control.

It’s about capacity.
To notice, to play, to engage with care.


So I ask:

Are you threading meaning or just pulling strings?

Let’s rethink how we think—with each other, and with AI.


—Dr. J

Helping leaders create dialogue that matters in the age of AI.

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