Life & Work with Dustin Soper of Nashville
Photo by Lindsay Greenshields
Today we’d like to introduce you to Dustin Soper.
Hi Dustin, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always believed great hospitality deserves to be seen, felt, and shared, and that’s exactly what I get to do every day.
As Corporate Social Media Manager at Spire Hospitality, I lead social media, digital, and print marketing efforts across a portfolio of hotels and resorts, working closely with on-property teams to bring each experience to life in a way that connects with today’s traveler.
My path here has been anything but traditional. Before I ever stepped foot behind a hotel front desk, I had the opportunity to work with country music icon Reba McEntire, an experience that helped shape my love for storytelling, entertainment, branding, and connecting people with the things they’re passionate about.
I started my hospitality career in 2016 as a Concierge/PBX Operator at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Nashville Downtown and quickly found my way into marketing. Since then, my career has taken me through organizations including StepStone Hospitality, Dimension Hospitality, and Grindr, along with work in the entertainment industry with artists like Reba McEntire and Shania Twain.
No two hotels are exactly alike, and that’s one of the things I love most about hospitality marketing. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to bring the unique personalities of hotels and resorts to life across brands including Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels, Tribute Portfolio, and Series by Marriott.
My work has included everything from social media content and digital campaigns to Food & Beverage branding, printed and digital sales collateral, catering menus, signage, and complete restaurant and bar concept identities. Whether I’m helping tell the story of a historic boutique hotel or developing the identity for a new restaurant concept, I love finding creative ways to make each property stand out while staying true to the brand behind it.
At Spire, I focus on making sure our marketing isn’t just consistent. It’s meaningful, engaging, and actually drives results. I’m especially passionate about helping hotel teams feel confident in their social presence and giving them the tools to succeed.
I’m also big on the details (some might say “brand police”), and I love finding ways to turn everyday moments into something worth sharing. In 2024, I was honored to be recognized as one of Hotel Management’s “Forty Over 40,” a recognition that means a great deal to someone who started in hospitality answering phones and helping guests find their way around Nashville.
Music has always been a huge part of my life, and it’s a passion I have no intention of leaving behind. I’m particularly interested in digital music catalog preservation, helping artists and their teams rediscover, restore, and make previously unavailable recordings, performances, and other archival material accessible to fans. I believe an artist’s legacy deserves to be celebrated beyond their greatest hits, and I’m passionate about advocating for the music, stories, and creative work that might otherwise be forgotten. It’s an area where I continue to dedicate my time and one I hope to remain involved in for many years to come.
Outside of work, you’ll usually find me behind a camera, discovering music, digging through an artist’s back catalog, or planning my next trip, most likely to New York City or out to Los Angeles to catch up with my best friend.
Whether it’s hospitality, music, branding, or simply a great story worth telling, I’m always happy to connect with people who share those passions.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think anyone who has spent much time working in the entertainment or hospitality industries would describe the road as entirely smooth, and my experience has certainly been no exception!
Early in my career, I had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in country music, including Reba McEntire. When you’re working with artists of that caliber, there’s an incredible amount of responsibility that comes with even the smallest decisions. You’re not just representing an artist. You’re protecting a brand, a reputation, and a relationship with fans who are deeply invested in everything that artist does. There are layers of approvals, plenty of opinions, and an expectation that everything is done right. It taught me patience, attention to detail, and how to navigate different personalities and expectations, all of which have served me incredibly well throughout my career.
When I transitioned into hospitality, I approached it with the mindset that I wanted to learn absolutely everything I could. I started at the ground level, asked questions, paid attention, and tried to surround myself with people I could learn from. I’ve always believed that relationships are one of the most valuable things you can build in any industry. I made a point of putting myself in situations where I could contribute something meaningful while also learning from people who had experiences and perspectives different from my own.
Of course, there have been some particularly challenging chapters. During the height of COVID-19, when hotels were closing, teams were being laid off, and marketing was understandably taking a back seat, I found myself working at the front desk of a downtown Nashville hotel. There were days when guests threw room keys at us, argued about mask requirements, or became frustrated with the safety precautions we were simply trying to enforce. It was a difficult time, but it also gave me a perspective on hospitality that I don’t think I could have gained sitting behind a desk working on marketing campaigns.
Even today, there are challenges. Everyone has an opinion about marketing and social media, and sometimes the creative vision you have for a project doesn’t align with the resources available or the priorities of the people making the decisions. I’ve learned that part of being good at what I do is knowing when to advocate for an idea, when to compromise, and how to make the most of what’s available.
Looking back, I wouldn’t necessarily want to relive every experience, but I wouldn’t trade what those experiences taught me. They’ve made me more resourceful, more empathetic, and much more appreciative of the people who have believed in me and given me opportunities along the way. I’ve been fortunate to work with some extraordinary people, and I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that success isn’t just about what you know or what you’ve accomplished. It’s also about how you treat people, the relationships you build, and your willingness to keep learning, even when the road gets a little bumpy.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My official title is Corporate Social Media Manager at Spire Hospitality, but I’ve always joked that my job description is a little more complicated than that! At its core, what I do is help hotels, resorts, restaurants, and the people behind them tell their stories. Sometimes that’s through social media, digital marketing, photography, or content creation. Other times, it’s developing a new website, refreshing a restaurant’s identity, designing guest-facing materials, or finding creative ways to make a property stand out in an incredibly competitive industry.
I’ve always been someone who pays attention to the details, sometimes probably a little too much! In fact, I’ve earned the affectionate nickname “Brand Police” because I’m pretty particular about brand standards and consistency. But I genuinely believe those things matter. A guest’s experience with a hotel begins long before they walk through the front doors, and everything from the website they book through to the welcome letter they receive at check-in should feel thoughtful, polished, and connected. I’ve never been someone who believes that just because something has always been done a certain way, that’s necessarily the best way to keep doing it.
One of my favorite examples of that is a project at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Nashville Downtown, where I actually began my hospitality career as a Concierge in 2016. For years, there was an exterior sign advertising restaurants that hadn’t existed in nearly a decade. Guests would regularly ask me where those restaurants were, and I couldn’t understand why we weren’t fixing something that was creating confusion. At the time, I was told it wasn’t going to happen. Fast-forward nearly a decade, and with the support of some wonderful colleagues, we finally got that sign updated and illuminated for the first time. It might sound like a small accomplishment, but to me, it represented years of persistence and a genuine desire to improve the guest experience.
That same hotel also gave me the opportunity to help completely refresh the identity of Fourth & U Restaurant & Bar. What started as a conversation about making the restaurant easier for guests to find turned into a new logo, signage, menus, website, in-room dining experience, and a much more cohesive brand. Those are the projects I absolutely love, when one little idea grows into something that makes a meaningful difference.
Over my five years with Spire Hospitality, I’ve been fortunate to work on hotel transformations, restaurant rebrands, new websites, and marketing initiatives for properties across the country. I’ve helped introduce new identities for restaurants like CAYA Restaurant and Bar and Bramble Restaurant and Bar, supported hotel transitions and rebrandings, and worked with some incredibly talented people along the way. I love the variety of it all. One day I might be working on a social media campaign, and the next I’m helping a hotel create a better welcome experience for its guests.
I’ve also been fortunate to receive recognition along the way, including Spire Hospitality’s 2022 Impact Award and being named one of Hotel Management’s “Forty Over 40” honorees in 2024. Those honors mean a great deal to me, particularly because I’ve worked hard to build a career doing something I genuinely enjoy. But some of my proudest moments have been much smaller and more personal, like having the opportunity to share what I’ve learned about LinkedIn with our hotel leaders at a company leadership conference, or seeing something I’ve created inspire another hotel to try something similar.
As for what sets me apart, I think it’s a combination of curiosity, attention to detail, and the fact that I’ve experienced hospitality from both sides of the operation. I’ve worked at the front desk, I’ve interacted directly with guests, and I’ve seen firsthand how the decisions we make in marketing affect the people actually delivering the experience. My earlier work in the music industry also taught me a tremendous amount about storytelling, protecting a brand, and understanding the relationship between a brand and its audience.
I don’t want to be someone who just creates content, checks a box, and moves on to the next project. I want to understand why we’re doing something, how it can be better, and whether it’s actually making a difference.
And perhaps what I’m most proud of is the relationships I’ve built along the way. I’ve had the privilege of working with people who have trusted me, challenged me, encouraged my ideas, and given me opportunities to grow. Some have become lifelong friends. Awards and accomplishments are wonderful, but knowing that I’ve made a positive impact on the people I’ve worked with, and hopefully left a few hotels and brands a little better than I found them, means just as much to me.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I wouldn’t be where I am today without a laundry list of people who have believed in me, taken chances on me, pushed me to be better, and sometimes probably wondered what they’d gotten themselves into by giving me an opportunity!
I always tell people that I wouldn’t be ANYWHERE I am today without Reba McEntire. So many of the incredible experiences I’ve had in my life can be traced back to my involvement with Reba and her career. That connection helped bring me from a small town to Nashville, where my world opened up in ways I never could have imagined. The people I’ve met, the places I’ve been, and the opportunities I’ve had because of that experience have shaped so much of who I am, both personally and professionally. I’ll always be grateful for that.
When I made the transition into hospitality, Tamara Sadler was one of the first people to take a chance on me. She was the Director of Front Office at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Nashville Downtown when she hired me as a Concierge and PBX Operator. I was entering an entirely new industry, and she gave me an opportunity to learn, grow, and find my footing. We had plenty of adventures during our time together at that hotel, and I’ll always appreciate the confidence she had in me.
And then there’s Anna Stone. Where do I even begin with Anna? I practically ambushed her on her first day at the hotel to ask for a job in her department, and not long after she hired me, I was already lobbying her for a Director title! Thankfully, she saw something in me worth developing, and she’s since become one of my closest friends.
I’ve never worked for anyone quite like Anna. She has this incredible ability to recognize people’s strengths, challenge them to go further than they thought possible, and somehow make the entire experience fun along the way. She’ll work you hard, there’s no question about that, but she works you to win, and when you do, she’s the first person celebrating alongside you. I grew tremendously under her leadership at both DoubleTree Nashville Downtown and StepStone Hospitality, and I’m excited to see where our paths take us in the future.
I always joke that I wouldn’t answer an 11 PM phone call or a 7 AM text from just any manager, but I will from Anna. Usually, it’s because she’s excited about some new idea or opportunity that she wants us to tackle together. Everyone deserves a leader like Anna at some point in their career, and I genuinely can’t imagine where I’d be without her.
Nick Berry is another person who deserves an enormous amount of credit. He may not particularly love me introducing him this way, but he’s my best friend, and there’s really no getting around that! I’ve always said that good things happen when Nick is around. He’s spoken my name in rooms I wasn’t in, introduced me to people and opportunities I might never have encountered otherwise, and consistently encouraged me to aim higher. He’s also challenged me to be a better person, not just a better professional. Having someone in your corner who genuinely wants to see you succeed, and isn’t afraid to tell you when you can do better, is an extraordinary gift.
In my current role, I’ve been fortunate to work alongside some equally remarkable people.
Nate Swanson, our Corporate Director of People & Culture, is one of the most thoughtful leaders I’ve ever encountered. Whenever I come to Nate with a question or a challenge, he doesn’t simply give me an answer and send me on my way. He takes the time to explain the reasoning behind it, helping me understand the bigger picture. I always walk away from those conversations feeling a little more informed and better equipped to handle the next challenge. Nate genuinely embodies Spire’s philosophy of People, Purpose, and Passion, and his leadership has made a meaningful difference in how I approach my own work.
Roger Barrantes has been another tremendous partner and mentor throughout my time at Spire. Roger has this remarkable ability to look at numbers, reports, and operational performance and translate all of that information into something the rest of us can understand and actually use. I’ve learned so much from him about the business side of hospitality and how marketing connects to the overall success of a hotel.
What I’ve particularly appreciated about Roger is that he understands the importance of marketing beyond simply filling guest rooms. He’s been an incredible partner on restaurant rebrands, hotel transitions, new property onboarding, and countless other projects. He recognizes that Food & Beverage deserves just as much thought and creativity as rooms marketing, and he’s always been willing to collaborate, share his knowledge, and help turn an idea into something meaningful.
And then there’s Ginny Morrison, who served as my boss at Spire Hospitality for the past five years as Vice President of Sales & Marketing. Ginny had a leadership style that I absolutely loved. She wasn’t interested in micromanaging me or hovering over every decision I made. She trusted me to do my job, gave me room to be creative, and challenged me to keep getting better.
But perhaps the thing I’ll always appreciate most about Ginny is that she fought for me. She advocated for me in rooms I wasn’t in, including some where standing up for someone isn’t necessarily the easiest thing to do. Having a leader who believes in you enough to put their own voice and reputation behind you is something I’ll never take for granted. She gave me the freedom to grow while making sure I knew I had someone firmly in my corner, and I’ll never forget that.
The wonderful thing about all these people is that they’ve helped me in completely different ways. Some opened doors, some taught me things I didn’t know, some challenged me to think differently, and others simply reminded me that I was capable of more than I realized.
I’ve always believed that one of the most important things you can do in your career is surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, who challenge you, and who genuinely want to see you succeed. I’ve been incredibly fortunate in that regard.
And if there’s one thing I hope I’ve learned from all of them, it’s the importance of doing the same for someone else. I want to be the person who takes a chance on someone, makes an introduction, shares what I’ve learned, or speaks up for someone who deserves an opportunity.
Because at the end of the day, none of us gets where we’re going entirely on our own, and I certainly didn’t.
