Hunter Hoopes

Hunter Hoopes didn't grow up with a camera in hand, but he did grow up with something more valuable: the drive to create something from nothing. In a small town where entertainment options were limited, Hunter discovered his passion for videography early—making his first YouTube video in sixth grade, filming skateboarding videos with friends in high school, and eventually creating prank videos that his friends loved being part of.

Growing up in a single-parent household, moving four times before graduating high school, Hunter learned to make friends quickly and adapt to new environments. His mother worked in higher education admissions, which meant attending schools alongside kids from vastly different economic backgrounds—from classmates whose families owned major companies to living in a modest townhouse. But rather than feeling like he had less, Hunter felt gratitude. His mom had put him in a position to be at the same level as everyone else, and that perspective shaped everything.

After a brief detour into law school (a path chosen more by default than passion), Hunter quickly realized it wasn't for him. He pivoted to marketing, where his creative instincts could flourish. During COVID, he launched his own social media management agency, Hoops Media, in Denver—a one-person operation that eventually grew to a two-person team, all focused on organic content creation and social media management.

That experience as a solo entrepreneur gave him something invaluable: genuine empathy for small business owners. He knows what it's like to be the person wearing every hat, trying to make a first impression count while juggling a million other priorities. He understands the guilt that comes with knowing you need to invest in marketing but not having the time or expertise to do it right.

After Hoops Media, Hunter joined a marketing agency in Denver, working with a team of five. Then he transitioned to real estate, where he did training and coaching for Century 21 agents. That combination of experiences—solo entrepreneur, agency team member, and coach—gave him a unique ability to speak to any small business owner's situation while also being able to train and educate them along the way.

But perhaps his most defining moment came when he co-founded Iowa Food Scene with his friend Dustin. Starting with just 58 followers, their eighth video went viral—gaining 8,000 followers in 24 hours. By their twentieth video, they had 20,000 followers. It was proof that Hunter's instincts were right: when you find what works, you stick with it. And more importantly, it validated that he could take an idea and make it work.

Today, as Director of Growth at BrandFuel, Hunter brings all of these experiences together. He's the intrapreneur who understands that small business owners need more than just content—they need a partner who gets their world, who can educate them without making them feel small, and who believes that authenticity beats perfection every single time.