Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Kuiper.
Hi Tyler, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m happy to share my story, which has been dedicated to the Family Entertainment and Bowling Industry for over two decades. This field is a lifelong commitment that started when I was barely out of diapers—I was bowling at Holiday Lanes here in Kalamazoo at the age of four!
My hands-on professional start began at twelve years old in my parents’ centers in Ohio. I truly learned the business from the ground up, holding almost every single job: from being a cook and working as a mechanic to running the front desk and serving in various management roles. My experience spans centers from a small 8-lane operation all the way up to a massive 64-lane facility.
Now, after 22 years in the industry and experience across six centers in two states, my background has led me to my current leadership position: Marketing Manager for two distinct centers right here in Kalamazoo. I manage Revel & Roll West and Crafted Copper.
But my story has a creative side, too. For the past decade, I’ve also been a professional drag queen named Savannah Hawthorne Williams. My time on stage gives me a unique kind of creative leadership and discipline that I bring to my corporate marketing, proving that my ability to manage high-level business comes from knowing how to lead both a team and an audience
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Honestly, the biggest challenge in this dual career is just fighting the clock and feeling tired. My job as Marketing Manager for our two busy centers takes all my focus during the day, and being Savannah Hawthorne Williams—performing with big names and traveling for shows—takes all my nights and weekends. It’s a constant pressure to be excellent in two very different spotlights.
One tough spot is the need to be relevant all the time. In corporate, I have to constantly learn new things, like how the rise of TikTok as a search engine changes our marketing plans. If I don’t adapt, our centers fall behind. In drag, it’s the exact same pressure. I constantly have to come up with new routines, new costumes, and new ways to stand out so people keep wanting to see me perform year after year.
But here’s the cool part: I solve problems in one job using the skills from the other. The super-organized planning I learned managing huge centers, from the smallest 8-lane to the largest 64-lane facility, is what lets me plan my drag travel without missing a beat. And the ability to instantly flip a problem—like when a speaker fails on stage—is a skill I use with Savannah every week. That quick thinking makes me a calmer, more creative manager when a corporate plan runs into a snag. I basically use the structure of my day job to organize the chaos of my night job, and the creativity of my night job to solve problems in my day job.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am known as Savannah Hawthorne Williams, and I have been a drag queen for ten years.
My work is performing, and my dedication to my craft has been strong enough that I have been able to build my brand and perform all across the country. This includes sharing the stage with major names, such as alumni from RuPaul’s Drag Race and Dragula. This level of professional exposure shows the kind of quality I bring to my work.
What sets me apart is my personal mission: always to make one person laugh and smile at every performance. To me, that genuine connection is the real success, no matter the size of the crowd.
I am most proud of the work I do right here in the community where I grew up. The biggest highlight of my career has been performing at Kalamazoo Pride year after year, including audiences of over five thousand people. That ongoing commitment is proof of the powerful and positive impact that consistent, focused entertainment can have.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
For my creative work as Savannah Hawthorne Williams, I look to shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race (especially the UK version) and Dragula. These aren’t just entertainment; they are an essential resource for creative trends, narrative storytelling, and professional excellence. They show what it means to present a refined, marketable creative concept, which helps me evolve my persona and maintain the high standard needed to perform all across the country and alongside the shows’ alumni.
For my Marketing Manager role, my biggest resource is the constant browsing of the web for the newest trends in marketing and family entertainment. I have to stay ahead of how guests are spending their time and money. The way people search for things has changed a lot, and the introduction of TikTok as a major social search engine has become a huge factor. I am always looking for the latest in social media strategy and new technology to keep our two Kalamazoo centers competitive and innovative.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://revelandrollwest.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesavannahhawthorne
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/TheSavannahHawthorne
- Other: https://craftedcopperkzoo.com
