Stop chasing perfection
Hey, Nikki here.
Touring doesn’t reward perfectionists. Different venue every day. Different crew. Different weather. And you, somewhere in the middle of it, making one hundred decisions before lunch.
I sat down with Doug Wilson, previously Director of Touring and Production at Black Ink Presents and tour manager on the road with Fletcher, Tegan and Sara, and The Dead South.
What stood out to me was how honest he was about the parts no one talks about. The fear of walking into the headliner's production office. The years of faking it. The pull to go back on the road that never fully goes away.
Why this one matters:
There aren't many clean off-ramps for tour managers, and the window to take one can feel narrower the longer you wait.
Doug named something a lot of people feel but don't say out loud: getting off the road is like an addiction. A bad week at work and the road starts whispering. What keeps him home is unglamorous and specific: health, community, family time.
#1 Give yourself room to make mistakes
Doug says the biggest trap for people breaking in is chasing perfection. You're working in an environment you don't control, with people you didn't pick, under pressure you can't always explain. You will get it wrong sometimes.
Takeaway: Perfectionism will stall you out faster than a missed cue.
Try this: Next time you make a bad call, name what you'd do differently and move on.
#2 Grow with the artist — or get replaced
Artists can go from clubs to arenas inside a year. The crew that makes the jump is the crew with the right mindset, not just the right resume. Doug was clear: if you think you know it all at club level, the arena will find you out.
Takeaway: Adaptability travels better than experience.
Try this: Ask a crew member one level above you what separates people who make the jump successfully from people who get replaced.
#3 Know when the window is closing
A mentor told Doug the off-ramp narrows as you move up. The more senior you get, the harder it is to land somewhere that matches the life you've built.
Takeaway: The road will always be there. Your window to leave on your terms won't.
Try this: Write down what a sustainable version of this career looks like for you in five years, then work backward from it.
If you want the full conversation, listen to Episode #58 of The Giggs Podcast with Doug Wilson.
SPOTIFY | APPLE | YOUTUBE
— Nikki
P.S. One line I loved: Doug said at the beginning of his career, he thought there was a “fire-breathing dragon” in the headliner's production office. Nobody told him it was OK to ask production for what he needed. More people need to hear that sooner.
