So You Wanna Be In Show Biz?

Sarah Fleshner (left) host of Business Side of Muisc Podcast, Nikki Sanz (right) Founder of Giggs

By Sarah Fleshner • The Business Side of Music Podcast

If you’ve ever dreamed of working in live entertainment or wondered what really happens behind the curtain, today’s story is for you. On this episode of The Business Side of Music, I sat down with one of the most inspiring women in the industry—and a dear friend—Nikki Sanz, founder and CEO of Giggs, and a 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree.

Nikki has become a powerful voice for the next generation of touring professionals. Her journey is anything but linear, and that’s what makes it so valuable for anyone looking to break into this world.

From Nashville Newcomer to Road Warrior

Seven years ago, Nikki moved to Nashville with one dream: get on the road. Tour managing was her goal, but like so many trying to break in, she had no roadmap—just hustle. She networked relentlessly through Instagram DMs, LinkedIn messages, and in-person conversations.

Within months, she landed her first tour gig…with Eric Church. From there, she worked across the industry—corporate events, festivals, sporting events (including the Super Bowl), TV shows, and one-off gigs for major artists. She was, in her words, “a gigging professional,” piecing together a career through opportunity, relationships, and grit.

But after COVID, something shifted. Touring didn’t give her life the way it once had. So she pivoted into staffing tours—and discovered a massive problem.

The Pain Point That Sparked a Tech Company

Touring is a word-of-mouth industry. It always has been. And while that gives the industry its charm, it also makes hiring chaotic and inefficient.

To hire a single role, Nikki could spend hours texting contacts, vetting résumés, checking availability, and hoping the person she found wasn’t a backstage “germ” (Nashville slang for someone who gets starstruck or fangirls the artist).

It was fragmented. Inefficient. Slow.
And it was the same for everyone.

So Nikki did what only the bold (or slightly naïve, as she jokes) would do at age 26:
She decided to build the solution herself.

With no tech background and no business degree, she launched what would become Giggs—a centralized, vetted platform for backstage professionals. Think LinkedIn for live events, but built specifically for the touring ecosystem.

Giggs: More Than a Staffing Platform

Today, Giggs has grown into far more than a hiring tool:

• A vetted, professional network for backstage talent
• A standardized industry résumé and profile system
• Job listings employers can trust
• A tool called VibeCheck, giving applicants a chance to introduce themselves through short videos
• A growing podcast, mentor program, and educational resources
• Real-life events across the country bringing the community together

And that community is powerful.

At one recent Giggs event in Nashville, I personally met someone who solved a major problem I'd been trying to resolve for weeks. We were playing his venue, I didn’t realize it was him, and suddenly over a drink in a crowded bar, it all clicked. That’s what Giggs does—connects people who would’ve never found each other otherwise.

Within a year, the platform grew to 30,000+ professionals—and Giggs events are now expanding nationwide, hitting Vegas, LA, Orlando, St. Louis, the Northeast, and more cities soon.

The Hidden Reality Fans Don’t See

During our conversation, I asked Nikki what fans would be shocked to learn about live shows.

Her answer? Everything.

Fans see the artist. They see lights. They see magic.

What they don’t see is the army of people making it happen—sometimes hundreds, sometimes thousands. From riggers, audio engineers, lighting directors, carpenters, bus drivers, camera ops, production managers, runners, VIP staff, to the massage therapists—every role matters.

It takes a village to put on a show, and that village is aging fast. Many original pioneers of this industry are retiring, and if we don’t educate and inspire young people to join this workforce, the entire ecosystem suffers.

Platforms like Giggs, along with touring TikTok and social content, are helping new talent discover these opportunities.

The Biggest Challenge in Touring Right Now

Costs.

Everything is more expensive: buses, fuel, hotels, flights, production gear, checked bags, labor. Yet artist guarantees aren’t rising at the same pace. Artists aren’t making significantly more money at shows—but everything around them costs more.

This affects everyone—managers, crews, artists, promoters, vendors, bus companies, and venues.

We’re all navigating a constantly shifting budget landscape.

Hiring For Tours: It’s All About the Vibes

In a world where you live with your coworkers on a tour bus, hiring isn’t just about skills.

Nikki said employers almost always choose:

A great hang with medium experience
over
a highly skilled person with bad energy.

Soft skills matter. Attitude matters. Curiosity matters. Being teachable matters.

And sometimes, the best candidate is the one who says, “I don’t know that job yet, but I’ll learn it. I’m excited for the opportunity.”

Those are the people who last.

Knowing When It’s Time to Get Off the Road

Nikki knew it was time to leave touring when nothing excited her anymore. The venues didn’t energize her. The travel became draining. The life didn’t feel right.

And that’s okay.

For some, the road is a lifelong home.
For others, it’s a season.

There are amazing careers off the road too—venue operations, integration and installation companies, production houses, artist management, labels, tech, education. The industry is bigger than touring alone.

Becoming a Tech Founder (Without Knowing Tech)

One of the most inspiring parts of Nikki’s story is how honest she is about entrepreneurship.

She had an idea burning inside her—one she couldn’t ignore.
She kept gigging to pay rent while bootstrapping Giggs.
She learned everything on the fly.
She built a team, raised capital, made mistakes, kept pivoting, and kept going.

“If I knew how hard this was going to be,” she said, “I probably never would’ve done it. So I’m grateful for the naïveté.”

Entrepreneurship is not glamorous. But it is deeply meaningful when you’re solving a real problem.

Final Thoughts: Why Nikki’s Story Matters

The live event world is messy, magical, chaotic, emotional, exhausting, and exhilarating.

It attracts the people willing to pick their “hard”—because they love it.

Nikki’s story is a reminder that:

• There is a place for you in this industry
• There are more backstage jobs than people realize
• The workforce needs young talent urgently
• Your energy and personality matter
• Community is everything
• And if you see a problem, you can build the solution

If you’ve ever thought, “I wanna be in show biz,” this conversation is your invitation.

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