Beyond the Stage — Thriving on Tour

Life on tour isn’t just about what happens under the spotlight — it’s about how you take care of yourself in between shows. In this episode of The Artist Behind the Art, I’m sharing what it really takes to set yourself up for a long-term contract that feels sustainable, rewarding, and unforgettable.

We’ll dive into:

·       🥗 Fueling like an athlete — how to think ahead with nutrition, supplements, and fueling strategies so you can stay strong and consistent on stage.

·       🏋️ Training with purpose — why your growth doesn’t have to stall on tour, and how to use limited time and space to maintain skills, build strength, and prepare for future opportunities.

·       🌙 Thriving in downtime — how to plan hobbies, learning opportunities, and personal anchors so your off-hours feel restorative, not empty.

·       🔄 Weekly resets — a simple check-in ritual to help you adapt, adjust, and finish your contract strong.

Whether this is your first tour or your tenth, you’ll walk away with actionable strategies to create a rhythm that keeps you healthy, grounded, and thriving both on and off the stage.

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. I’ve got mentorships and resources designed to help you elevate your submission materials, refine your act, and thrive in this industry.

Thanks so much for listening to The Artist Behind the Art.
This podcast exists to support performers in building sustainable, aligned, and castable careers — beyond just the skills.

Ready to Unlock What’s Next?

If you know there’s more inside you than you’ve unlocked on your own…
 If your skills are strong, but you’re unsure how to shape them into something undeniable…

You don’t have to figure that out alone.

Inside the Own the Stage Act Creation Mentorship, we bring personalized feedback and clear strategy to your creative process — so every moment of your act is masterful, connected, and intentional. From entrance to bow.

The mentorship begins March 23rd, and the founding members round will be intimate and focused.

If you’re ready to build an act that makes an audience lean in and feel time stand still:

📩 Email: Jennifer@aretementorship.com

📱 DM: @arete.actdevelopment

I’d love to see what we can create together.

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Remember — you already have what it takes.
 The question is: are you ready to prove it to yourself?

Until next time — show up big and own the stage.

Transcript

 Welcome back to the Artist Behind the Art. Today we're talking about what it takes for you to be successful on a long-term contract, because how you set up yourself for everyday life is just as important as how you show up on stage. In this episode, I want you to think about what you need to bring, what you need to do, and how you can prepare before you leave on tour.



   Alright guys, let's chat about how to create a great life rhythm on tour. And I think one of the best places to start is just with your life right now and what works and what makes you successful. Because there are going to be things that you can bring with you that you can incorporate that are going to make your life feel like it has.

Some grounding. And I think that's really important because although most everything's about to change or has changed, but there are so many things that we can do that are just going to give us, uh, a sense of peace. And I think that is so important because when we talk about our downtime shifting our training schedule and our nutrition.

We can figure out what works for us, then we can figure out how to make sure to maintain that while we are in contract. And I think starting with our nutrition is a place that really is important to start because that's what is going to help you show up on stage your strongest and. One of those places that you can do this is track your food this week and think about what you need to be included in your daily meals or what you need to bring with you that is going to help you perform at your best.

And those are things that I think you can early on communicate. To your employer to make sure that those are gonna be things that will be accessible, or are you going to need to supplement those things on your own? So if you have any allergies or dietary needs, make sure that those can be accommodated so they can think about that on the front end.

And when if you are on tour and going from town to town where can they incorporate those places that they can stop to make sure that you are able to fuel yourself? Or are you potentially needing to think about that in an area that is not going to have those items? And you need to bring those with you.

So by thinking about this on the front end, you're going to be able to fuel yourself like an athlete. And I think one of the hardest parts is, you know, when we leave our home, and let's say we go on vacation. We have all of these amazing options available to us, but they are not necessarily gonna help us show up on stage as our best self.

So making sure that you know what helps you stay strong and feel just that you can step on stage and show up. Every time consistent is very, very important. Some other things that you might wanna think about are, do you have any supplements that you incorporate into your day-to-day life that you would feel like you would be missing if you didn't bring those with you?

So protein powders. Electrolytes, any, bars that you just grab on the go when you feel that your body needs some extra protein? Those are some things that you can think about packing and bringing with you to make sure that you are gonna have a successful contract.  

Alright guys, let's talk about your training schedule, because you may have a very intense performance schedule, but your training time may be very limited, and I think it's really important to think about what are some core skills that if you are not incorporating them into your act, that if you did not drill those regularly.

What would you feel that coming off of the contract that you would need to incorporate? So you can very be very strategic in your training time if you have limited access to that on stage. And if you can make sure that you have that outline going into the contract, then you can be very purposeful with your time and make sure that you don't let your growth.

Stall out while you are on tour and that you're setting yourself up for success for future opportunities. Another way that you can also make sure that if you have access to a gym, then maybe you are not able to pursue, you know, creative outlets and being able to create new acts. But can you really up your fitness game with the time that you have that is in your free time?

So I think it's important just to make sure that you go into the contract. With a plan for your training and for your growth and have a realistic outlook, because if it's not a time for growth of your skills, but how else can you grow? Or at least can you go into it with knowing what is possible?

Because I think,  , something that we can do is get really frustrated because we have this expectation of growth. But it's just not realistic. So if you know what that time and that space looks like, then at least you can have a plan. And with that plan, you can really feel like you are able to have control of your time and your growth.

    

   Alright guys, let's chat about your downtime. And I think it's important to imagine how do you see yourself spending those in between hours? And how can you set yourself up for success prior to even leaving home? And what do you enjoy doing on your downtime? And are these things that you can bring with you?

And if you enjoy any hobbies. Can you purchase those and make sure they fit into your suitcase? So if you enjoy sketching or knitting, journaling, or reading books, are these things that you can prepurchase and have them for you to be accessible when you are on tour? Because you may not be able to go to the store and and get something to be able to fill your time, but you wanna make sure that.

You have something for you when you want to check out, be on your own, that you find valuable, that fills your time, and also just keeps you mentally and emotionally strong. So considering what those options are for you and having those are important. And something I think that is really fun too to explore is what's something you've always wanted to learn that you've never had the time to explore.

So a fun option could be learning a new language. Could you pre-download an app that is going to then create that opportunity for you to learn this language while you are out on tour? Because you may not be able to have a strong internet signal. So having that preloaded on your device, if it's a book or a course or an app, is going to just create those opportunities and options for you.

And in a future episode, I'm gonna chat with someone about getting your degree while you are on tour. It is something that I have seen done time after time, and it just sets you up for just future opportunities. It may be a long-term commitment, but it is achievable. So stay tuned for that if that's something that you would be interested in.

    

  So something that I think is really important to incorporate is a weekly reset. At the end of every week, check in with yourself and think about how the week went and how you are feeling. And I think if you can make that time, then you can adjust what you're doing. You can add something or you can subtract something because just taking stock of how you are experiencing your contract is going to just help you over time, be able to feel like you are filling your time with purpose and end the contract strong.

 Thank you so much for listening today. I hope this gave you some insight on how to have a rewarding and unforgettable contract. If you enjoyed this, please share it with another artist who needs this reminder.

And while you're at it, drop a quick review. My goal is to help artists find alignment in both life and career. And by leaving a review or sharing this podcast, you're helping more performers find that kind of support and remember. You already have what it takes. The question is, are you ready to prove it to yourself?

Until next time, show up big and own the stage.