<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Tanner Talks]]></title><description><![CDATA[Elevate Skills in the AI Era]]></description><link>https://www.talkswithtanner.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2026 17:30:59 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.talkswithtanner.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[The Kind Leader's Dilemma: Why empathy needs a backbone]]></title><description><![CDATA["I just wanna be liked, just want to be funny.... looks like the jokes on me" - John Mayer Earlier this week, I was speaking with an excellent project leader who shared a familiar struggle: his team was missing targets, deadlines were slipping silently, and momentum had stalled. When I pressed him on why he wasn’t pushing harder, he said something honest, a form of which I come across often: “I could push harder, but I want to work well with the folks I’m working with. If I push, it’ll go...]]></description><link>https://www.talkswithtanner.com/post/the-kind-leader-s-dilemma-why-empathy-needs-a-backbone</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a61fbe2b252e37e4d34bf8d</guid><pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:39:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b1da3076093b404ea90f5996c18540df.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Tanner Soller</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reading Zero to One as a Leader in an Established Organization]]></title><description><![CDATA[Key takeaway: Zero to One is a powerful reminder that real innovation comes from thinking differently, not from doing more. For anyone leading transformation inside an established company, it reinforces that progress requires intention, courage, and a willingness to challenge the familiar. Why I Picked Up This Book It was no surprise that Zero to One appeared immediately when I searched for books related to The Lean Startup. Considering how much I had taken away from Lean Startup and how much...]]></description><link>https://www.talkswithtanner.com/post/reading-zero-to-one-as-a-leader-in-an-established-organization</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a5e0af2c27fa722bcaa1617</guid><pubDate>Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:57:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6e3d24_7a3fbfe6f6ce4652aaf07550377b333a~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_474,h_711,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Tanner Soller</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Active Listening (The Fight You Have to Keep Fighting)]]></title><description><![CDATA[“To listen well is as powerful a means of influence as to talk well.” — John Marshall Active listening gets talked about like it’s some tidy little skill you can “apply” when needed. Anyone who’s led teams knows that’s nonsense. Active listening isn’t a technique, it’s a fight. A daily one. Some days an hourly one. I’ve spent years watching people on video calls pretend to listen while their eyes flick across three monitors. I’ve watched leaders nod along while you can practically see the...]]></description><link>https://www.talkswithtanner.com/post/active-listening-the-fight-you-have-to-keep-fighting</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a58c3be867b415af51b2691</guid><pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:46:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_3cab5dd749b24972b0776380186a904f~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Tanner Soller</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Unlocking a New Skill: Recording to Connect]]></title><description><![CDATA[“Clarity comes from action, not thought.” I’ve been working on a new skill lately. It’s not revolutionary for the world, but it’s been quietly transformative for me. And because so much of my writing centers on being a human leader in an AI‑heavy era, I wanted to share it with you. I’ve started using recording as a way to connect, not just communicate. It’s helped me stay human, stay present, and still move faster. It’s also helped me preserve my voice while sharpening my message, something I...]]></description><link>https://www.talkswithtanner.com/post/unlocking-a-new-skill-recording-to-connect</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4f87ff3089c583681f5f8f</guid><pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2026 11:30:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/dc152ebb46a947e393504af6a4e300a9.jpg/v1/fit/w_890,h_593,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Tanner Soller</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Two‑Minute Update: How to Become the Clearest Voice in the Room]]></title><description><![CDATA[No matter your role—analyst, manager, director, executive—at some point you will be the person everyone turns to for an update. A project stalls, a customer escalates, a deadline shifts, a new risk emerges… and bam! all eyes are on you. What’s wild is that giving updates is one of the most common things we do in our work lives, yet one of the least practiced. I’ve sat through hundreds of update meetings, some sharp, some forgettable, some painfully confusing. The difference between them is...]]></description><link>https://www.talkswithtanner.com/post/the-two-minute-update-how-to-become-the-clearest-voice-in-the-room</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4646543eb73efa46e65194</guid><pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:28:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_65033ce5ccad44b6bd31082a3884d2b7~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Tanner Soller</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What I Learned from The Lean Startup by Eric Ries]]></title><description><![CDATA[I didn’t read The Lean Startup because I’m building a new company. I read it because I’m working with fellow leaders to drive innovation inside an existing organization — and I wanted to see whether startup thinking could help us break through the friction that comes with legacy processes and large-scale change. The biggest insight was simple but transformative: lean thinking isn’t just for startups. It’s a mindset any team can use when tackling complex problems. Most established teams...]]></description><link>https://www.talkswithtanner.com/post/what-i-learned-from-the-lean-startup-by-eric-ries</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4458dd69b2dfbbf12ccd04</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:01:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6e3d24_8db71535637740c4bea02d1e2ab90f0e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_210,h_300,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Tanner Soller</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Results‑First World, Part 3: The Momentum Advantage]]></title><description><![CDATA[“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” — Martin Luther King Jr. In a results‑first world, momentum is everything. Not the big, flashy milestone at the end, but the steady, visible progress that keeps teams energized, customers confident, and leaders aligned. And yet, momentum is often the first thing to disappear when work gets complex. Long timelines, shifting dependencies, and competing priorities can turn even the most exciting initiative into a slow grind....]]></description><link>https://www.talkswithtanner.com/post/the-results-first-world-part-3-the-momentum-advantage</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a3bbe8a96e17da783c6d39b</guid><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:45:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_bcca276530a3448abd24d6a7dd979d8a~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Tanner Soller</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Results-First World, Part 2: The Relentless Follow-Up Advantage]]></title><description><![CDATA[“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” — Robert Collier Early in my career, I watched several customer-focused leaders I admired and tried to figure out what made them successful. The lesson I learned back then was simple: they never let things sit. They followed up relentlessly, followed through consistently, and made sure customers, teammates, and commitments never disappeared into silence. That lesson became one of the most important systems I built for myself....]]></description><link>https://www.talkswithtanner.com/post/the-results-first-world-part-2-the-relentless-follow-up-advantage</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a33e12884601b52b73a98d9</guid><pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2026 12:20:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_6c65abe3f7874b7480ff561450284bfe~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Tanner Soller</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bonus Talk: The Most Dangerous Lead in Customer Leadership ]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Stanley Cup Final wrapped up this week (I’m a lifelong Penguins fan, but congrats to the Hurricanes and their fans!) As someone who grew up at the rink, I couldn’t help but break from my usual format and reflect on how many lessons from hockey translate directly to project leadership and customer leadership. Two phrases in particular have shaped how I show up, on the rink and at work. 1. Know your role - but be ready to be the next player up Every hockey player is coached to understand...]]></description><link>https://www.talkswithtanner.com/post/bonus-talk-the-most-dangerous-lead-in-customer-leadership</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2fe0be098e896b85deb42a</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:29:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6e3d24_8caf9be27ca84bfb83800a50d204fa47~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Tanner Soller</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Telling the Truth Early to Customers]]></title><description><![CDATA[“Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.” — Spencer Johnson   Most customer escalations don’t come from the truth. They come from avoiding it. Over the years, I’ve watched teams spend weeks (sometimes months) trying to avoid one of the hardest truths in project delivery or customer service: Sometimes the customer (or a specific request they made) is not a fit. I once worked with a team trying to save a customer account. We spent five months...]]></description><link>https://www.talkswithtanner.com/post/telling-the-truth-early-to-customers</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2c14048d10dcf62890c650</guid><pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2026 14:55:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6e3d24_c707a8f685554d86b596d26129c6e7a2~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Tanner Soller</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Results‑First World — Part 1: Activity vs. Impact ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Reflecting on how AI's prevalence is transforming customer service and project leadership, it's clear that there is an unyielding demand for results, whether you're a leader or a team member. Excuses are no longer valid, as everyone understands what AI can achieve. Your greatest strength lies not in task completion, but in evaluating tasks against desired outcomes and swiftly delivering those results to your customers or leadership. The following insights are from an older post I wrote about...]]></description><link>https://www.talkswithtanner.com/post/the-results-first-world-part-1-activity-vs-impact</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a21605a800e2e1c2bb70576</guid><pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:44:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6e3d24_a55809d4ab0640fb969fe743ae62ccc9~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Tanner Soller</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Winning Customer Interactions even on an off day]]></title><description><![CDATA[“Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets.” – Kevin Plank Earlier this week, I logged on after a long holiday weekend. I felt foggy, sluggish, and could already sense the pressure of a short week stacking up. When I joined my first meeting, it was obvious I wasn’t the only one feeling it. The room had that quiet, cranky energy to it, the kind where even forced small talk feels like work. It struck me that most of us had probably done the same thing: stayed up too late, eaten too many hot...]]></description><link>https://www.talkswithtanner.com/post/winning-customer-interactions-even-on-an-off-day</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a1977bd345540299751e10d</guid><pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2026 11:30:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6e3d24_96af94a372a342aea2366bfa87296426~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Tanner Soller</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>