Speaking + Booking

Tanner blends humor, faith, and wonder as he delivers a memorable message and unforgettable poetry.

Tanner has spoken, shared poetry, and presented at conferences, churches, schools, and organizations about various topics and subjects.

He's delivered messages, led break out sessions, shared spoken-word poetry, given creative insight and direction, and taught writing courses.

He often delivers poetry alongside musician Blake Flattley as they host An Evening of Music and Poetry.

Book him for your next event today!

An evening of Music + Poetry
with Blake Flattley & Tanner Olson

Songwriter Blake Flattley and poet Tanner Olson will share an evening of music, poetry and stories.

You can expect the night to be inviting, whimsical, entertaining, and fun.

If you would like to move forward with booking an event, or if you have questions please email writtentospeak@gmail.com or music@1517.org and put
"Words & Music Tour" in the subject line.

Please include the proposed date and location in the email, and we will get in touch with you!

Join therapist and author, Heidi Goehmann, and author and poet, Tanner Olson, for an evening of hope, poetry, conversation, and tools for meeting our mental health with hope.

This 90 minute event connects the church to resources that help them breach stigma, rest in God, and build strength to love themselves and those around them well, no matter the challenge.

“A Night of Hope is an excellent combination of music, poetry, and sharing hope. Blake, Tanner, and Heidi are genuine in their sharing. They share a message of real life. Hope in the middle of the messes. Our audience of youth and adults was engaged the entire time. We thought and felt deeply, and laughed out loud. A great combination!” - Donna Moldenhauer, Youth Leader

Past Events

• A night of poetry and storytelling
  

• Middle and High School Youth Conferences
  

• School Assemblies
  

• Women’s Conferences
  

• Men’s Conferences
  

• Camp Speaker
  

• Staff Retreat Speaker
  

• Poetry reading at coffee shops
  

• Sunday morning messages at Churches
  

• Break out session leader for conferences and gatherings
  

• Guest speaker at elementary, middle, high school, and colleges

Endorsements

“Tanner Olson is a highly engaging speaker who connects with audiences of all ages. I was hesitant at first to have a poet be the keynote speaker at a gathering for 300 middle school youth. They loved his stories and poems and soaked in his message of hope. Don’t hesitate to bring Tanner to your next event!”

Jennifer Tanner
Ministry Leader
Central Florida

“Tanner has a way of holding two opposing emotions/ideas at once while navigating the tension between the two with gentleness, humor and kindness; making these heavy things palatable. He has a gift of creating atmosphere with his words that make you want to linger in them. He reminds us that God is creative and inspires us to lean into this. His masterful gift of doing all this through poetry is inspiring.”

Jen Broberg
Ministry Leader Northiron Church
Ishpeming, Michigan

“Being able to listen and experience one of Tanner’s shows
was truly inspiring & such a blast.
His poetry is genuine, humorous, and one of a kind.
I HIGHLY recommend bringing him to your church!”

Abbie Snow
Youth Director and Leader

"Watching Tanner Olson (Written To Speak) perform was like food for my soul. The way he used tone, thoughts, heart, and humor was unlike anything I'd ever seen. I laughed, teared up, and at times dissecting the depth. I can't wait until he tours again in my area as I know my wife and I will be front row."

Todd Nesloney
Author, Educator, + Speaker

“We loved having Tanner share his gifts with our students!
The show was engaging on many levels, thought provoking, quite funny, and very real. Bringing him in was a fantastic departure from our normal schedule and the time he spent with us was so valuable. We are looking forward to having him back soon!”

Bryan Fries
YoungLife Leader

"Tanner Olson inspires me on many levels.
Not only does he write; he writes poetry that's honest, inspiring, and sometimes hilariously funny.
Not only does he speak; he speaks words that come from the heart with a sincerity that isn't often seen these days.
Tanner tells it like it is with a truth and wisdom that is beyond his years, and yet in a way that engages audiences of all ages. Creativity is at the heart of it all, and his faith permeates his work."

Tom Eggebrecht
Pastor + Author of 'Fully + Creatively Alive'

“Written to Speak blessed our college campus community with the gift of engaging with faith and life through humor and creativity. Tanner's heartfelt and fun approach as a person as well as a poet gave our students permission to rest and resonate with something that felt more alive than their required theology books. While good study and theology is vital, so is remembering we are human and that Jesus was human and we get to be humans together, enjoying tacos and asking hard questions and laughing at how weird we were in middle school. Tanner's presence reminds us it's good to be human, that God made us that way, and we're allowed to live in our own imperfect skin even as we seek to grow in mind and vocation.”

Shelly Schwalm
Ministry Leader at Concordia University St. Paul

"Words have power.
There is real power when someone can put into words
the deep feelings and emotions of people, that is exactly what
Tanner Olson does through Written to Speak.
Tanner is funny, engaging, thoughtful, and most importantly authentic in his spoken word poetry and storytelling.
He is able to engage across generational and cultural lines,
connecting people to our common humanity and Creator.
I am excited to have him come back to share more with our people."

Bobby Walston
Pastor Christ Memorial and Reliant Church

"In an increasingly technological world, we are longing for human touch.  In his words - spoken and written - Tanner gives us all a human voice. Real. Sincere. Vulnerable.  This is genuine interpersonal communication, with one another and with God.  I’m grateful for Tanner’s voice. "

Jeff Cloeter
Pastor + Author of 'Loved + Sent'

Just A Little More

What does Tanner speak about?

By blending truth, humor, honesty, and storytelling Tanner shares about the hope we have in Jesus.

Here are a few message topics:

• Hope Doesn’t Let The Story End

• Stepping Into the Uncertain and Unknown by Faith

• Sharing Your Story

• Patience

• Faith & Creativity

• Identity

• Hope

• . . . Whatever the theme of your event or gathering is.

Let’s talk!

Let’s talk about your next event today!