Negotiating pay can feel like walking a tightrope in dress shoes.

Ryan’s been on both sides of the table, coaching candidates and now extending offers, and he’s seen how the script changes depending on your role, your leverage, and your timing.

Tansley admits she once didn’t even know salary negotiation was a thing. The two unpack what compensation really means beyond the paycheck. From knowing how to start the conversation, to understanding how to collect enough information to make a decision. This one’s for anyone standing at the start of a new career path wondering just how much power they actually have.

Today’s guest is Vince Paul. Vince is an artist, a Detroiter, and boasts an alter ego, Tenacious V, who makes an appearance once a decade. He is also the President and Artistic Director of the Detroit Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts. Having dedicated decades to the arts, Vince spent most of his career in New York City or touring globally with theater, music, or dance productions. When the opportunity arose to lead the Detroit Music Hall, Vince knew it was an incredible chance to make a meaningful impact in his hometown through artistic experience. This is Vince’s story.

In this episode of Third Fork, Tansley and Ryan take a playful jab at the language of work. Those buzzwords and phrases that fill meetings, memos, and Teams/Zoom chats everywhere.

From “innovation” to “synergy,” they unpack how jargon shapes culture, signals belonging, and sometimes hides the lack of actual doing. Ryan asks his favorite question: Will my future self roast me for saying this? Tansley reminds us that saying the right thing isn’t the same as doing the right thing.

The conversation hits close to home, and might make you rethink your next “low-hanging fruit.”