Savannah Bananas: Fans First Entertainment Over Traditional Sports - Episode Hero Image

Savannah Bananas: Fans First Entertainment Over Traditional Sports

My First Million · · Listen to Original Episode →
Original Title: The (Improbable) Story of Savannah Bananas' Rise to a $1B Empire

TL;DR

  • The Savannah Bananas' success stems from a deliberate strategy of "doing the exact opposite" of normal, prioritizing remarkable and unforgettable experiences over predictable ones to capture fan attention.
  • By adopting a "fans first" philosophy, the Bananas created an all-inclusive ticket model, offering unlimited food and entertainment, which generated significant demand and differentiated them from traditional sports.
  • Jesse Cole's relentless study of entertainment giants like Walt Disney and P.T. Barnum, combined with a daily ideation practice, fuels the continuous innovation and "world-building" that defines the Bananas' unique brand.
  • The team's commitment to "learning by doing" and embracing failure as a mechanism for rapid iteration, exemplified by their Saturday Night Live-inspired creative process, allows for constant experimentation and improvement.
  • Despite initial skepticism and financial hardship, including selling their house, the Bananas' unwavering focus on creating memorable moments and fostering a strong fan connection ultimately led to their explosive growth and valuation.
  • The Bananas prioritize attracting talent that aligns with their core values of caring, enthusiasm, and hunger, often hiring interns and developing them internally rather than solely relying on experienced hires.
  • By controlling all aspects of their operation, from ticketing to merchandise and broadcasting, the Bananas maintain a direct connection with their audience, enabling them to learn and adapt rapidly without outsourcing core competencies.

Deep Dive

Jesse Cole transformed a struggling minor league baseball team into the Savannah Bananas, a billion-dollar empire built on an unconventional "fans first" entertainment model. His journey, from near bankruptcy to creating a global brand, demonstrates a radical approach to business that prioritizes entertainment and fan experience over traditional sports paradigms. Cole's strategy hinges on relentless creativity, a deep understanding of showmanship inspired by figures like P.T. Barnum and Walt Disney, and a commitment to "extreme hard mode" execution. The core implication is that by focusing on remarkable, unforgettable experiences and actively creating attention, businesses can cultivate fervent fan bases and achieve explosive growth, even in established industries.

Cole's approach is rooted in a profound study of entertainment and a contrarian mindset. He learned from pioneers like P.T. Barnum the necessity of promotion and showmanship, from Bill Veeck the importance of a fan-first ethos, and from Walt Disney the power of creating immersive experiences. This intellectual toolkit allowed him to identify and exploit the "gap" in traditional baseball, which he perceived as boring and inaccessible to a broad audience. Instead of incremental improvements, Cole embraced radical divergence, exemplified by the creation of "Banana Ball" -- a faster, more entertaining version of baseball designed for maximum engagement. This involved a deliberate strategy of doing the "exact opposite" of what is considered normal, leading to innovations like all-inclusive tickets, unique team names, and elaborate on-field entertainment. The second-order implication is that by challenging industry norms and focusing on creating genuinely remarkable moments, businesses can bypass established competition and build an entirely new market.

The success of the Savannah Bananas is a testament to Cole's disciplined creative process and his ability to translate inspiration into actionable strategies. He cultivates an "idea machine" culture, encouraging daily idea generation and rigorous testing, much like Saturday Night Live's iterative creative process. His commitment to "learning by doing" and embracing failure as a catalyst for growth is crucial. This is evident in his meticulous study of fan behavior, observing reactions and adjusting experiences in real-time, much like analyzing YouTube video retention data to identify and eliminate viewer drop-off points. The "extreme hard mode" philosophy means taking ownership of every aspect of the customer experience, from ticket sales to merchandise and broadcasting, ensuring complete control and a deeper connection with the audience. This vertical integration, while complex, allows for direct learning and continuous improvement, fostering a unique and loyal fan base that actively participates in the brand's evolution.

Cole's operational principles, such as "fans first, entertain always" and the "11 Fans First Principles," are not mere slogans but deeply embedded directives that shape hiring, strategy, and daily operations. This creates a powerful, cohesive culture that attracts talent and fosters innovation. The "chip on his shoulder" driving him is not personal animosity but a deep-seated desire to prove doubters wrong and to demonstrate the power of his unique vision. This fuels his relentless pursuit of creating moments that make people feel alive, a core driver that transcends financial metrics. The ultimate implication is that by building a brand around a passionate, fan-centric vision and executing with unwavering dedication to entertainment and experience, a business can achieve extraordinary growth and create a movement, not just a product.

Action Items

  • Create a framework for generating 10+ "opposite of normal" ideas daily, documenting them in a dedicated "idea book" for future iteration.
  • Implement a "fans first" principle for all new initiatives, prioritizing fan experience and feedback over traditional revenue models.
  • Design a weekly "Over The Top Ideas" session inspired by Saturday Night Live's creative process, involving cross-functional teams to pitch and develop new entertainment concepts.
  • Audit current fan wait times for concessions and merchandise, setting a target of under 10 minutes and implementing solutions to reduce friction.
  • Develop a talent attraction strategy focused on "young, hungry talent" who believe in the mission, mirroring the success of attracting interns and passionate individuals.

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"if people don't know who you are good luck trying to create something you guys have a multi million person waitlist for tickets on tiktok you have 10 times more followers than the new york yankees ideas are more valuable than anything whatever's normal do the exact opposite no one comes home and says oh did you hear this thing it's so normal you get excited about remarkable unforgettable you're one of our mount rushmore type of guys because you're playing the game on extreme hard mode and i respect you for it it's way harder than i thought"

The speaker highlights the importance of being known and creating something remarkable rather than normal. This quote emphasizes that ideas are paramount and that deviating from the norm is key to generating excitement and success, framing the subject's approach as playing on "extreme hard mode."

"well i started as a 23 year old general manager with the team in gastonia north carolina and so it was college summer baseball which is a low level of baseball so that's that's where i started with this and yeah there was that team only had 200 fans coming to the games 268 in the bank account i couldn't pay myself for literally three months it was december i think i was able to take my first paycheck which i was making 27 500 so i wasn't making a lot of money regardless but that's that's where i started and so it was learning how to make college summer baseball exciting and entertaining and i did that for years and no one knew anything but we were just experimenting and trying new things and that's really kind of learned the ideas of making baseball more fun and adding new things to the show"

Jesse Cole describes his humble beginnings as a general manager for a struggling college summer baseball team. This quote illustrates his early challenges with low attendance and finances, and how he began experimenting with entertainment and new ideas to make the sport more engaging.

"i studied walt religiously so yes it was a griffith park it was his two daughters saturdays was his day with his daughters and he always took them he had you know daddy day with the daughters and so he took them to griffith park and they're on the carousel and he's sitting there and he goes i wish there was a place that adults and kids could have fun together and that's where the literal mindset said well what if we created a place like that and so i in a weird way was sitting in the dugout the best seat in the house with some of the best players thinking i'm bored out of my mind why can't this be fun for more people and so that's where it kind of started the journey as a 23 year old general manager with no money in the bank account and not getting paid on how to make this or fun"

Cole draws a parallel between Walt Disney's realization at Griffith Park and his own experience in the baseball dugout. This quote shows how observing a need for shared adult and child enjoyment, inspired by Disney, fueled his desire to create a more universally fun entertainment experience in baseball.

"my dad always said bill he said if there's a fire you got to get the most important thing in the house and it's our idea box and so the idea box he said ideas are more valuable than anything and so he actually gave us a wooden box i still have it today and we started coming up with ideas and that as a 23 year old started coming up with lots of i mean they were all a lot of them were ridiculous some worked some didn't so you know underwear night failed flag football fun night failed you know i mean the harry's man and gastonia that was gross so i mean we did a lot of things that just didn't work but i started learning about ideas and you know the big premise that i kind of came up with is is whatever's normal do the exact opposite no one gets excited about normal no one comes home and said oh did you hear this thing they did it's so normal like you get excited about remarkable unforgettable"

Jesse Cole explains the origin of his "idea box" concept, inspired by Bill Veeck's philosophy that ideas are the most valuable asset. This quote details how he began generating numerous ideas, acknowledging that many failed, but it reinforced his core principle of doing the opposite of what is normal to create excitement.

"we sold two tickets in our first three months and i mean we were hung up on every day i mean my wife she would walk in so we had a free launch event where we literally had free food free drinks everything she'd walk into little shops stores restaurants and be told get out like literally told we weren't selling we were offering free hey we just want you to come we're the new team we're here in town we want to meet the community i mean it was brutal"

This quote describes the extreme initial rejection and difficulty the Savannah Bananas faced when trying to establish themselves. Cole illustrates the harsh reality of being told "get out" even when offering free services, highlighting the significant skepticism and resistance they encountered.

"we have 11 fans first principles we have 11 rules of banana ball do our countdown from 11 11 is a very big part of us and so yeah it starts we're fanatical about the fan we entertain always play the long game whatever's normal do the exact opposite so again i don't want anyone ever gets excited about normal ideas are everything as we've talked about that is kind of how it's the starting point of everything constantly curious we're always going to learn from the best and the outside the industry not in our industry outside everything speaks that's our walt disney one you know if you lose the detail you lose it all and so we're obsessed with the details fewer things done better so we eliminated all of our sponsorship in 2020 which we eliminated all of our events and we focused solely on banana ball because we wanted what can you be the best in the world at and we believe we can create the greatest show in sports and so we went obsessed with that relentlessly resourceful"

Jesse Cole outlines the core principles that guide the Savannah Bananas organization, emphasizing the significance of the number 11 and a fan-first approach. This quote details their commitment to entertaining always, playing the long game, doing the opposite of normal, staying curious, focusing on details, and being relentlessly resourceful.

"i believe in doing what gives you energy i'm very very fortunate that what i do gives me energy when i first started in gastonia and i was doing everything operations hiring you name it i was worn out now like speaking or being with you guys right now it fires me up i love creating i love sharing i love growing so when i can go speak you know that that's an energy giver so you know i think our family we homeschool now you know we have three kids we homeschool we travel i i think you know i do daddy daughter dates and burger boys and my son and i i focus on that but i can always be better in that area"

Cole reflects on the importance of energy and passion in his

Resources

External Resources

Books

  • "Veeck as in Wreck" by Bill Veeck - Mentioned as a significant influence on the speaker's approach to fan engagement and entertainment.
  • "Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod - Mentioned as a game-changer for the speaker's morning routine and personal productivity.
  • "Amazon Unbound" by Walt Isaacson - Currently being re-read by the speaker for insights into business growth.

Articles & Papers

  • "The (Improbable) Story of Savannah Bananas' Rise to a $1B Empire" (My First Million Podcast) - The episode itself, featuring Jesse Cole.

People

  • Jesse Cole - Owner of the Savannah Bananas and creator of Banana Ball, featured guest.
  • Sam Parr - Co-host of the My First Million podcast.
  • Shaan Puri - Co-host of the My First Million podcast.
  • Walt Disney - Mentioned as a key inspiration for creating unique entertainment experiences and putting oneself in the customer's shoes.
  • P.T. Barnum - Referenced for his mastery of showmanship and creating attention.
  • Bill Veeck - Cited as a pioneer of fan-first ownership in baseball.
  • Mike Veeck - Son of Bill Veeck, mentioned for his pioneering work in minor league baseball.
  • MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) - Discussed as an example of exceptional YouTube growth and idea generation.
  • Steve Jobs - Mentioned for his philosophy of showing people what they want before they know it themselves.
  • Henry Ford - Referenced for his belief in learning by doing.
  • Bob Iger - Former CEO of Disney, mentioned as an inspiration for maintaining creativity at the heart of an organization.
  • Jeff Bezos - Mentioned for his leadership principles and the concept of being misunderstood.
  • Taylor Swift - Cited as an example of building an ecosystem and overdelivering for fans.
  • Dana White - President of the UFC, compared to Jesse Cole for his focus on creating moments.
  • Vince McMahon - Former CEO of WWE, compared to Jesse Cole for his focus on creating moments.
  • Brian Chesky - Founder of Airbnb, mentioned for his concept of the "12-star experience."
  • Russell Wilson - NFL quarterback, mentioned for his interaction with fans during his time playing for the Gastonia Grizzlies.
  • Donald Kelly - Host of "The Sales Evangelist" podcast, recommended by the speaker.
  • James Franco - Mentioned for directing a documentary about Saturday Night Live.
  • John Mulaney - Comedian, mentioned in the context of Saturday Night Live's creative process.
  • Lorne Michaels - Producer, mentioned in the context of Saturday Night Live's creative process.
  • Ari Emanuel - CEO of Endeavor, mentioned for his "anti-AI bet" on experiences.
  • Patrick O'Shaughnessy - Host of a podcast featuring Ari Emanuel.
  • Hal Elrod - Author of "The Miracle Morning," mentioned for his impact on the speaker's routine.
  • David Novak - Former CEO of Yum Brands, praised the speaker's parallel thinking.
  • Jared Orton - President of the Savannah Bananas, credited with a successful experiment in stadium merchandising.

Organizations & Institutions

  • Savannah Bananas - The baseball team at the center of the discussion.
  • Banana Ball - The sport created by the Savannah Bananas.
  • Gastonia Grizzlies - The previous team managed by Jesse Cole.
  • My First Million Podcast - The podcast hosting the interview.
  • HubSpot - Mentioned as the sponsor of the podcast and provider of a "Side Hustle Ideas Database."
  • Mercury - A financial technology company mentioned as a sponsor.
  • Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., Evolve Bank & Trust - Banks providing services for Mercury.
  • WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) - Mentioned as an example of an entertainment organization.
  • UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) - Mentioned as an example of an entertainment organization.
  • F1 (Formula 1) - Mentioned as an example of an entertainment organization.
  • ESPN - Mentioned as a source of books for inspiration.
  • Marvel - Mentioned as a source of inspiration.
  • Grateful Dead - Mentioned for their business model and fan engagement.
  • Dave Matthews Band - Mentioned as following a similar model to the Grateful Dead.
  • Cirque du Soleil - Mentioned as an inspiration for entertainment and performance.
  • New York Yankees - Used as a benchmark for social media following.
  • New York Mets - Mentioned as the previous affiliate in Savannah.
  • St. Louis Browns - Baseball team formerly owned by Bill Veeck.
  • Chicago White Sox - Baseball team formerly owned by Bill Veeck.
  • St. Paul Saints - Minor league baseball team associated with Mike Veeck.
  • Charleston RiverDogs - Minor league baseball team associated with Mike Veeck.
  • Yum Brands - Company formerly led by David Novak.
  • NFL (National Football League) - Used as a benchmark for social media following.
  • Wofford College - Jesse Cole's alma mater.
  • Cape Cod League - Where Jesse Cole coached briefly.
  • Saturday Night Live - Used as a model for the Savannah Bananas' creative process.
  • The Sales Evangelist Podcast - Recommended by Jesse Cole.
  • Beehive.com - Platform for a newsletter challenge.
  • Yankee Stadium - Venue where the Savannah Bananas have performed.
  • Fenway Park - Venue where the Savannah Bananas have performed.
  • Superdome - Venue where the Savannah Bananas are scheduled to perform.
  • Patriots Stadium - Venue where the Savannah Bananas are scheduled to perform.
  • Kyle Field - Venue where the Savannah Bananas are scheduled to perform.
  • Neyland Stadium - Venue where the Savannah Bananas are scheduled to perform.
  • Loco Beach Coconuts - A new team being built by the Savannah Bananas organization.
  • Indianapolis Clowns - A Negro League team being revived by the Savannah Bananas organization.
  • Negro Leagues - Historical baseball leagues referenced in relation to the Indianapolis Clowns.
  • Harlem Globetrotters - Compared to the Savannah Bananas' entertainment style.
  • Cruise Industry - Mentioned as an area of fascination for combining entertainment and travel.
  • Taylor Swift's Tour - Mentioned as inspiration for building an ecosystem.
  • WrestleMania - Implied comparison for large-scale entertainment events.

Websites & Online Resources

  • https://clickhubspot.com/nsv - Link for the free Side Hustle Ideas Database.
  • https://x.com/theSamParr - Sam Parr's X (Twitter) profile.
  • https://x.com/ShaanVP - Shaan Puri's X (Twitter) profile.
  • https://x.com/YellowTuxJesse - Jesse Cole's X (Twitter) profile.
  • https://thesavannahbananas.com/ - Official website of the Savannah Bananas.
  • https://www.shaanpuri.com - Shaan Puri's personal website.
  • https://www.somewhere.com/mfm - Website for hiring global talent, mentioned by Shaan Puri.
  • https://www.mercury.com - Website for Mercury, a business banking platform.
  • https://www.joinhampton.com/ - Hampton's website, mentioned by Sam Parr.
  • https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/ - Website for an Ideation Bootcamp.
  • https://copythat.com - Website for Copy That.
  • https://joinhampton.com/wealth - Hampton Wealth Survey link.
  • http://samslist.co/ - Sam Parr's List.
  • https://www.youtube.com/ - Platform where MrBeast gained popularity.
  • https://www.beehive.com/mfm - Website for entering the newsletter challenge.

Other Resources

  • Banana Ball - The sport created by the Savannah Bananas.
  • Banana Ball Rules - Mentioned as having 11 rules.
  • Banana Ball Youth Tournament - A test event held in Cleveland.
  • Banana Ball Tour Movie - A planned project inspired by Taylor Swift's tour movie.
  • Banana Ball Original Music - A planned project with a music partnership.
  • Banana Ball World Tour - The concept of touring internationally, even if currently limited to one city.
  • Banana Ball Secondary Ticket Marketplace - A new platform launched by the Savannah Bananas.
  • Banana Ball "Yellow" Song - A song associated with the team that is sung by fans.
  • Banana Ball "Over the Top" Ideas Session - A weekly creative meeting inspired by Saturday Night Live.
  • Banana Ball "Fans First" Principles - Core beliefs guiding the organization.
  • Banana Ball "11 Fans First Principles" - A set of guiding principles for the organization.
  • Banana Ball "12-Star Experience" - A concept of exceptional customer experience.
  • Banana Ball "10 Ideas a Day" Practice - A creative exercise for generating new ideas.
  • Banana Ball "Idea Book" - A physical notebook used for recording ideas.
  • Banana Ball "Win the Upper Deck" Concept - A principle focused on engaging all fans, regardless of seating location.
  • Banana Ball "Friction Fighter" Lens - A way of identifying and solving customer pain points.
  • Banana Ball "Storytelling" Lens - A way of seeing and creating narratives in everyday occurrences.
  • Banana Ball "Talent Strategy" of Attraction over Recruitment - A method for sourcing employees.
  • Banana Ball "Wait Times on Merch" Metric - A key performance indicator for merchandise sales.
  • Banana Ball "Per Cap" Metric - A metric related to revenue per attendee.
  • Banana Ball "24 Hour Shirt" Event - A high-volume merchandise sales event.
  • Banana Ball "2 Hour Time Limit" for Games - A rule implemented to improve fan experience.
  • Banana Ball "All-Inclusive Tickets" Model - A pricing strategy that includes food and beverages.
  • Banana Ball "Senior Citizen Dance Team (Banana Nanas)" - An entertainment act.
  • Banana Ball "Male Cheerleading Team (Man Nanas)" - An entertainment act.
  • Banana Ball "Banana Baby" Mascot Element - An entertainment element.
  • Banana Ball "Banana Band" Entertainment Act - An entertainment act.
  • Banana Ball "Garbage Can Nachos" - A unique food item.
  • Banana Ball "Dig to China Night" Promotion - A past promotional event.
  • Banana Ball "Mascot Fired for HGH" Incident - A past promotional event.
  • Banana Ball "George Bush Internship Offer" - A past promotional event.
  • Banana Ball "Yellow Tuxedo" Uniform - A distinctive part of Jesse Cole

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